Read Novel Full Chapter 1169: Chapter 1163: I Have Invited Someone
Chapter 1169: Chapter 1163: I Have Invited Someone
The cloud-sky palace was so magnificent and imposing that it didn’t seem to belong to the mortal realm.
Even the ground was paved with jade, exuding the utmost fairy-like spiritual energy.
“Uncle Rain.”
The cultivators along the way were dressed in white robes, all possessing righteous appearances.
At a single glance, one could tell they were disciples of the noble orthodox path.
They respectfully bowed in greeting, bringing their palms together with the pads of their thumbs and four fingers touching, forming the posture of the Three Realms.
The receiver of the greetings was eight feet tall. Wearing a blue robe engraved with complex patterns, with broad shoulders and dangling ornaments, he appeared even more burly.
The man’s facial features were sharply defined yet fair, with blue teardrop moles under both eyes.
His flowing hair gave him a slightly feminine look without losing his majestic bearing.
Giving a slight nod, he took a single step and was already a hundred meters away.
With both hands tucked into the sleeves of his long robe, this person arrived at the entrance of the Peerless Hall’s main hall.
A woman sat cross-legged inside.
Her appearance caused any beautiful thing in the world to pale in comparison beside her.
Her hands formed a circle at her Dantian; spiritual energy transformed into a surge of a hundred flowers, gently lifting her dark hair.
“Reporting to the Matriarch, your subordinate is departing for Azure Cloud and has come specifically to inform you.”
The woman on the seat didn’t even raise her eyes.
She visibly frowned, pondering for a moment before nodding slightly.
Only then did Uncle Rain straighten his slightly bowed body, vanishing from his spot in an instant.
When he reappeared, his face was gloomy and cold.
“Mu Xueqing, Min Tiange… just because of you two little brats, do you think you are worthy to hold the power of the Peerless Hall and be my masters?”
“If it weren’t for…”
Uncle Rain gently patted his chest and slowly walked out of the Peerless Hall.
Instantly, a crowd of a hundred people closely followed behind him.
In front of the group of Peerless Hall disciples, he said in a low voice,
“The Azure Cloud Prefecture holds a massive secret. Now that Min Tiange is in the Western Frontier, wait until I gain something there, and we will see what his Dao Seed can do to me.”
“After the battle at the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, the Huan Gui came to be used by the Li Clan, and Holy Monk Yidian vanished after breaking the Dao Seed.
The people of the Li Clan participated in the battle at the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems; perhaps they know some hidden secrets.”
…
“Daoist Lingyin, please come in.”
“Little friend Su, I trust you have been well?”
“Sigh, I didn’t expect that after several millennia, my fellow Daoist has still not broken through to the Void Refining realm. Please come in quickly.
Whether this twist of fate allows you to reach the Void Refining realm depends on today.”
“…”
Clearpeak Prefecture, located to the northeast of Westfall Prefecture.
Here lay another grand Grotto-Heaven, known as the Bamboo Grove Path.
Zishu Ling, Perfected Qiuyue, and their ilk could be seen waiting at the entrance.
In just a short span of ten days, they had welcomed over a hundred guests.
These arriving cultivators had to present the list that Wenren Xianyi had previously sent out before they were permitted to enter.
These guests seemed to share a tacit understanding, coming alone.
They only spoke of recent events and news or exchanged greetings with old acquaintances.
“Ten days, in merely ten days, so many fellow Daoists have arrived.”
Perfected Qiuyue sighed, the satisfaction in his brow refusing to fade.
The memory of the day he was forced to kneel before Li Chang remained vivid in his mind, making him yearn day and night to completely exterminate the arrogant and domineering Li Clan.
Today, with the arrival of these fellow Daoists, he saw hope!
Beside him, Zishu Ling’s eyes were already gleaming, silently counting the auras of the guests within the Grotto-Heaven.
“The Divine Calculator of the Southern Sea, whose predictions never fail.
