Chapter 1898 — 1898: Leaving the Immortal Monastery

"Elder Sun, I am serious. I want to go with you to the Desolate Continent. You have no idea how much I sacrificed to get the Sect Leader's approval," Yuan said with a serious expression on his face.

Elder Sun sighed, "Whatever. You'll go by yourself if I refuse anyway, so I might as well bring you with me. You'll be a little safer that way. Promise me you'll not leave my side for as long as we're there."

"I promise," Yuan nodded.

"Come to the Immortal Sun Peak in three days. We'll leave then," she said a moment later.

After leaving, Yuan went to meet up with the others to let them know about his absence.

"What? You can leave the sect?" Ji Ran was shocked to learn this.

"Yes, but it'll cost you ten million points."

"Ten million?! That's straight-up robbery!" Xi Meili exclaimed.

"Do you think we'll be able to acquire points outside the sect? Otherwise, I cannot justify spending so many points…" Lan Yingying asked.

"I don't know, but we might be able to sell whatever we acquired outside to the stores for points once we get back to the sect," Yuan speculated.

"How long will you be gone for?" Yingzi asked.

"I don't know, but I have four years to repay my debt, so I doubt I'll be out for too long."

Yuan then told the others about paying for an audience with the Sect Leader and their true goal.

"Although it may seem expensive at first, I think it's worth it, as this may be the only way for us to get any answers."

"But these requirements… How long do you think it'll take one to complete them?" Xi Meili asked.

Ji Ran responded with a solemn expression, "Acquiring a hundred million points and becoming a Core Disciple will take a few decades, but to achieve level 9 in the Peerless Immortal Technique… I'm not sure if that's even possible."

"What level did you reach when you were the Sect Leader? And how long did it take?" Yuan asked.

"I only reached the peak of the 6th level, which took me almost three million years to achieve."

"Three million years?! There's no way I'm willing to spend even a tenth of that much time here! Even if time passes slower in this world, it won't matter since we'd still need to spend that much time in here!" Xi Meili exclaimed, her motivation to continue this trial dropping significantly.

"Looks like this trial is much more complicated and time-consuming than we all thought. What are you going to do now? Are you going to continue?" Lan Yingying looked at Yuan.

"Honestly? I don't think I will complete this trial. I will probably give up sooner or later." Yuan said.

He'd already thought about giving up before even his conversation with the Sect Leader was over. This trial was simply too time-consuming. Moreover, the reward for the trial wasn't enticing to Yuan, who already knew most of their techniques and secrets.

"When will you leave? I'll stay in here until you leave," Xi Meili said.

"Probably after I return from this little trip," he said.

Yuan then looked at Ji Ran and asked him, "What about you? Will you stay here? Since time flows differently in here, you can stay here while we leave."

"That's…" Ji Ran couldn't give an immediate answer. He wanted to stay, but he had to follow Yuan.

Yuan could guess what he was thinking and said, "I don't mind if you stay here."

"Please give me some time to think about it," Ji Ran eventually said.

Yuan nodded.

Three days later, Yuan met with Elder Sun at Immortal Sun Peak.

"Are you ready to leave?" she asked him.

"Yes, I am ready."

Elder Sun swiftly retrieved a flying treasure, and to Yuan's surprise, it took the form of a majestic white lion. Its pristine fur shimmered like polished jade, and roaring flames engulfed its powerful legs, crackling with an otherworldly brilliance. The beast radiated an aura of dominance and grace, exuding an ancient power that seemed to shake the very air around it.

This was Yuan's first time seeing Elder Sun's flying treasure, and it looked even more realistic than the one Kulas had.

"That looks expensive," Yuan said out loud.

"What flying treasure isn't expensive?"

Yuan smiled and said, "More than what a sect elder should be able to afford. Now that I think about it, I know nothing of your background, Elder Sun."

Elder Sun sighed and said, "Stop being a busybody and get on it, or I will leave you behind."

Elder Sun leaped onto the back of the majestic flying treasure, treating it as effortlessly as one would a common steed. Without hesitation, Yuan followed suit, landing just behind her.

Before he could utter a single word, the white lion let out a low, rumbling growl, and in the blink of an eye, it ascended into the sky. Flames flickered from its legs as it propelled itself upward, piercing through the clouds with breathtaking speed. The world below blurred into insignificance, swallowed by the vast expanse of the heavens.

Yuan gazed at the endless sky stretching before them and asked, "How long do you think it'll take to reach the Desolate Continent?"

Despite their extreme speed, he felt only a gentle breeze brushing against his face.

"We should arrive in a week," she calmly replied.

'A week?! That's too fast!' Yuan cried inwardly.

"Since we have some time, why don't you tell me a little about yourself? When you asked me about my background, I realized that I also didn't know anything about you," Elder Sun said, being a busybody herself.

Yuan smiled and said, "I came from a place called Earth."

"Earth? I've never heard of this place before."

"It's a small and insignificant place, so I'm not surprised."

"Why did you join the Immortal Monastery?"

"The same reason why most people do—to change my life."

Elder Sun continued to question Yuan for the next several hours.