“`
And for a city like Unparalleled City, which had no backing, it was directly destroyed by the Green Ox King, with no one to stand up for it.
Zhengsheng Sect was on bad terms with the seven Great Demons, yet even they did not dare to lay a finger on Zhengsheng Sect because its backing was the Ancient Holy Land.
The Ancient Holy Land had very few people, but a large number of Immortal Sects were affiliated with it. Each Immortal Sect had to offer a portion of their cultivation resources to the Ancient Holy Land. The cultivation resources for every genius from the Ancient Holy Land were unimaginably abundant, which is why the disciples that came from there were all powerful.
“I am Elder Qian from Zhengsheng Sect, and I welcome all of you fellow Daoists to join us.”
Elder Qian arrived at the front hall, and as he scanned Lu Changsheng and his disciples, indeed, they all possessed the aura of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, with two at the Great Accomplishment stage and four at the initial stage.
Lu Changsheng greeted with a bow, “I am Daoist Changsheng, their master. May I know what the prerequisites are for joining Zhengsheng Sect?”
“With your level of cultivation, there’s no need for any conditions. However, if you wish to cultivate our Zhengsheng Sect’s Cultivation Techniques, and exchange for various magic treasures and Immortal Pills, you will need to contribute to the sect.”
“Our Zhengsheng Sect has nine main peaks, and among them, Changqing Cave on Jingyun Peak was originally owned by a Heavenly Immortal who perished in a forbidden area thirty thousand years ago. Now, it is yours for cultivation.”
“The Peak Master of Jingyun Peak is Daoist Yuxuan, a master of the Sword Dao and a Daluo Golden Immortal, with a rather explosive temper, so be sure not to provoke him.”
Elder Qian explained the main matters.
Lu Changsheng’s disciples were of high cultivation, and Zhengsheng Sect couldn’t wait to have them join the sect, so there were not many regulations to speak of.
Thus, Lu Changsheng and his group remained in Changqing Cave on Jingyun Peak of Zhengsheng Sect to focus on their cultivation.
Zhengsheng Sect was one of the Immortal Realms’ Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, with rich nature’s spiritual energy and a Spirit Gathering Array collecting the energy from a million miles around. Cultivating in this place yielded twice the result with half the effort.
Jingyun Peak, Enlightenment Cave, the abode of Daoist Yuxuan.
“Daoist Yuxuan, six disciples have arrived at Changqing Cave, all of Heavenly Immortal Realm, and from now on they will be under your control.”
Elder Qian came here and respectfully briefed Daoist Yuxuan about the situation.
“Six Heavenly Immortals? What are their origins?”
“They claim to be cultivators from the far north Moon River Kingdom.”
“Moon River Kingdom? If my memory serves me right, that’s a minor kingdom. How could it have so many Heavenly Immortals?”
“They don’t seem like Heretic Cultivators. Besides, six Heavenly Immortals are not enough to cause any trouble in our Zhengsheng Sect. With your level of cultivation, Daoist Yuxuan, you are more than capable of handling them.”
Elder Qian looked eagerly at Daoist Yuxuan.
Daoist Yuxuan was, after all, a Daluo Golden Immortal and a Peerless Sword Immortal, who once fought with the Golden Feather King of Jueyun Ridge and almost slew him, thus becoming famous after this one battle.
“I understand. Should they attempt any misconduct, I will intervene.”
Daoist Yuxuan seemed somewhat impatient.
“I shall take my leave.”
Knowing about Daoist Yuxuan’s explosive temper and his reluctance to speak more than necessary, Elder Qian tactfully withdrew.
“These boys better not cause any trouble; otherwise, they can’t blame me for being impolite.”
Daoist Yuxuan was in charge of Jingyun Peak. All the Heavenly Immortals, Earth Immortals, and disciples on the peak reported to him.
Lu Changsheng cultivated in Changqing Cave because, with the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator in hand, he never lacked cultivation resources.
Just like that, another hundred years passed, and the system was once again able to return Holy Artifacts.
Lu Changsheng took out a top-grade Ultimate Treasure, the “Separation and Union Divine Light Mirror,” capable of shining the separation and union divine light to peel away an opponent’s flesh and soul.
This Ultimate Treasure also had many wondrous uses.
“Thank you, Master.”
Su Xiaoqi received another top-grade Ultimate Treasure and was elated.
Counting the Primordial Vajra Bracelet and the Eight Wastes Fire Dragon Sword, this was the third top-grade Ultimate Treasure she received.
Each top-grade Ultimate Treasure was worth over a hundred million Immortal Stones.
In these hundred years, Su Xiaoqi could not count how many Elixir Pills and treasures she received from Lu Changsheng; she had become numb to it.
The treasures of Lu Changsheng seemed endless.
[Ding! You have bestowed the top-grade Ultimate Treasure “Separation and Union Divine Light Mirror” to your disciple Su Xiaoqi and received a six-hundred-fold return reward from the Disciple Apprenticeship: a lower-grade Holy Artifact, “Life and Death Yin-Yang Mirror.”]
The system directly returned a Holy Artifact!
Lu Changsheng was delighted.
With this, he now possessed three Holy Artifacts.
