Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

As time passed, the battle between the two armies grew ever more fierce.

It became evident that even generals like Fang Yang, positioned relatively far in the rear, were now facing attacks from the forces led by Liu Manlou.

The situation had now taken an unexpected turn.

Sen Yue’s grand army was no longer on the offensive. Instead, they were in a constant retreat, consolidating their territory.

The army had to defend against the attacks of the allied forces of the five great Golden Clans.

The reason for this shift was that Sen Yue had entered seclusion.

Sen Yue intended to completely refine the Three-Plume Cyan Bottle Sacred Artifact!

For this very reason, the other five great lords were determined to fight Sen Yue to the death before he could succeed.

They absolutely could not allow Sen Yue to successfully refine the Sacred Artifact.

Otherwise, once Sen Yue, with his non-saintly body, fully refined the Sacred Artifact and could wield it with ease, his conventional strength would truly be equivalent to a Tier Six Saint.

If that happened, all would be lost!

In the Profound Mysterious Study.

The atmosphere was heavy.

The recent string of defeats had left the four Pavilion Elders—Flower, Bird, Fish, and Insect—with grim expressions.

One could even say their moods went from sunny to cloudy, and from cloudy to overcast.

"If Xiaoyue wants to become a true Young Venerable, he must completely unify the Profound Domain and successfully consolidate the True Dragon’s fortune."

"That is true. But now, he’s being besieged by the five great lords. He’s facing a major obstacle."

"Heh, the path of a Young Venerable is never so easy."

"In that case, let’s use the Wish Power of Ten Thousand People to obscure the original owner’s True Spirit imprint on the Three-Plume Cyan Bottle Sacred Artifact."

"That could indeed work. If we do this, Xiaoyue will be able, even with a mortal body, to completely refine the Three-Plume Cyan Bottle Sacred Artifact. He can then wield it to sweep across the mortal realm and become unparalleled!"

"But... how do we handle the backlash from the Wish Power of Ten Thousand People? And is there even enough time?"

"As for the backlash, we must have faith in Yue’Er. We must believe he will handle the aftermath during his Hundred-Year Celestial Mandate. The timing, however, is indeed tight..."

The backlash from using the Wish Power of Ten Thousand People could be dealt with later.

Time, however, was the biggest problem.

At this moment, the four Pavilion Elders—Flower, Bird, Fish, and Insect—were lost in silent contemplation.

But in the end, they issued a series of directives.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, it had to be pursued.

And if Sen Yue could overcome the current crisis posed by the five great lords, he would turn danger into safety and obtain a great fortune.

Sen Yue would secure his Hundred-Year Celestial Mandate and firmly establish himself in the realm of the Young Venerable.

Even Sen Wei could follow the same path.

If they succeeded, their Sen bloodline would continue to be part of the Changkong clan, and would become the hegemon of the entire Profound Domain—the ones holding the reins!

...

’Order all departments and tribes to worship the immortal crane totem day and night, keeping the incense burning without end?’

Fang Yang received this mandatory order.

At this moment, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

Because it hadn’t come earlier or later, but at this specific time.

’It’s obvious Sen Yue has run into trouble.’

At that moment, Fang Yang suspected this ritual might be related to the Hundred-Year Celestial Mandate!

"Worshipping the immortal crane, keeping the incense burning... They’re trying to gather wish power for Sen Yue," said the well-informed Second Uncle Fang.

Seeing Fang Yang’s curiosity, Second Uncle Fang shared a secret concerning Sen Yue.

According to legend, in his youth before his Enlightenment, Sen Yue had always roamed freely in the mountains, accompanied by wild cranes, and had never attended a single day of school.

Then one day, under a pine tree, he "chanced upon" a True Scripture of the Eternal Life Daoist Venerable. From then on, he comprehended the Dao of Eternal Life and his progress soared.

The Eternal Life Daoist Venerable was the last venerable of the Desolate Ancient Era, and also the founder of the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life.

According to records, the Eternal Life Daoist Venerable’s cultivation was world-shaking, and his lifespan far exceeded that of other venerables.

"However, a secret is a secret because it can’t be trusted."

