At the very beginning, the elders of the sect regarded the “new method” as a shortcut, a lesser path, and dismissed it with disdain.
However, as some disciples secretly practiced it in the shadows, their progress accelerated rapidly.
Soon, disciples began to surpass their masters in cultivation in a very short period.
As a result, the situation started to change.
Seeing the disciples below them making tremendous strides in their cultivation, the elders of the Grand Dao Sect started to feel uneasy.
Even though the Grand Dao Sect still placed great importance on the hierarchy of positions and seniority, the rule of the cultivation world since time immemorial—survival of the fittest—was hard to change.
In the past, the elders relied on their cultivation and status to firmly control the power of the sect. But now, they were still in their prime, yet they could see their disciples catching up with them in cultivation, or even surpassing them.
With their ruling positions under threat, how could they remain indifferent?
Thus, the upper echelons of the elders split into two factions.
The other faction argued that the heavens and earth were vast and boundless, essentially inexhaustible. Although cultivators might endlessly plunder the world for their own cultivation during their lifetime, not everyone could reach the realm of eternal life. Once they perished, everything they had taken would return to the world.
Therefore, there was no need to worry excessively about this.
At present, the “new method” was spreading across the world, and many scattered rogue cultivators had risen because of it. Even disciples from other sects had been practicing it, gaining significant strength in the process.
If the Grand Dao Sect refused to adopt the new method, it would inevitably fall behind.
Both factions had their reasons, and neither was willing to yield. However, as those supporting the new method secretly cultivated and improved their strength, they gradually gained the upper hand in this internal struggle.
…
When Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao emerged from their retreat, they witnessed this chaotic scene.
“Defying the laws of heaven and earth?” Senior Sister Zhao muttered under her breath, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
As for Li Fan, while he felt an intense longing for the new method, he was also inexplicably filled with dread.
It was as if this new method contained some great catastrophe.
“No matter what, the peculiarities in our cultivation of the ‘Heaven and Earth Converging Manual’ should go unnoticed,” Li Fan said.
“Senior Sister, what do you think of this so-called ‘new method’?”
Senior Sister Zhao chuckled softly. “Just a trick. No matter how fast it is, can it be faster than our dual cultivation method?”
“Still, it might serve as a good cover.”
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan nodded in agreement.
Thus, on the surface, they also adopted the new method, while secretly continuing to use the power of dual cultivation to seize this rare opportunity and rapidly improve their own cultivation realms.
Another ten years passed.
The struggle between the old and new methods became increasingly intense.
It was no longer just internal conflict; outside the sect, the rogue cultivators across the world formed the ‘Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’, attempting to challenge the authority of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
Internal power struggles were one thing, but when outsiders tried to take a share of their power, it became another matter entirely.
To maintain their rule, the Ten Great Immortal Sects—despite their claim of unity—were in fact full of internal scheming and competition. Yet, after many years, they joined forces once again.
They formed an allied army to suppress and eradicate the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
Initially, it was believed that these scattered rogue cultivators, lacking any deep foundation, would quickly collapse under the combined might of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
But the outcome was rather unexpected.
At first, the so-called Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was easily defeated by the sects’ cultivators, suffering heavy casualties.
However, there were simply too many of them.
Even after wiping out one group, a new batch of cultivators soon emerged.
Moreover, in every battle, some of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s cultivators managed to escape by luck. After surviving one blood-soaked battle after another, their combat prowess gradually transformed. Even the elite cultivators from the Ten Great Immortal Sects found it increasingly difficult to kill them.
There were countless mortals in the world. With the support of the new method, they could quickly be transformed into fresh forces for the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
In contrast, the Ten Great Immortal Sects, with their pride and strict standards for selecting disciples, found it difficult to replenish their losses after each defeat. It often took years, even over a decade, to recover from a fallen disciple.
As a result, the balance of power between the two sides gradually leveled.
The battle reached a stalemate.
Moreover, with the varying degrees of casualties among the sects, cracks began to form within the previously unified coalition of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
Some sects even deliberately avoided participating in battles to preserve their strength.
Everyone knew that by this point, the rise of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was unstoppable.
Yet the leaders of the Ten Great Immortal Sects remained unwilling to accept this. They were not ready to hand over the world they had worked so hard to control to these mortals whom they had once dismissed.
Thus, a plan was born: “Capture the leader first.”
[TL : Decided to Keep the name “Immortal Ancestor” instead of Venerable or Sovereign as a reader explained the intricacy and intentions behind the word of – ‘Chuān Fǎ Tiān Zūn’]
The rapid rise of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was largely thanks to the so-called “Dao transmitters”. These individuals were fiercely loyal to the Dao Transmission Immortal Ancestor, following his lead without question.
If the ‘Immortal Ancestor’ could be killed, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance would lose its spiritual leader and collapse from within.
The Immortal Ancestor was merely at the Dao Integration stage, while the Ten Great Immortal Sects had several Longevity-stage experts among them.
As long as they could find him, the decapitation plan could be executed, ending the stalemate.
The Ten Great Immortal Sects reached an agreement and dispatched their strongest experts to form a small task force, vowing to assassinate the Immortal Ancestor.
However, because the Immortal Ancestor was as elusive as a dragon, constantly moving, the sects also sent elite disciples to scour the world for any trace of him.
Naturally, Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao were among those sent on this mission.
This search took over twenty years.
Thanks to the aid of dual cultivation, Senior Sister Zhao had successfully advanced to the Soul Transformation stage, while Li Fan, though slightly slower, had also reached the Nascent Soul stage.
They traveled all across the Xuanhuang Realm, slaying countless rogue cultivators.
But they still hadn’t found any trace of the Immortal Ancestor.
“Senior Sister, what do you think of this Dao Transmission Immortal Ancestor?” Li Fan asked.
“The Dao Transmission Immortal Ancestor…” Senior Sister Zhao pondered for a moment before shaking her head slightly.
“I don’t know.”
Li Fan was taken aback.
Then Senior Sister Zhao continued, “To single-handedly overturn the entire structure of the cultivation world—there has never been such a monstrous figure in the Xuanhuang Realm in millennia.”
“But all the information about him is based on rumors. Who he truly is and why he is doing this remain mysteries.”
“Perhaps only by seeing him in person will we get our answers.”
“I wonder if the other brothers and sisters have had any luck.”
…
Just as the two were chatting, they suddenly received a message from the sect.
After reading it, their expressions became quite colorful.
It turned out that the “Assassination plan,” which had been going on for over twenty years without any progress, had been canceled.
Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao exchanged a glance, knowing that something significant must have happened.
