Innate Immortal Seed

Ancestor Hall.

"Junior Brother Bai, long time no see... After a few years of hard work in seclusion, I’ve finally reached Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. Good thing I haven’t fallen too far behind you."

Qi Yue, whose bearing and appearance made him stand out from the crowd, strode forward to greet Bai Zichen as he stepped into the grand hall, his eyes lighting up.

"Brother Qi is a dragon among men; this is only to be expected."

Bai Zichen nodded slightly. He could tell that Qi Yue had only just broken through and couldn’t yet fully conceal the fluctuations of his Magical Power.

Qi Yue’s aptitude was already impressive, and with his Qingsang Spirit Body, the Sect wouldn’t hesitate to invest heavily in his development.

Moreover, as Master Ge Cang’s only disciple, he received constant, personal guidance and never lacked for resources.

Take the Ice-Fire Dragon Blood Wine, for instance; he had half a jug all to himself.

If Bai Zichen hadn’t come along, the other half would have been his as well.

With such uniquely advantageous conditions, it was no surprise that he had reached Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

’If this meeting had been a year later, once I’d broken through to Foundation Establishment Perfection, you’d be in for another shock...’

Bai Zichen mused, then glanced over and took a seat directly below Liang Yu.

Ever since breaking through, Qi Yue had been met with a circle of congratulations and compliments wherever he went.

To suddenly receive such a flat, ’as-it-should-be’ kind of reaction from Bai Zichen made him feel a sudden sense of deflation.

After all, the other man had achieved the same feat despite being forty years his junior, so of course he wouldn’t find it the least bit surprising.

’I’m still too far behind Junior Brother Bai.’

’I’ll aim to break through to Foundation Establishment Perfection at the same time as him... Master said I don’t need to consider a Pill Discussion before Core Formation, that I should just focus on seeking an opportunity to form my core... But Junior Brother Bai is different. He has a great chance to determine his future path and will definitely try to formulate a Pill Discussion.’

Qi Yue wasn’t the type to show off. Having had little contact with outsiders, he still possessed a certain childlike innocence, and his words and actions were always direct.

He readily admitted he was inferior to the other, but he couldn’t help but compare them, hoping to prove from some other angle that the gap between him and Junior Brother Bai wasn’t too large.

’Maybe I can use this to close the distance, and we can attempt Core Formation at the same time... If I do succeed, my cultivation speed will surely fall far behind Junior Brother Bai’s afterward, but at least we’ll have had a time when we were neck and neck.’

With this thought, Qi Yue’s mood lifted, and he leaned back comfortably in his Elder’s Chair.

"Senior Brother, you don’t seem to be in top form lately. Are you overwhelmed with work?"

Bai Zichen noticed a rare hint of exhaustion on Liang Yu. His once-straight back was now slumped, lacking the imposing, effortlessly authoritative air the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall had possessed when they first met.

"How about I spend some time in the Law Enforcement Hall to share your burden, Senior Brother? It would also be a chance for me to fulfill my duties as Supervisor Elder."

"No need. That Lu Song you recommended is very capable and has taken a lot off my plate... In a few more years, I’ll pass the position of Hall Master on to you, so you can become a Core Formation True Man while leading the Law Enforcement Hall. When that day comes, I’ll be able to face the past Hall Masters and proudly declare that my achievements are second to none... Haha!"

Liang Yu’s eyes were filled with gratification. The successor he had chosen back then had far exceeded even his most optimistic expectations.

"Some time ago, I was pursuing a rogue Foundation Establishment Cultivator from one of the clans. I didn’t expect him to have a Talisman Treasure, and he managed to break through our encirclement... It took several months of tracking, but I finally killed him last month. I just need some time to rest. This old body is still tough."

Bai Zichen opened his mouth to speak, but then fell silent, sighing inwardly.

With Gu Xisheng’s arrival in the grand hall, all attendees for the Elder Council meeting were now present.

Sect Leader Gu Xisheng was present, along with the Five Halls Masters. The Pill Hall was represented by its Deputy Hall Master, Han Qing.

