Potential to be an Archimmortal? Zhuo Haiyue’s pupils constricted slightly, a hint of incredulity creeping in. She had always trusted her judgment.
“Observe carefully.” The man smiled, gesturing towards the projection. It zoomed in on the first nine flying swords – Wu Yuan’s nine lifebound flying swords.
At the same time, a series of figures, symbols, and intricate cryptic patterns appeared beside the flying swords. These represented his analysis of the data.
“Based on my calculations, Li Xia’s soul is powerful, but it’s only at the Yang Soul level. His sword array shouldn’t be this strong given that he has yet to grasp True Intent.” The man in the black cloak remarked.
“Along with Zhuo Yuansheng and Zhuo Qiuhong’s descriptions, the conclusion I’ve come to is that Li Xia must have forged nine lifebound flying swords. That is the only possible reason for his strength.”
“Nine lifebound flying swords?” Zhuo Haiyue gasped in realization.
She finally understood why the thirteenth ancestor had confidently declared that Wu Yuan had the potential to be an Archimmortal.
“Then does that mean?” Zhuo Haiyue hesitated.
“Mm,” the man affirmed. “One’s immortal root and lifebound artifacts complement each other. With nine lifebound flying swords, the chances of this Li Xia upgrading his immortal root to the first-degree in the future are high.”
“Even if his Dao comprehension might not rival the geniuses of Moonsilver World, his powerful immortal root will be able to compensate for it,” the black-robed man added.
Zhuo Haiyue nodded, fully convinced by the thirteenth ancestor’s words.
“Archimmortal potential?” she murmured, watching Wu Yuan in the projection. The divine sword cleaving through the sky was truly extraordinary.
“But potential is just potential. The vast immortal continent has seen its fair share of geniuses with Archimmortal potential over the years. Every thousand years or so, a new batch emerges, yet how many of them make it to that level?” The black-robed burly man shook his head slightly.
Zhuo Haiyue nodded in agreement.
Indeed! The dozens of disciples in the Moonsilver World were all exceptional, each one with the potential to reach the Archimmortal phase. Over the eons, countless peerless geniuses emerged one after another, reaching a sizable number.
But over time, many faltered mid-way through their journey, with only a few reaching the Tribulation phase. To advance from the Tribulation phase to the Archimmortal phase, one had to endure countless trials and hardships.
How many truly attained Archimmortalhood? Barely any!
“The entire immortal continent takes countless eons just to produce a single Archimmortal,” the black-robed burly man sighed.
Zhuo Haiyue nodded in silent agreement.
Amongst the throngs of mortals and ordinary immortal cultivators, there was a prevalent belief that Immortal Redmoon was the only Archimmortal to exist on the immortal continent.
Yet, those more knowledgeable, such as Zhuo Haiyue who was a disciple of an Astral Monarch, understood that the Redmoon Immortal Continent had produced several Archimmortal powerhouses throughout the ages.
However, Immortal Redmoon reigned supreme over the immortal continent. Every Archimmortal that had emerged in preceding generations dared not challenge him, hence refraining from exhibiting their powers on the immortal continent.
For instance, the Archdemon of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect was a being on the level of an Archimmortal, yet his presence remained shrouded in obscurity. Many Tribulation High Immortals had never seen him.
“The path to Archimmortality is fraught with obstacles, but no matter how unlikely, he still stands a chance,” Zhuo Haiyue murmured softly. “No wonder Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng whisked Li Xia away in haste; he must have detected the signs.”
“Indeed, Li Xia’s talent may not guarantee him admittance to the Moonsilver World, but if someone reports it, there’s a possibility,” the man in black robes chuckled. “Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng quickly escorted him away to prevent this.”
Zhuo Haiyue nodded subconsciously.
Though all sects within the immortal continent fell under the purview of the Redmoon Immortal Hall, not all sects served as reserves for the Moonsilver World.
The Moonsilver World constituted only a fragment of the Redmoon Immortal Hall’s influence. In accordance with Immortal Redmoon’s edicts, the Moonsilver World refrained from recruiting hereditary disciples from second-rate sects or above.
“Li Xia shows promise, but once he is officially inducted as a hereditary disciple, the Moonsilver World is unlikely to use up one special recruitment slot on him. After all, only ten slots are allotted every 10,000 years,” the man in black robes remarked.
