"The Grand Dao Sect has annihilated a major branch, and the Heavenly Net Hall's prestige is already in tatters!" the Nine Juns Old Ancestor stated, his voice low. "Over the past ten thousand years, the Heavenly Net Hall has made too many powerful enemies. If you and Fellow Daoist Tianyuan end up mutually crippled, those other factions will likely..."
He left the rest unsaid, but Duan Hunsheng’s face twisted into a grim mask.
The Grand Dao Sect had set a dangerous precedent by openly defying the Heavenly Net Hall. If he were severely injured, the Hall's dominance would crumble. After all, he was their only Nine-star Great Emperor!
At that point, not only would the remaining Heavenly Net Hall branches be lost, but other hegemon-level powers might even invade their main headquarters. They had simply accumulated too many grudges over the millennia.
His earth-shattering clash with the Tianyuan Old Ancestor had proven one thing: he couldn't defeat the white-robed Emperor. Duan Hunsheng was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Continue the fight? It would only lead to a mutually crippling defeat.
Retreat? The Heavenly Net Hall's reputation would be ruined!
He had expected to easily crush the Grand Dao Sect, never imagining they would have a Nine-star Great Emperor descend to protect them.
The Nine Juns Old Ancestor, seeing Duan Hunsheng's dilemma, offered a faint smile. "Fellow Daoists, perhaps it is best to take a step back and reconsider the long game? For both of you to withdraw today would be a strategic retreat to advance later."
A strategic retreat to advance later! Duan Hunsheng thought. A beautiful way to put it.
Since things had reached this point, he had no choice but to back down. Once he returned to the Heavenly Net Hall, he would have to consult with the Silent Destruction Elder for the next phase of their plan.
With that thought, Duan Hunsheng let out a cold, frustrated huff, recalled his Heavenly Net Token, and tore open the void.
"Boom!"
He vanished into the rift. "Grand Dao Sect! This is far from over! The Heavenly Net Hall always repays its debts!"
In the distance, the Heavenly Net Hall's Ancient Spirit Boat shot away, slicing through the sky and fleeing Cloud State.
Seeing this, the Nine Juns Old Ancestor visibly relaxed.
The Tianyuan Old Ancestor waved his hand, putting away the Tianyuan Diagram, and bowed respectfully to the Nine Juns Old Ancestor. "My deepest thanks, Fellow Daoist, for your assistance today."
The Nine Juns Old Ancestor put away his Restrictive Stele and chuckled. "Care to visit my Cangmu Academy for a chat?"
The Tianyuan Old Ancestor cupped his hands. "Thank you for the invitation, Fellow Daoist Nine Juns. I will certainly visit next time."
The Nine Juns Old Ancestor nodded slightly.
Soon after, the Tianyuan Old Ancestor summoned an Ancient Flying Spirit Artifact—a colossal palace radiating an aura of ancient time. Great Emperor Dao Patterns flowed across its surface, giving it an overwhelming, terrifying presence.
"Farewell, Fellow Daoist Nine Juns!" The Tianyuan Old Ancestor bowed slightly and stepped into the massive palace.
Lu Xuan and the others quickly followed, entering the palace.
The Nine Juns Old Ancestor called out solemnly, "Fellow Daoist Tianyuan, until we meet again!"
Boom!
The Grand Dao Sect's flying artifact tore through the void, transforming into a divine rainbow that vanished into the horizon. Two hegemon-level powers had departed.
Witnessing the conclusion, the people of Cloud State wore complex expressions. The battle had been too terrifying, practically world-ending! With Nine-star Great Emperors now emerging, the Great Era conflict was likely to begin ahead of schedule.
Many sighed, realizing it was the Grand Dao Sect's hidden magnate who had sent the voice transmission across the Southern Wilds, forcing many Nine-star Great Emperors to emerge early! But this time, the magnate hadn't appeared. Instead, this White-robed Great Emperor had come.
His supreme offensive secret art inspired an unknown terror in them. It was a technique that completely ignored the gap of a single Emperor realm—utterly unreasonable! The White-robed Great Emperor had never even summoned an Emperor Weapon, relying purely on his own power to crush the Heavenly Net Hall's Thirteenth Elder! The Elder's desperate attempt to burn his soul and body had been useless.