His skill in the Alchemy Dao was unanimously recognized, allowing him to surpass Jin Lu and become the Deputy Hall Master.

But until his cultivation reached Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, he could not be promoted to the official position.

Besides these six, the only other individuals specially included in the meeting were Bai Zichen and Qi Yue.

Both were at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. One was hailed as the Qingfeng Sect’s elder most likely to become a Core Formation True Man, while the other was the direct disciple of Ancestor Ge Cang.

Their statuses were special, so even without being Hall Masters, they were included on the list of attendees.

On the other hand, there was Zhou Suqing. Although she had reached Late-Stage Foundation Establishment even earlier, she was never considered for these kinds of high-level Sect meetings.

For one, she was needed to guard Feiyue Lake and control the Three Thousand Six Hundred Rings Water Smoke Array.

Secondly, Zhou Suqing herself was too low-key, possessing almost no presence. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Coupled with her significant weakness in Combat, it was virtually impossible for her to leave the Sect. Over time, everyone came to overlook this cultivator who also held the hope of reaching Core Formation.

"Everyone, I trust you are all aware of the general situation..."

Gu Xisheng took his seat in the center, reserved for the Sect Leader, his expression grave and majestic.

In terms of cultivation, he was only at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment; among all those present, his and Han Qing’s were the lowest.

In terms of seniority, among the Five Halls Masters, every one besides Han Qing could be considered his elder.

But by leveraging the limited authority he held as Deputy Sect Leader over the years, Gu Xisheng had slowly carved out his own sphere of influence within the Sect.

He carefully maneuvered between the Five Halls, seizing modest but meaningful benefits for himself.

This situation changed dramatically after Wei Dao successfully broke through and became a Core Formation Ancestor.

Gu Xisheng had practically become Wei Dao’s spokesperson. A series of his initiatives received direct approval from the Ancestor, causing his prestige to soar.

For a time, he even wielded an air of absolute authority in the Elder Council meetings.

"The entire Cien Temple, with its thousand-plus disciples, was wiped out. Aside from the abbot, Ruyi Monk, who was a Core Formation True Man, there were also over thirty Foundation Establishment Cultivators among them... They were all tragically killed overnight at the border between the two countries. Not a single soul escaped."

As Gu Xisheng spoke, he shuddered, a chill running down his spine.

"Over a thousand people, with no signs of injury, looked as if they had simply fallen into a deep sleep... But their bodies were drained of every drop of blood, their Divine Souls annihilated, unable to enter reincarnation."

"How is that possible!"

Han Qing exclaimed in a low voice, finding it hard to believe.

"Could it be that Blood God True Man risked universal condemnation and acted, wiping out a thousand cultivators at once?"

Ruyi Monk himself had a Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivation, and with all the disciples of Cien Temple, it would take at least a Core Formation Perfection True Man to accomplish such a feat.

Given the bizarre state of their deaths, it was no wonder that Blood God True Man was the first person to come to mind.

Cien Temple had already decided to relocate, withdrawing their entire sect from the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm. It was a complete admission of defeat.

Under normal circumstances, their opponent would have let them go.

To chase them down and slaughter the entire sect, killing over a thousand cultivators with a cruel Demon Skill that left no Divine Soul intact, would easily provoke public outrage.

"It is said that an Arhat from the Dharma Aspect Sect, which Cien Temple was planning to join, was enraged. He went to the scene personally and performed a ritual... He confirmed that the attacker possessed profound Demon Skills and was cultivating a wicked technique that directly seized everyone’s souls, which is why the Cien Temple cultivators all looked as if they had died in their sleep."

When it comes to Buddhist Sect cultivators, their cultivation methods diverge onto unique paths at the highest levels.

The Arhat rank corresponds to the True Monarch realm in the Daoist Family.

This Ju Bo Arhat’s name has been lost to time; it is only known that he was a sworn brother to one of Cien Temple’s ancestors.