An ordinary Daluo Golden Immortal was not as wealthy as Lu Changsheng.
[Life and Death Yin-Yang Mirror: A lower-grade Holy Artifact, with two sides of Yin and Yang. The Yin side is white, while the Yang side is red. Red signifies life, white signifies death.]
The power of the Life and Death Yin-Yang Mirror seemed not inferior to the Primordial Vajra Bracelet.
Lu Changsheng planned to refine this treasure right away.
Lu Changsheng took out a dagger and continued to reward Su Xiaoqi.
[Ding! You have bestowed the top-grade Ultimate Treasure “Demonic Dagger” to your disciple Su Xiaoqi and received a return reward from the Disciple Apprenticeship: Holy Artifact Fragment×1.]
[The number of Holy Artifacts/Holy Artifact Fragments you can return this century has decreased by 1.]
[The remaining number of Holy Artifacts/Holy Artifact Fragments you can return this century is now 0.]
“`
This time, the return from the discipleship wasn’t as lucky; only a piece of a holy artifact was returned.
But Lu Changsheng was already content.
There would be plenty of days ahead.
Lu Changsheng planned to keep a low profile until he reached the Daluo Golden Immortal realm before making his move.
Next, Lu Changsheng bestowed some top-notch treasures and Immortal Pills to Su Xiaoqi, allowing her to leave and cultivate on her own.
Lu Changsheng, after all, was an Innate Taoist Body with keen senses, and had already noticed that Su Xiaoqi’s true qi seemed to have recovered.
But Lu Changsheng did not point it out.
As long as Su Xiaoqi cooperated with his discipleship plan, she would continuously receive treasures—an arrangement far better than the rewards for assassination missions from the Eternal Night Pavilion.
The master and disciple maintained an unspoken understanding.
Su Xiaoqi returned to her dwelling and started refining the Separation and Union Divine Light Mirror and the Demonic Dagger.
This dagger, tempered with the poison of a heavenly demon, could poison even those who had nearly reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
“How many top-grade ultimate treasures does he have?”
Su Xiaoqi blinked, unable to understand why Lu Changsheng, a Heavenly Immortal, possessed so many treasures.
Could Lu Changsheng be a spirit born from the Treasure Pavilion?
Suddenly, a shadow flitted past outside the house.
“Who’s there?”
Su Xiaoqi put away the Separation and Union Divine Light Mirror and the Demonic Dagger, her cultivation technique on full alert.
“Xiaoqi, it’s me.”
A graceful figure appeared silently.
“Big sister? How did you know I was here?”
Su Xiaoqi was so surprised that she was at a loss for words.
“You’ve been gone from home for many years, but I’ve always secretly kept an eye on you, so finding you wasn’t difficult.”
“So why have you come looking for me, big sister?”
“The family has encountered some issues; you must come back with me.”
“I’m not going back.”
“This matter is not trivial… the Clan Leader has fallen…”
“What?!”
“Will you return with me?”
“Alright, big sister, just give me a moment.”
Su Xiaoqi hurriedly left a letter and then followed the mysterious woman away from Zhengsheng Mountain.
The next day, when Lu Changsheng intended to give Su Xiaoqi more treasures, he found no trace of her.
“Could it be that her powers have fully recovered, so she’s left?”
Lu Changsheng had not expected Su Xiaoqi to actually leave him.
After all, Lu Changsheng had been bestowing treasures on her every day.
Lu Changsheng went to Su Xiaoqi’s residence and found only a letter left behind.
“Family issues, had to leave temporarily?”
After reading the content of the letter, Lu Changsheng thought this disciple was not ungrateful after all.
Wait a moment.
Given that Su Xiaoqi had a Body of Nothingness and a Chaos Spiritual Root, her family must be extraordinary.
“It seems each of my disciples has an extraordinary background.”
Lu Changsheng shook his head; Su Xiaoqi was far more complex than he had imagined.
Fortunately, he hadn’t taken action to kill Su Xiaoqi back then, or else he might have offended her family.
“Forget it.”
Since Su Xiaoqi had left temporarily, Lu Changsheng continued cultivating on Zhengsheng Mountain and bestowing treasures upon his disciples in the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
He had been somewhat neglecting the other four disciples while focusing on getting treasures from Su Xiaoqi.
Disciples in the Heavenly Immortal Realm could be given thirteenth grade Immortal Pills and mid-grade ultimate treasures, which could also result in the return of good stuff.
After eight hundred years of cultivation on Zhengsheng Mountain, Lu Changsheng began his attempt to break through to the half-step Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
The half-step to Great Luo Golden Immortal was just a transition between the Heavenly Immortal realm and the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, and wouldn’t bring about a Heavenly Tribulation, but it still caused natural phenomena to occur.
A purple aura came from the east, and a vast sea of Qi surged toward Changqing Cave, which became like a Ten Thousand Zhang Abyss that no spiritual energy from nature could escape; the Innate Taoist Body voraciously devoured massive amounts of nature’s spiritual energy.
At the Enlightenment Cave, Daoist Yuxuan, upon seeing the commotion caused by Lu Changsheng’s breakthrough, murmured to himself, “A purple aura coming from the east? The natural phenomena triggered by his cultivation technique seem familiar…”
