Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

"Kid, why that gloomy face? With your aptitude, you're at least starting with blue or perhaps even reaching light purple. It's the same whether you test or not."

Seeing Yi Chen's face as dark as the bottom of a pot, Doumu Origin Lord thought Yi Chen was feeling regret and couldn't help but offer consolation.

"Yuan Jun, you misunderstand. My point is aptitude is important, of course, but what's most crucial is one's own effort!"

Yi Chen stressed each word as he began to speak highly of himself. He had come all this way with a white aptitude, on par with a True Monarch, which was the best proof of hard work.

Of course, Shen Hong had also offered a bit of minor assistance during this time.

"Not bad, as modest as I am, you are indeed the talent Doumu Origin Lord's Hall needs." Doumu Origin Lord's peach blossom mask morphed into an appreciative expression, then she spoke again, "Enough chatter, now that you've already impressed your handprint on the jade book of my hall, you are one of us."

"Looking at your disheveled arrival, I can sense the aura of the Demon Seal on you. How did you manage to provoke those bald monks from Buddhism?"

"Forget it, that's not important. Now that you've joined my Doumu Origin Lord's Hall, if they dare to continue acting like this, I'll seek revenge for you."

The mysterious woman slapped her chest with grand passion, causing her weighty chest to tremble, leaving Yi Chen feeling tremendous pressure, his gaze unsure where to rest.

[This senior seems not only a bit crazy but also quite bold.] Yi Chen couldn't help but scoff inwardly before changing the subject:

"Yuan Jun, now that I am a part of the Doumu Origin Lord's Hall, may I ask what position will I be given?"

Aside from the Heavenly Master, Doumu Origin Lord, and Yuqing True King, the organizational structure of the Free Sky faction consisted of the positions of the twenty-eight constellations and the thirteen Lords of the northern and southern asterisms.

At these words, the mysterious woman also fell into deep thought, evidently struggling with the decision. Brow-furrowing motions manifested expressively on her peach blossom mask.

She took out a purple Star Disc and started fiddling with it, doing something unknown, and thus passed the time quietly for the duration of a cup of tea until the Star Disc shone with a faint glow.

Two seconds later, as if having made a certain decision, Doumu Origin Lord firmly slapped her palm down and said:

"Yi Chengzi, Yuan Jun admires you. With your aptitude and talent, the vacant positions in the twenty-eight constellations are somewhat unworthy of you. Your achievement of becoming a Dao Zhen True Monarch is only a matter of time, and it surely won't be your ultimate destination."

"Let's do this. Since the position of Lord Tan Lang from the Yangming constellation is currently vacant, you shall temporarily occupy the place of Lord Tan Lang. I hope you won't disappoint this name."

Although Yi Chen didn't know the differences between the positions within the Free Sky, seeing Doumu Origin Lord ponder so long before deciding, he understood that positions were very precious to the Free Sky, and even a Hall Master would need to consider carefully before granting one.

He immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Yuan...."

But before he could finish speaking, Yi Chen's face turned beet red.

In the midst of her bow, Yi Taoist unfortunately fell victim to a head pat.

A slender, fair hand suddenly caressed the top of his head three times in quick succession.

"No need for formalities." The crisp voice of the mysterious woman came through, and the eyebrows on the peach blossom mask immediately curved up in a smile.

God damn.

A deep-seated grudge was noted once more by Yi Chen. He swore to himself to repay it tenfold and a hundredfold in the future.

Looking at Yi Chen's face as dark as the bottom of a pot, Doumu Origin Lord stopped teasing. Seeing it was time to let it be, she stimulated the mana within her, and a mana blossoming like flowers reappeared. Like a celestial maiden from Dunhuang murals, she soared and reclined on a brocade couch in front of the side hall.

After settling into a comfortable position, she waved her hand and a small tea table appeared in front of her, filled with a large plate of various colored Spirit Fruits. With Yi Chen's current experience, he could recognize less than a third.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore, it's not funny."

