After spending half a month in the Land of All Saints, it was close to half a year in the Mortal World.
Jiang Ziyan’s eyes narrowed as she asked, “Father, it’s been over a hundred years, that thing should only be used in extreme emergencies. What kind of danger did we encounter here?”
Her Divine Thought covered the Imperial City, yet she didn’t detect any sign of calamity.
“It’s already been resolved.”
Emperor Yu spoke in a low voice, “Previously, some people from the Immortal Gate discovered the incense fire of our Dayu and coveted it in secret, planning to use demons to compete for it. They did not wish to reveal their identities, yet for some reason, they chose to reveal themselves and invited six individuals from the Dao Law Realm to come here, intending to plunder and destroy our Jiang family.”
Hearing his words, the faces of the five Imperial Family members changed at once. Six from the Dao Law Realm had come here?
They could tell that Emperor Yu was in the Tao Comprehension Realm, and they were also aware of the old Daoist in the Dao Law Realm gazing over from Gan Tao Palace above, but these were clearly not enough to withstand the presence of six from the Dao Law Realm.
Not to mention they were from the Immortal Gate.
“What about now?”
The indifference in Jiang Ziyan’s eyes vanished, replaced with an intense solemnity that even carried a hint of murderous intent.
Seeing their anxious expressions, Emperor Yu laughed, “Don’t be nervous, it’s all in the past now. Our Dayu Divine Dynasty has produced a rare talent, one in a thousand years, who alone slaughtered all six from the Dao Law Realm and even forced out the mastermind behind them. When the enemy fled, a Holy Force intervened. I am now concerned that the force behind the enemy is not giving up and may employ a Saint to act, although the likelihood of a Saint taking direct action is not high…”
As he spoke, the smile faded from his face, and his eyebrows filled with concern.
The others from the Jiang family were stunned, looking at each other in disbelief.
They had been in the Land of All Saints for a hundred years, which meant a thousand years must have passed in the Mortal World.
Could it be that in a thousand years’ time, in this energy-depleted place, a monster had arisen, reaching the Dao Law Realm and capable of slaughtering those from the Immortal Gate’s Dao Law Realm?
Jiang Ziyan knew her father wouldn’t exaggerate and asked in surprise, “It was all done by the same person? What about Grandpa Qin?”
“He…”
Emperor Yu cleared his throat and said, “Both Grandpa Qin and I were no match. The enemy possesses Divine Skills. Grandpa Qin has been here for many years and, although he has cultivated our Jiang family Divine Skills, he is not as proficient as the enemy.”
Jiang Ziyan looked at him suspiciously but didn’t delve further, pondering instead,
“If that’s truly the case, then this monster is probably the reincarnation of a Saint. Otherwise, it would be impossible within a mere thousand years, and under such circumstances, to not only reach the Dao Law Realm but also to kill those from the Immortal Gate’s Dao Law Realm, especially when six of them arrived at once. It’s likely that the power behind them is extremely formidable, most probably a Holy Land.”
Emperor Yu gave a wry smile, thinking to himself that the youngster hadn’t been cultivating for a thousand years, not even twenty years.
Moreover, he knew Li Hao had slain the enemy using the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, crossing a vast boundary. His talent had surpassed all imagination, beyond words, and unbelievable to the extent that one would find it impossible to believe.
Whether he was the reincarnation of a Saint, Emperor Yu did not know.
“You must have become a disciple in a Holy Land as well, haven’t you?” Emperor Yu looked towards his eldest daughter.
Jiang Ziyan nodded slightly, “My mentor is an Elder in the Holy Land, a Semi-Saint from the Military School.”
“No wonder they treat you with such respect,” said Emperor Yu with a smile.
Jiang Ziyan nodded quietly, yet her face showed little joy. Instead, she sighed lightly and said, “Father, let’s go to the back hall to talk.”
Emperor Yu nodded, and to Chu Jiuyue by his side, he said, “We’ll adjourn the court for today.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Chu Jiuyue showed full submission, bowing her head and lowering her eyes. She smiled at the returning members of the Royal Family and Jiang Ziyan, then turned to carry the message.
Emperor Yu, along with the returned members of the Royal Family, proceeded to the back hall of the Imperial Palace.
“These years, your time in the Immortal Gate must have been very hard.”
In the back hall, Emperor Yu looked at them with a touch of compassion in his eyes.
Jiang Ziyan shook her head slightly and then said, “Father, we cannot stay long on this visit; we must return to the Immortal Gate.”
“Um?” Emperor Yu was slightly taken aback.
Jiang Ziyan seemed to anticipate his reaction, her expression somewhat grave, she said, “The situation within the Immortal Gate is quite complex. We are alone and frail inside, with a weak foundation. If we all returned, it would mean abandoning the relationships we have established; instead, it would give those who hold a grudge against us an opportunity to exercise their power and influence the Mortal World.”