If he hadn’t been driven out of the Imperial Dynasty at the Void Refining realm, he likely wouldn’t have stopped at this level.”
“The Thousand-Faced Swordsman, mid-stage Void Refining realm.
He broke his seclusion three hundred years ago and delivered a breathtaking sword strike in the Northern Frontier, slaying an Exalted Demon.”
“The Nine-Turn Pegasus of the Monster Race, Exalted Demon Ma Wensheng!”
“…”
Zishu Ling couldn’t contain her joy.
When she emerged to deal with the Azure Cloud Li Clan over the ‘Ten Deadly Sins’ back then, it was for nothing else but today’s grand occasion!
The royal family was in decline, and the demon empress controlled the court administration.
As a descendant of the Zishu family, her only goal was to turn the tide.
Who knew that the demon empress Wenren Xianyi had already taken root too deeply in the Imperial Dynasty, controlling the divine palaces and numerous factions, unmovable like an ageless green mountain.
Now that powerful experts had gathered, once the Li Clan was exterminated, these experts would heed her words and be used by her.
In the future, she would have the foundation to contend with Wenren Xianyi.
She hurriedly went to test the waters, heading into the main hall to get acquainted with them one by one.
The others didn’t pay much attention to Zishu Ling, but Gongyang Ju frowned continuously, looking at Li Chuyuan beside him, who was clenching his fists tightly and gulping.
One look was enough to tell that this kid had never seen such a grand scene before; just look at how excited he was.
Looking again at the various people harboring their own ulterior motives, with over a hundred people in the main hall, their scheming thoughts could probably fill the entire Grotto-Heaven.
He silently cursed them as a ‘motley crew’ in his heart.
Soon after, he turned to Perfected Qiuyue and asked, “Fellow Daoist, are you truly certain you want to charge at the Li Clan like this?”
“The Li Clan is internally empty. The only one worth noting is their elusive Old Ancestor,” Perfected Qiuyue calmed his heart and said in a deep voice.
“Relying on the people we have here is more than enough. Furthermore, we have other friends.”
“Phew.”
Gongyang Ju exhaled a breath of air, pointed inside the Grotto-Heaven, and said solemnly,
“These fellow Daoists are all people on the list. But ten years have passed; can you be certain that none of them are secretly in contact with the Li Clan? There must be.
This means the news that we are about to make a move is already known to the Li Clan.”
“You are wrong.”
Perfected Qiuyue was not angered by this. On the contrary, he was pleased that Gongyang Ju was pouring cold water at a time like this.
He replied, “Perhaps they were before. But they have no ties or kinship with the Li Clan. Now that we have ample manpower, do you think they would still risk their lives for the Li Clan?”
Gongyang Ju raised an eyebrow.
Perfected Qiuyue continued,
“They will go mad with greed. The Li Clan is currently a mountain of Spirit Stones; even the most foolish person wouldn’t help the Li Clan now.
What we should be considering now is how to secure the greatest benefits when the Li Clan is exterminated!”
“Moreover, to deal with the Li Clan’s Old Ancestor, I have invited someone.” Perfected Qiuyue let out a cold sneer.
Just as Perfected Qiuyue words fell.
Gongyang Ju’s expression changed.
In the distance, flowers bloomed out of thin air. Amidst this sky full of dancing petals was a luxurious palanquin carved with dragons and phoenixes.
Reclining on it was a peerlessly handsome young master, flanked by two stunningly beautiful women.
One held a feather fan to fan him—and this fan was actually a supreme-grade Spirit Artifact—while the other fed him spiritual fruits that even Golden Core cultivators would fight tooth and nail over.
Even the palanquin bearers were sixteen exceptionally rare beauties.
Not a single one was below the Nascent Soul realm, and two of them were even at the Void Refining realm.
Unfortunately, these beauties possessed unstable auras; despite having decent innate talent, they had been forcibly elevated to this realm using medicinal pills and special methods.
It was a true waste of heavenly gifts.
The moment this person appeared, everyone in the Grotto-Heaven Paradise fixed their attention on him.