The decision to accept Cien Temple as a branch of the Dharma Aspect Sect was one he had pushed through against all opposition.

For them to be annihilated halfway there by a Demon Path Technique, how could he not be filled with a nameless rage?

"Ju Bo Arhat has already sent a message to True Monarch Jiulian, demanding that the Holy Lotus Sect investigate this matter thoroughly and give him an explanation..."

The account from Gu Xisheng’s lips was the most complete and detailed version of events.

This sudden incident had a huge impact on the Qingfeng Sect as well.

Several Core Formation Elders from the Holy Lotus Sect have already arrived on the battlefield to convey True Monarch Jiulian’s order, demanding a ceasefire among the Righteous and Demonic Dao and the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

With two Nascent Soul True Monarchs involved, and Blood God True Man listed as a prime suspect, the war was definitely not going to continue.

This great war had shattered the Righteous Alliance, with its remaining forces huddled in just two counties.

The Demon Path Alliance Army had swallowed up vast territories and immense resources; one could say that every participating sect had made a massive fortune.

"We can expect the Ghost Spirit Sect to withdraw its attention from the front lines... With their strength greatly increased, even if they don’t launch a war against our Sect in the short term, they will certainly not be idle behind the scenes. We are not afraid of the Ghost Spirit Sect alone, but we fear that during their time in the Demon Path Alliance Army, they reached an agreement with other Demon Path Sects to invade Black Mountain together."

In this second war between the Righteous and Demonic paths, the Demon Path Alliance Army had consistently held the advantage.

Including the Ghost Spirit Sect, they had all reaped astonishing riches from this war.

The constant victories had boosted the morale of the several Demon Path Sects.

As long as there were sufficient benefits, they were the closest of allies.

The Ghost Spirit Sect could easily use Black Mountain as bait, exaggerating the riches in the Qingfeng Sect’s treasury to attract other Demon Path Sects to join their attack.

The possibility Gu Xisheng raised was not unfounded; in fact, it was quite high.

"I invite you all to share your opinions. What measures should we take to counter a potential alliance of Demon Path Sects..."

"We’ll simply deal with whatever they throw at us..."

Dai Hui’s voice was hoarse. Having once attempted to break through to the Core Formation Realm, he was more confident than anyone else present.

"The Corpse-Driving Sect, the Joyful Union Sect... It’s not like we’ve never faced these cultivators before. We stopped them then, and we can do it again."

"But according to our intelligence, White Bone True Man and Fairy Lianyu of the Joyful Union Sect are on their way back to Hejian County together. It’s highly likely they’ve already reached a secret agreement... Among the three Core Formation True Men of the Joyful Union Sect, Fairy Lianyu is the most famous for her beauty. Her list of lovers numbers in the hundreds, and there’s no shortage of Core Formation True Men among them."

The Ghost Spirit Sect learned its lesson. If they dare to come again, they must be fully confident.

The main issue is how to deal with Master Ge Cang.

As long as someone can tie down the one person the Ghost Spirit Sect is completely unable to handle, the chances of successfully attacking the Qingfeng Sect with the combined power of two sects would be very high.

In an instant, the Ancestor Hall erupted into a noisy debate, with everyone fervently putting forth their own opinions.

Bai Zichen listened for a few moments and quickly identified the true point of contention.

Gu Xisheng wanted to use the possibility of another invasion by the Ghost Spirit Sect as a pretext to reorganize the defensive lines and install his own people in key positions.

But the other elders, whose interests would be harmed, clung to the view that the Ghost Spirit Sect would not be able to provoke another war in the short term. They argued that the Qingfeng Sect simply needed to use this time to develop and accumulate strength, which would be enough to handle any future chaos.

"Junior Brother Bai, Junior Brother Qi, this is your first time attending an Elder Council meeting... Do either of you have your own thoughts on this matter?"

Gu Xisheng knew this wasn’t the kind of matter that could be settled with mere words.

Ultimately, it would come down to which side held more power, and the true thoughts of the two Core Formation Ancestors.