Zhuo Haiyue absorbed his words.
Whether Wu Yuan joined the Dragon Star Immortal Sect or the Moonsilver World, it made no difference to her.
“A hidden dragon will soon soar into the sky. [1] From now on, he is beyond my influence,” Zhuo Haiyue said softly. “I must devise an alternate strategy to win him over.”
“Do as you wish, Haiyue. However, bear in mind that not all will welcome your friendship. Your previous tactics were too harsh, and it may have left a seed of resentment in his heart,” the man in black robes shook his head. “Act as you see fit, I shall take my leave.”
Whoosh! The man’s avatar dissolved in a silken ribbon of light and departed.
“A seed of resentment?” Zhuo Haiyue mused to herself as her avatar also dissipated from the courtyard.
…
On the Redmoon Immortal Continent, a great distance from the Rising Dragon City, was a verdant paradise, adorned with numerous mountain ranges and ancient trees.
In a sudden rush of movement, a colossal purple flying boat streaked through the sky at great speed.
Within the confines of the flying boat, Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng swept a stern gaze over the hundreds of disciples gathered before him, his aura exuding an invisible weight that commanded attention.
“Listen well, disciples. We have arrived at the sect’s headquarters,” Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng’s voice echoed through the hall.
The majority of the disciples were at the Golden Core phase, with two at the Amethyst Cradle phase, and one at the Communion phase. This ratio was the norm, as the sects on the immortal continent primarily recruited disciples at the Golden Core phase.
At the forefront of the assembly stood Wu Yuan, accompanied by a burly figure clad in heavy armor whose vital aura pulsating with undeniable strength. He was a body refiner.
Nearly a full day had gone by since the group left Rising Dragon City. During this time, Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng had made stops in several second-tier and third-tier cities, recruiting disciples of varying talents and potential, including one individual who underwent a hereditary disciple assessment.
Wu Yuan felt fortunate to witness the top-tier body refining geniuses of the immortal continent in action.
As the assessment drew to a close, Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng’s approval of the seventh-stage Spiritual Body cultivator was evident. Yet, Wu Yuan’s conclusion was that this new recruit was far from the level of his body refiner self! In terms of combat power, Wu Yuan’s body refiner self was in no way inferior to his qi refiner self.
“We have arrived at the sect’s headquarters?”
“I don’t see a mountain gate.”
“Where is it located?”
The disciples looked puzzled, and even Wu Yuan turned to look. They all peered outside, but all they saw was a vast mountainous wilderness.
Picking up on their uncertainty, Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng shook his head, “Did you all really think the Dragon Star Immortal Sect is a mere mountain? As disciples of an immortal sect, you should expand your knowledge, lest you bring shame to the sect.”
“Remember this,” Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng intoned, “Our Dragon Star Immortal Sect is the top sect on the immortal continent. Our headquarters span sixteen million li in length and twelve million li in width.”
He swept his gaze across the disciples. “Such a vast territory naturally has more than a single entrance. The mountain gate of our sect cannot be entered at will. It is only opened during the sect-wide conference held once a decade.”
The disciples were stunned by this revelation. Wu Yuan was already aware of this, but he couldn’t help feeling awed by the sheer magnitude of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect’s headquarters. Its size was mind boggling.
Keep in mind that a first-tier city was only approximately a million li in width. The size of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect’s headquarters surpassed that by hundreds of times.
“Our Dragon Star Immortal Sect boasts the largest headquarters among the 32 immortal sects of the immortal continent. It stands equal to the cities of the four prince-rank families,” proclaimed Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng. “Moreover, the region extending two billion li in radius from our headquarters is the territory of our sect. This land belongs to us permanently! The laws and decrees of the Redmoon Immortal Continent hold no sway here.”
“No other sect may recruit disciples within this area. Out of the 32 sects, this is unique to us. Only the four prince-rank families have a similar exception.”
“You are now disciples of the immortal sect. This is something you should take pride in.”
“Of course, the immortal sect boasts millions of official disciples and nearly tens of millions of outer sect members. Whether the sect can take pride in you rests entirely on your shoulders,” Earth Immortal Xiang Sheng stated. “Very well, outer disciples, prepare to disembark from the flying boat.”
1. (潜龙腾渊) Used to describe someone who has been waiting for their opportunity to shine and who finally achieves their full potential. ☜