Even the dignified Zishu Ling’s eyes gleamed brightly.
Astonished whispers rippled through the crowd, and for a moment, their confidence in the impending great battle against the Azure Cloud Prefecture swelled.
“The monstrous genius of Grandhaven Prefecture, Banshu Ao.
Thirty thousand years ago, when His Majesty inspected Grandhaven Prefecture, he saw this person—who was then at the Golden Core realm—and His Majesty the Human Emperor proclaimed him the number one prodigy in the mortal realm.”
“In this world, the Qi Condensation realm has nine layers, reaching a peak of ten, yet he forcefully broke through to the eighteenth layer.
His Foundation Establishment took thirty years, and for thirty thousand years, his title as the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in the mortal realm has remained unsurpassed.
He even refined a Divine Core during the Golden Core stage. While a Divine Core is the absolute limit of the Golden Core realm, it was not his limit.”
“The number one person below the Body Integration realm—who else could it be but him?”
Banshu Ao turned a deaf ear to the continuous praises, merely waiting for his maid to bite off a piece of a spiritual fruit and feed it into his mouth.
He was tired of hearing such words; how could a divine dragon soaring in the vast sky bother to listen to the rustling of crawling insects on the ground?
Perfected Qiuyue was seen stepping forward, but a fragrant breeze arrived even faster than him.
“Young Master Banshu, I am Zishu Ling. I have long heard of the Young Master’s great name; truly, hearing of your reputation pales in comparison to meeting you in person.”
Zishu Ling was more bashful and gentle than ever before, showing none of her usual arrogant and fiery demeanor.
“Surnamed Zishu?”
Banshu Ao did not sit up straight, maintaining his languid posture. He raised an eyebrow and cast a brief glance at Zishu Ling.
Heh, her looks couldn’t even compare to his maids. He merely offered a casual reply, “Greetings, Miss.”
He then looked toward Perfected Qiuyue, who was bowing in greeting.
“Qiuyue, having only these people is not enough. If the ones arriving over the coming days are nothing more than your sort of caliber, this Young Master will just return to Grandhaven Prefecture.”
“This…” Perfected Qiuyue’s face turned ugly.
This Banshu Ao was true to his name—his arrogance soared to the heavens, and he never gave anyone face.
A trace of anger flashed through Zishu Ling’s eyes.
Ordinary men couldn’t wait to curry favor with her, yet Banshu Ao didn’t even spare her a second glance.
She couldn’t help but scoff, “Could it be that Young Master Banshu is afraid?”
“Afraid?”
Banshu Ao scoffed through his nose.
“Azure Cloud Prefecture is the Li Clan’s home territory, and their Grotto-Heavens are situated within it.
With the profound foundation they’ve accumulated over many years in these troubled times, coupled with the entire population of the Azure Cloud Prefecture…
Back then, the Zhao Clan perished at the hands of the Li Clan, and today, the Li Clan’s strength has grown more than tenfold.
If Miss Zishu truly thinks this campaign will be easy, you would be better off returning to the Imperial Capital.”
“You…” Zishu Ling was furious.
Lacking a Dao Companion, she had harbored thoughts of using the monstrous genius Banshu Ao’s reputation to amass subordinates.
She never expected that someone with such a shining reputation could speak in such a detestable manner.
When Perfected Qiuyue heard that Banshu Ao wanted to leave, he found himself in a dilemma.
However, Zishu Ling sneered, “If I go back, you all will be the ones facing a true disaster.”
“Oh?” Banshu Ao looked slightly interested.
With the Human Emperor ruined, a fallen phoenix was worse than a chicken, yet he hadn’t expected this Zishu Ling to still possess some usefulness.
Perfected Qiuyue thought back to when Zishu Ling had previously managed to invite two Body Integration experts, his face lighting up with joy. “Could it be?”
At this moment.
A subtle Dao rhythm suddenly arose between heaven and earth.
