My Crazy Upgrade System-Chapter 88 - 87: Closing the Gate

Upgrading a power from First-Rank to Second-Rank is anything but simple. First, you need a sufficient number of Core Formation Stage experts. Merak Palace meets that requirement; the gap lies with its disciples!

The disciples of Merak Palace are mostly at the Body Refining Stage, with very few reaching the Spirit Refining Stage. Female Cultivators are already a rarity, which makes the number of those at the Spirit Refining Stage even smaller. This is the crux of the matter: a power needs over fifty Spirit Refining Stage disciples to be considered Second-Rank.

These disciples are the pool from which Core Formation Stage experts emerge; they are the faction’s backbone, so their numbers must reach a certain threshold.

Merak Palace has fewer than ten disciples at the Spirit Refining Stage, a full forty short of the fifty required. This will take a very long time to achieve. It requires significant financial and material resources; disciples can’t just break through so easily, or the palace would have become a Second-Rank Power long ago.

’So I have to help them level up, huh? This can only be solved with Alchemy.’ Yi Tianyun rubbed his chin. ’But the reward is quite tempting. A million experience points, not to mention some kind of Enhanced Edition prize wheel... What’s that all about?’

’Looks like I’ll have my work cut out for me when I get back...’ Yi Tianyun nodded, quite satisfied with the reward.

He then looked up at Elder Xuan and asked, "Are there any Martial Arts here? Do they all belong to me now?"

"Yes, everything here already belongs to you, Young Master, including the Martial Arts," Elder Xuan said.

"Then hurry and take me to see them!" Yi Tianyun said excitedly.

"Of course."

They then withdrew from the Illusion Realm. Yi Tianyun awoke from his meditation to see Elder Xuan appear before him. He wasn’t a physical entity, however, but an illusory image. By relying on the grand formation here, Elder Xuan was still able to manifest himself.

RUMBLE!

Just then, a sound came from outside. Yi Tianyun turned his head and saw the great door slowly starting to close.

"The great door is closing. I should be able to control it and open it, right?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"Of course. You can let anyone in without any issue," Elder Xuan said.

"Good, very good!" ’This is what true, absolute control feels like. I control everything here.’ "Now, take me there."

Elder Xuan nodded. With a wave of his hand, they vanished and were teleported to a special space.

Upon entering the space, Yi Tianyun saw countless Martial Arts manuals piled up. A single glance revealed many were Human Level, but there were almost no Earth Level Martial Arts—only two scrolls.

"Only these two Earth Level Martial Arts are left?" Yi Tianyun asked, stunned.

"Yes. The others were all taken, leaving only these Human Level ones," Elder Xuan answered truthfully. "Once a manual is taken, it’s gone for good. There are no Rubbings here."

"I see..." Yi Tianyun felt a wave of helplessness. Human Level Martial Arts were of little use to him; Earth Level ones were what truly mattered.

’I thought I’d get my hands on a whole pile of Earth Level Martial Arts. Looks like that was just wishful thinking.’

「Outside the Celestial Sinking Ruins.」

"Great Elder, what do we do? The main gate is already closing! Elder Yi won’t be able to get out!" Qin Xue and the others were frantic, but there was nothing they could do. Yi Tianyun still hadn’t emerged.

The Great Elder was equally frantic. She was completely unable to break the light barrier. ’Can I really do nothing but watch this door close?’

The members of the other sects were gloating. For Merak Palace to lose a genius was, all in all, a good thing for them. ’Merak Palace has been so arrogant lately. Now that one of their own is trapped inside, they’ve suffered a devastating loss.’

"I suppose this is the only way!" The Great Elder immediately pulled the Storage Ring from her finger and, taking advantage of the closing gap, threw it forcefully through the gate. The Storage Ring didn’t contain much food, but it had a few Elixir Pills. If he was frugal, it would last him for some time.

In the meantime, they would have to figure out a way to rescue him.

The others just shook their heads, believing Great Elder Mo Yu’s actions were a futile struggle. ’Three years is far too long. Do they really think the food in that Storage Ring can last for three years? Who in their right mind prepares three years’ worth of food?’

’More importantly, they’d never actually seen anyone emerge from the ruins after the three-year mark. Even those who went in with provisions never came out in the end. That was the most unsettling part.’

SLAM!

The great door slammed shut, signifying the end of the trial in the Celestial Sinking Ruins. More importantly, it meant Yi Tianyun was not coming out.

"Elder Mo Yu, what a pity. In the end, he still didn’t make it out..." Sect Master Hua Quan said, feigning consolation, but a flash of glee crossed his eyes.

’He killed my disciple. This must be his just deserts!’

"It is fine. We can bear this loss." Elder Mo Yu’s face was grim, though in truth, her heart was aching. He was a Core Formation Stage expert—a late-stage one at that. How could she not be heartbroken?

The others just snickered, then left with their spoils, paying no more mind to the disciples of Merak Palace.

The disciples didn’t leave right away. They stood in silence, their faces etched with grief. Elder Yi, the man who had saved Merak Palace, was trapped.

"Great Elder, can’t the door be opened?" Qin Xue asked.

"No. If it could be forced open, it would have been done long ago..." Elder Mo Yu sighed deeply and glanced at the door. "Our only option is to return and discuss this with the Palace Master. I feel it’s hopeless. We can only wait three years."

’It’s the only way.’ They simply didn’t have the power to force their way into the Celestial Sinking Ruins. If it were that easy, someone would have conquered it long ago. Why would it have remained untouched until now?

"Let’s go back. We’ll talk more once we return." Great Elder Mo Yu signaled for them to leave, as it wasn’t safe to linger here.

And so, they began their journey back. Meanwhile, inside the Celestial Sinking Ruins, Yi Tianyun was in no hurry to get out.

He could control the Celestial Sinking Ruins and come and go as he pleased, but he wasn’t eager to leave. His main concern was being discovered. If anyone saw that he could control the gate to the Celestial Sinking Ruins, it would cause a world of trouble.

The Celestial Sinking Ruins could serve as his ultimate trump card. If anything were to happen to Merak Palace, he could lead all its disciples to take refuge here. Although the Celestial Sinking Ruins were ancient, they could fend off an attack from another power with ease.

"Besides these Martial Arts, is there anything else in the Celestial Sinking Ruins?" Yi Tianyun asked.

"Yes. There is a cultivation chamber and an armory. I will take you to see them now, Young Master." Elder Xuan began to lead him to other areas, but this time they couldn’t teleport. Teleportation was only possible from the area near the Trial Stele.

The Profound Celestial Spirit King’s cultivation base was astonishing, but that didn’t mean he had the time and energy to inscribe Teleportation Arrays everywhere. The process was far too draining, and there was no need for such extravagance.

"Great! Take me to see them. Let’s see what other Treasures there are!" Yi Tianyun’s eyes lit up. ’The more, the better! With these resources, I can strengthen Merak Palace!’