Trading system, I exchanged vegetables for golden pills.

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively: "I'm not that old. Just call me 'brother.' It's awkward for young people to call each other 'senior.' Besides, I don't have that many gifts to give as a greeting!"

Ma Dongcan shook his head: "Calling you 'brother' would mess up our generational hierarchy, no way!"

Xia Wudi nodded in deep agreement: "Exactly, in the path of cultivation, those who have reached the highest level come first. It's only right that I call you senior!"

Master Lu Yin nodded in agreement.

The young people looked at each other, wondering if success was the only factor in the outcome.

What's Ye Chen's strength like?

Zhang Yi, Ma Dongcan's last disciple, was immediately somewhat unconvinced.

He coughed lightly: "Ahem, Senior Uncle Xia, I have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage!"

Xia Wudi glanced at him and nodded: "Yeah, Old Ma said he's really getting cocky. Not bad, you and Xiao Jiu are both a bit more promising than Ruolan!"

Zhou Ruolan pursed her lips. Well, indeed, she was only at the Qi Refining Perfection stage and was preparing to establish her foundation in the coming days.

"Ninth Brother has also reached the Foundation Establishment stage?" Zhang Yi looked at Lu Jiu with some surprise.

Lu Jiu smiled slightly and nodded: "Yes, I managed to reach Foundation Establishment half a year ago!"

Zhang Yi's little bit of pride vanished instantly. He had thought he was one step ahead, but it turned out he was still a little slower than Lu Jiu.

Uh, no, he meant to talk about Ye Chen, but he almost got caught up in Xia Shibo's misunderstanding.

Zhang Yi forced a smile and continued, "I wonder, Senior Ye, what is your cultivation level? Would you like to broaden our horizons?"

He emphasized the word "Senior Ye" in his speech, which showed that he was somewhat unconvinced.

That "senior" wasn't something he called out willingly!

How could you not tell how long those old men have lived?

Ma Dongcan shook his head and sighed, "Xiao Yi, I didn't tell you because I was afraid it would discourage you!"

Zhang Yi was still somewhat unwilling to give up, and tentatively asked, "Master, does this mean that Senior Ye has also reached the Foundation Establishment stage? And is he above us, perhaps already in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

Ma Dongcan thought to himself, "Mid-Foundation Establishment? He's already at the Golden Core stage, and he even attracted a tribulation lightning... You guys better not know, lest your Dao hearts collapse."

At this moment, Ye Chen laughed and said, "Ahem, I got a little luckier and managed to break through."

He didn't say what level he had broken through to.

Since the old man wasn't going to punish his closed-door disciple, Ye Chen wouldn't cause any trouble either!

When the young people heard Ye Chen say this, they all thought that Ye Chen had really broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment!

Although I was somewhat prepared, I was still shocked.

As fellow young people, they naturally knew what it meant to achieve Foundation Establishment at such a young age.

They were able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage so quickly because they had a master at the Golden Core Realm, but what about Ye Chen?

Could it be that he also has a Golden Core master behind him?

Since they are stronger than them, it's understandable for them to call them "senior".

Zhang Yi bowed to Ye Chen and then remained silent.

If you're not as strong as others, there's nothing to say.

He probably secretly vowed to work hard when he got back and catch up with Ye Chen as soon as possible.

Seeing that Ye Chen was being vague, the old men didn't press the matter further, preferring to leave some suspense.

To avoid actually hurting their disciples later, that would be bad!

The Dao heart is something that can sometimes collapse in an instant!

......

Master Lu Yin personally brewed tea, and the group chatted casually, changing the subject.

During this time, Ye Chen asked how many people like them were left.

The answer they received was that, besides them, there was another person in China, who was also the Supreme Elder of the Taiyi Sect, the number one sect at the time.

However, the Supreme Elder of the Taiyi Sect usually stays in seclusion and rarely shows his face, so he didn't come this time.

Ye Chen also learned a term from them: Guardian!

There is an unwritten rule that as long as one enters the Golden Core realm and is approved by the majority of the current guardians, then he is qualified to become a member of the guardians.

This was also one of the reasons why they invited Ye Chen here.

There are only four Golden Core cultivators in the area, all of whom are guardians, and three of them are present, which is enough to pass the decision on Ye Chen's guardian status.

The three extended an invitation to Ye Chen, saying that if Ye Chen agreed, he could become a guardian.

They said they would give Ye Chen time to consider, and it would be fine if he agreed, since joining the Guardians was voluntary and not mandatory!

Ye Chen was the person in charge of Beidou Tian Shu, and he already had an inescapable responsibility on his shoulders. Qian was also responsible for protecting it, so he agreed without hesitation.

The old men were very excited to see Ye Chen agree without hesitation.

It feels like we'll all be one of us from now on.

They didn't expect things to go so smoothly.

They had prepared various arguments to persuade Ye Chen, but none of them worked. Ye Chen agreed without even asking the guardian what he wanted to do.

When they talked about guardians, it was a spiritual exchange.

So the young people had no idea what the others were talking about.

The young people felt a little uneasy watching Ye Chen chatting happily with the old men and even using telepathy to keep it a secret.

Who are really on our side? Ye Chen can join the chat, but we have to be wary of them?

Ye Chen is just a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, only slightly stronger than them. Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?

Of course, the young people were just grumbling to themselves; Ye Chen and the others had no idea.

......

Ye Chen thus became a guardian without any ripples or disturbances; for him, it was merely another title.

With great power comes great responsibility, that's nothing new, so Ye Chen took a calm approach to the matter.

The Guardians, as the name suggests, are those who protect China.

When you're weak, play it safe and develop stealthily.

When you are strong, protect your homeland.

As sons and daughters of China, there is nothing to hesitate about!

If he had been at the minor Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage before, that would have been fine.

But now that he's a Golden Core expert, he should give back to society as much as he can.

Of course, Ye Chen still took the initiative to ask what exactly needed to be done.

"Brothers, now that I'm a Guardian, can you tell me exactly what Guardians do?"

Ye Chen asked the question via telepathy.

Xia Wudi grinned: "Brother Ye agreed so readily, I'm really not used to it!"

Ye Chen chuckled, "You've all joined, so the probability of me joining is 100%. What do I have to hesitate about? Wouldn't it be very antisocial if I didn't join?"

Master Luyin slowly spoke: "The duties of the Guardians and the Big Dipper are actually quite similar, except that the Big Dipper is more responsible for daily affairs, while the Guardians only need to take action in specific situations."

"For example, in some critical situations, or in cases that Beidou cannot handle, the Guardians will need to step in. But you don't need to worry, the world is still relatively peaceful, and there's nothing major happening."

Ye Chen nodded; it was pretty much what he had in mind.

The Guardians can also be understood as the high-end combat force of Beidou.

If BeiDou can't handle something, then it proves that the situation is very serious.

At this point, regardless of whether he is a guardian or not, he would probably step forward, right? He probably would!