Though hidden and restrained, it made everyone feel their breathing grow heavy, as if bearing the weight of a towering mountain.
Perfect timing!
Zishu Ling scoffed,
“The Eastern Sea Daoist Sanctuary’s Holy Master Haoqiong, Wang Jing! This is my teacher.
He once served under His Majesty, treading the Eastern Sea, and later cultivated there.
My teacher’s cultivation reaches the heavens. With him here, the Azure Cloud Prefecture can be destroyed with a mere flip of his hand…”
But before she could finish her sentence.
Rain began to fall from the cloudy sky.
Banshu Ao could no longer ignore his surroundings to listen to Zishu Ling’s boasting.
Finally shedding his languid posture, he turned his head.
Looking up at the source of the falling rain, a man in a blue robe, accompanied by a hundred white-robed cultivators, was approaching.
The aura he emanated was ancient and extraordinary.
That man merely lowered his eyes slightly, yet it was enough to strike sheer terror into Banshu Ao’s heart.
“Uncle Rain!”
Banshu Ao couldn’t help but utter the name out loud.
It was impossible not to; this person hailed from a bygone era, and an unknown number of people across the world had grown up listening to stories about him.
Li Chuyuan strolled forward. Looking up at Uncle Rain, whose gaze was fixed upon him, he gave a slight nod.
“The Imperial Dynasty once established the Heaven Control Directorate.
Ba Siyu was a part of it, governing the Earth Virtue of the lands. Master Ting Ye governed the essence of flora within the Imperial Dynasty’s borders… totaling five mighty figures of great merit.”
“Uncle Rain, meanwhile, governed the dispensing of rain across the Imperial Dynasty, holding the title of Merit Saint.”
“Unfortunately, he disappeared without a trace forty thousand years ago. His Heavenly Rain Sacred Method nourished the entire world.
Had he remained, at the very least, the Wu Tribe’s Divine Bird Totem would never have dared to step foot into the Western Frontier.”
Rain techniques countered heavenly fire; everyone nodded slightly in agreement.
If Uncle Rain hadn’t gone missing, when the Nirvana Sage Elder’s heavenly fire rained down back then, he could have cast a spell to extinguish the blaze entirely.
“The Azure Cloud Li Clan is finished.”
Banshu Ao murmured.
He no longer dared to look up at Uncle Rain.
The descent of a legendary figure he had heard tales of since childhood completely suppressed his usual arrogance.
At this moment, Zishu Ling’s beautiful face flushed bright red.
Looking left and right in embarrassment, she cursed inwardly, “Where did my teacher go? How could he let me lose so much face like this?”
Li Chuyuan clenched his fists tightly, his teeth gritted.
Over the years, ever since he left to cultivate at the Eternal Immortal Sect, he hadn’t even returned for the family’s grand sacrifices.
His clansmen had gradually alienated him.
It wasn’t that he had never searched his soul, wondering if his own flaws had led to such a predicament.
Especially when the family suddenly grew powerful.
The fact that his grandfather Jianning and great-uncle Jianshu had both surpassed him only deepened his regret.
His clansmen no longer accepted him, and even the Eternal Immortal Sect—due to their relationship with the Li Clan—had overlooked his status as a genius, allowing a prodigy like him to gather dust.
But now, looking at the continuous stream of experts pouring into the Grotto-Heaven, and seeing Uncle Rain—one of the three Great Elders of the Peerless Hall—descending from the cloudy sky specifically for him, he finally understood.
He had never made the wrong choice.
Those laughable clansmen back in Merit City never understood that raw strength was the ultimate answer in this world.
Instead, they spent their days clinging to blind superstitions regarding the Spirit Tablets in their hands.
They had elevated two pieces of trash—Li Qiuming and Li Chuxiu—to the position of Family Head.
Blinded and arrogant from a temporary surge in power, they had ultimately brought this dire situation upon themselves.
If he had been the Family Head, how could things have ever reached this point?
“Only destruction can bring forth new life. My era has finally begun.”
—
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