In the end, Second Uncle Fang offered a piece of advice: "Just take these stories with a grain of salt. The reason Sen Yue was able to obtain a True Scripture from the Eternal Life Daoist Venerable is because his own background is extraordinary."

Fang Yang nodded lightly.

Afterward, Fang Yang summoned Lin Keyi, Fang Duanhai, and his other generals to issue the order.

He commanded the generals to ensure that every tribe and department established incense offerings for the immortal crane totem.

He would conduct an inspection in three days.

To set an example, he would personally oversee the affairs of the White Feathered Eagle Tribe.

There were originally fourteen tribes on the Leran Grassland.

With the addition of the White Feathered Eagle Tribe, there were now fifteen.

A word from above meant those below had to run their legs off.

Within three days, the fifteen tribes had to work overtime to build the Divine Temples for the incense offerings.

...

「Three days later.」

In front of the main military camp, the atmosphere was stern and tense.

Lin Keyi, who remained to guard the rear, watched as Fang Yang departed in a grand and majestic procession with his elite troops and powerful generals.

As the vice-general, it was she who had staunchly defended the Leran Grassland before Fang Yang’s arrival.

With her guarding the rear, there was no way Liu Manlou and his forces would succeed in causing any trouble.

’Soldiers on the march are like bandits... The Wind Sparrow Bronze Tribe will probably ask Celestial Snow for help. I wonder if Celestial Snow will come to oversee the Wind Sparrow Bronze Tribe.’

Lin Keyi narrowed her eyes, lost in thought.

Similar to how Fang Yang commanded the White Feathered Eagle Tribe, Lin Tianxue, as the favored daughter of the Lin bloodline, also commanded the Wind Sparrow Bronze Tribe.

The difference was that Fang Yang possessed the "Fortune Manifestation" treasure gifted by Sen Yue, whereas Lin Tianxue did not.

As it happened, the Wind Sparrow Bronze Tribe was one of the five great Bronze Tribes that had settled on the Leran Grassland.

RUMBLE—

A tremendous roar shook the ground, sending dust flying into the air.

Squad after squad of well-equipped cavalry followed closely behind the heroic, white-robed figure, advancing in an orderly fashion.

Every single one of these cavalrymen was a Cultivator who had achieved Enlightenment.

This immense force was enough to annihilate any disobedient tribe on the Leran Grassland.

Whether it was a no-name tribe or a Bronze Tribe, they could only bow their heads before this massive power!

The horses galloped, and a strong wind swept past.

The vanguard expertly cleared the path, remaining vigilant of their surroundings.

Fang Yang, meanwhile, was situated in the center of the army, gazing silently into the distance.

At his sides, aside from his protector, Second Uncle Fang, was Fang Duanhai.

"Commander, at our current pace, it will take approximately a quarter of an hour to reach the nearest tribe, the Snow Swallow Bronze Tribe," Fang Duanhai said in a low voice.

One must use official titles during work. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Therefore, even though Fang Duanhai was Fang Yang’s elder, he did not use familiarities like "Ah Yang."

And this was a major reason why Fang Yang was willing to have him by his side as a guide.

As the old saying goes, even the doorman at a chancellor’s gate is a third-rank official.

Countless members of the Fang Clan had fought tooth and nail in private for the chance to stay by Fang Yang’s side.

But in the end, Fang Yang still chose Fang Duanhai.

"Snow Swallow Bronze Tribe..." Fang Yang muttered, wondering when his own White Feathered Eagle Tribe could be promoted to a Bronze Tribe.

’No, that’s not right.’

’The White Feathered Eagle Tribe currently lacks an expert whose rank is equivalent to the Hundred Beasts King.’

’Combat prowess isn’t the same as overall strength.’

’For an expert on par with the Hundred Beasts King, the most significant factor besides combat prowess is lifespan!’

’Among our people, Hong Qishang and my two clan uncles would qualify.’

’But Hong Qishang is just a guest elder in name, so he doesn’t count.’

’And my two clan uncles aren’t truly members of the White Feathered Eagle Tribe, so they don’t count either.’

’Therefore, only when I, Fang Yang, step into the Tier Three Elementary realm can the White Feathered Eagle Tribe be promoted to a Bronze Tribe!’