"Kid, the lowest rank of a Star Lord in my Celestial Domain is that of a Dao Zhen True Monarch, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can hold such a position, and you'll have your own independent Star Hall for cultivation,

as well as many benefits such as the blue Star Disc, countless people in the twenty-eight mansions dream of becoming a Star Lord of my Celestial Domain, and you, kid, are sky-rocketing to the top."

"Yuan Jun takes a great risk with this action, if you can't match the prowess of a Dao Zhen True Monarch and dominate the twenty-eight mansions within ten years, you should voluntarily give up the Lord Tan Lang's Palace."

As Doumu Origin Lord's voice rose, the Spirit Fruits arrayed on her coffee table began to float up, peeling themselves and flying into her mouth; she was eating and speaking at the same time, not missing a beat.

"Oh right, all new disciples joining my Celestial Domain must complete an initiation task, the difficulty of which is not great, it's merely a formality for your current level of cultivation."

"Considering you are injured, in three days come to my Doumu Origin Lord's Hall's Star God Pillar to randomly select a task."

"Here is the command token for Lord Tan Lang's Palace and some matters to note about my Celestial Domain, I won't go into detail now, you can read them slowly after you return, do you have any questions?"

The mysterious woman with the peach blossom mask on the brocade couch crossed one long leg over the other, her foot shaking irregularly, her skirt slipping down, revealing a small length of snowy, sleek ankle and calf, her skin glistening like the evening glow, her pose exuding a delicate charm.

A small golden wolf-head seal, a blue Star Disc, and a jade slip suddenly appeared, floating in front of Yi Chen.

"To report to Yuan Jun, I have a question, where did the previous Lord Tan Lang go?" After securing the golden seal, Star Disc, and jade slip, Yi Chen bowed and asked.

The moment he spoke, Doumu Origin Lord's leg suddenly stopped shaking, stiff in midair: "The previous Xiao Lang was killed by someone."

"But don't panic, I've avenged Xiao Lang. I caught two high monks in the late stages of Path-entry from the Subhuti Zen Monastery and slaughtered them, and I even fought their chief disciplinarian, shattering his Vajra Indestructible Body. He'll need at least fifty years to recover, heh heh."

"As long as you aren't killed by a cultivator of the same realm, if someone else breaks the rules and bullies the weak again, Yuan Jun will kill three people to accompany you in death, a full three, how about that?" Doumu Origin Lord sat up and said proudly.

"Still, when you're out and about, try not to reveal your identity as Lord Tan Lang. Yuan Jun is excessively exceptional and has attracted much envy; I have quite a few enemies. They probably won't dare to bully the weak now, but they might gather a group to attack you."

[Yuan Jun, I thank you.]

Feeling a bit nervous upon hearing these words, Yi Chen felt he had boarded a ship of thieves; perhaps the Palace of Yuqing True King would have suited him better.

After saying goodbye to Doumu Origin Lord without any expression, Yi Chen looked around before following the guidance of the golden seal to a palace outside of which stood two stone carvings of howling celestial wolves. The wolf-head command token in his hand immediately shot out a ray of golden light, and the doors of the Lord Tan Lang's Palace swung wide open.

As he entered, lamps one by one lit up the dark hall, illuminating the obsidian hall.

At the very top of the hall was an iron throne shaped like a wolf's head, ferocious and intimidating.

On both sides of the hall stood rows of giant black sculptures, all resembling massive wolves, with each bearing a huge stone basin on its back, from which shone a bright and soft light like starlight.

The floor of the hall was covered with a thick carpet made from the furs of unknown mystical beasts, making any footfall eerily silent.

Yi Chen walked step by step to the iron wolf-head throne and sat down with an air of authority. As he looked around the hall, he suddenly felt that he might not have been shortchanged after all.

After a moment's thought, he released Miao Zi from his spirit pet bag.

Upon release, Miao Zi peeked around stealthily before letting out a happy meow inside Yi Chen's mind; it then started doing consecutive back-flips on the carpet of the hall.

"Dad, are we rich now?"

"Where did you get such a huge palace?"