“That’s right, we owe a lot to Ziyan this time.”
The young man beside, Jiang Baishan, nodded and said, “When we first entered the Immortal Gate, we were taken away by various powers based on our cultivation talent. Fortunately, Ziyan received her master’s appreciation and became a disciple of a Semi-Saint. This time she was able to unite two other Holy Lands and open the Immortal Gate in time for our return; otherwise, who knows how much longer it would have been.”
“The forces within the Immortal Gate are intricately interlinked. We must manage our affairs well there. A small stone that falls from above, even inadvertently, would cause an earthquake intolerable to the Dynasty in the Mortal World.”
Another Royal Family youth spoke.
Emperor Yu was somewhat surprised, hearing their intent that life inside the Immortal Gate was not smooth sailing and their situation difficult. He said,
“With your talents, plus your current level of cultivation, you should already be the mainstay or even high-level members of the major powers, right?”
Jiang Baishan gave a wry smile, “Brother Emperor, it’s not as simple as you think. The one thing the Immortal Gate does not lack is prodigies. We might be unparalleled in the Mortal World, but there, we are just average at best. Though there are many mediocre people there, the number of prodigies is far beyond what we have here in the Mortal World.”
“That’s right, since a thousand years ago, All Saints have been looking for something, reincarnating one after another. Some directly reincarnate as themselves, saying they want to cultivate to the limits of the various realms of the Martial Arts and there are even Pride of Heaven Battles overseen by All Saints themselves. Moreover, there’s Mo River and a Merit Treasure Vault there. You wouldn’t believe it, Brother Emperor, but merit actually has a wonderful use—it can be exchanged for many incredible things in that Merit Treasure Vault.”
“So, there’s no shortage of geniuses there. Even though we exist in the Dao Law Realm, location there hinges more on innate talent. With high talent, even if one is just in the Four Stands Realm, their status may even require those in the Dao Law Realm to give way, especially if they have the favor of a Saint behind them…”
Emperor Yu froze, unexpectedly learning of the existence of the Merit Treasure Vault there.
However, considering that place was the Land of All Saints, such a thing was not surprising.
“You mentioned the Merit Treasure Vault; we have one for Dayu as well. Give Dayu another thousand years, and it will also foster a group of outstanding prodigies.”
Upon reaching this point, Emperor Yu couldn’t help but think of Li Hao, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile involuntarily. But soon after, he turned to the group and said,
“This time, calling you back might be in vain. The catastrophe has been resolved. In about ten more years, the Ancestor will be resurrected. You just need to hold on for one more year inside. Once the Ancestor revives, he will protect you.”
The group exchanged glances, all stunned.
The Dayu also had a Merit Treasure Vault?
“You’re saying that Dayu has a Merit Treasure Vault as well?” Jiang Baishan couldn’t help but ask.
Emperor Yu nodded with a smile, “That’s a long story…”
He briefly recounted the matter, and everyone listened with bewilderment. They only knew about the Merit Treasure Vault in the Mo River within the Immortal Gate but didn’t know how it was opened. Now they learned that it required the emergence of someone with a hundred thousand merit.
“Looking at it this way, the likelihood that the person is a reincarnation of a Saint is even greater. Could it be one of the Ancestor’s old friends, reincarnated to come to the aid of the Jiang family?”
Jiang Ziyan’s eyes revealed contemplation; it wasn’t an impossibility.
Emperor Yu chuckled, “We will know in the future; guessing now is pointless.”
Jiang Ziyan nodded slightly. Besides occasionally awakening some memories, saints reincarnated usually had no impression of their previous lives—otherwise, the meaning of being reincarnated to rebuild would not be significant.
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Rebuilding meant abandoning the old path and exploring anew in an attempt to reach higher realms.
The sporadically awakened memories might offer guidance on the path, but their help was limited.
“This time our coming isn’t in vain. My master opened the Immortal Gate in the name of recruiting disciples, not for us to come to the Mortal World to assist. That would’ve been an excuse others could have used to stop us.”
Jiang Ziyan spoke, “In the Cloud Realm where we reside, the other two Holy Lands have heard the news and will come to recruit some disciples. If there are any prodigies in Dayu, they can, like we did a thousand years ago, ascend the Stairway to Heaven, and cultivate within the Immortal Gate.”
“Only this time, the criteria for recruiting disciples is more stringent, aimed mainly at Martial Artists who have mastered the Extreme Realm.”
Emperor Yu curiously asked, “What place is the Cloud Realm?”
“The Cloud Realm is a Land of All Saints within the Immortal Gate, vast and boundless, consisting of thirty-three smaller worlds. The voids separating them require the strength of someone in the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, using their Dao Domain to traverse. Each small world is more than ten times the size of the Dayu Divine Dynasty’s territory—therein, strong warriors abound.”
Jiang Baishan explained, “The small world we are in is the Cloud Realm.”
Emperor Yu came to a realization.