It was a chilling thought. In an instant, the battle footage of Lu Xuan instantly killing an Eight-star Great Emperor began to spread like wildfire.
In the distance, Chen Changsheng smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan is truly remarkable."
He was now wrestling with a single, all-consuming question: How could he obtain the Longevity Opportunity from Lu Xuan? Longevity... that was his Persistent Thought!
But that question led to a thousand others. How would he meet Lu Xuan? Once they met, what should he do? What words should he use, what Dao should he discuss, what riddles should he pose?
The problems were too numerous, tangling like balls of yarn in his mind. He meticulously carved every potential problem into his mind. For a powerhouse like Lu Xuan, he had to consider every contingency. What was the worst-case scenario? What if Lu Xuan was a wolf in sheep's clothing, demanding he commit acts against his personal will? What if he couldn't defeat him?
His mind felt like a tangled ball of yarn...
With a sudden blur, Chen Changsheng dissolved into a streak of light and vanished into the sky. It was time to start planning for the Longevity Opportunity. This would be one of the most important moments of his life! He needed to be extremely cautious and consider every possible outcome.
I have a premonition, Chen Changsheng thought, that meeting Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan is inevitable. And it will happen very soon...
***
High above the void, the Grand Dao Sect's palace artifact was traversing the distance, its destination the Ancient Qin Family.
Lu Xuan, Ji Fuyao, Ye Chen, and the loyalists of the Fuyao Dynasty entered a large room. Lu Xuan immediately collapsed onto a wooden recliner. The time limit on the Seven-star Great Emperor Experience Card had expired.
The brilliant divine light slowly receded from his face, revealing his handsome, clean-cut, and effortlessly elegant features. Ah, bliss. After more than two days of 'fighting' (or rather, being a puppet), he could finally rest.
Ji Fuyao smiled softly. Seeing Lu Xuan lying down, that familiar, comforting feeling returned. For Master, anywhere he could lie down was Azure Mystery Peak.
Wang Man, Qing Yan, and the others bowed respectfully to Lu Xuan. They had personally witnessed his supreme might this time. Their only regret was that Peak Master Lu hadn't personally intervened against Duan Hunsheng. If he had, Duan Hunsheng would have truly had his soul severed and been sent straight to the afterlife!
The Dragon Guards of the Dynasty were ecstatic. "Peak Master Lu, we are completely in awe!"
Lu Xuan gave a faint nod.
Ji Fuyao's starry eyes sparkled as several storage rings appeared in her palm—the spoils from annihilating the Heavenly Net Hall's branch. She looked at Lu Xuan. "Master, should I distribute some of the cultivation resources in these rings to Wang Man and Qing Yan?"
Lu Xuan waved a hand dismissively. "Fuyao, you handle it."
Ji Fuyao quickly distributed the rings. Wang Man, Qing Yan, the Xiao Family Old Ancestor, and the Lin Family Old Ancestor were all overjoyed and astonished. Every ring contained a massive amount of cultivation resources! These were the treasures of a Heavenly Net Hall branch: Emperor Weapons, Supreme-grade Spirit Stones and Spirit Crystals, Emperor-tier Spirit Herbs, high-grade pills... The loyalists' eyes were practically glowing.
The Xiao Family Old Ancestor and the Lin Family Old Ancestor exchanged glances, their eyes burning with excitement. The decision they made in Azure City to submit to Lu Xuan had been the wisest choice of their lives. They had the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to thank for this! What was meant to harm them had turned into a massive blessing! Following Peak Master Lu, they were certain to reach high-star Great Emperor status, and their families would rise to prominence!
Moments later, they put away the rings and bowed respectfully to Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao. "Thank you, Peak Master Lu! Thank you, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress!"
Lu Xuan gave a faint smile. "Don't be stingy with these resources. Use them all and cultivate with everything you have! I don't want Fuyao to need you in a fight only to find your strength lacking."
The loyalists were delighted. "We obey!"
Lu Xuan added, "Don't worry. I have plenty of other good stuff here. Perform well, and I'll have Fuyao distribute more to you." Unconsciously, he was painting a grand picture again.
The loyalists froze for a moment, then erupted with excitement. Peak Master Lu was a magnate of the Southern Wilds; his foundation had to be terrifying! If Emperor-tier treasures from a Heavenly Net Hall branch were considered trash in his eyes, imagine the kind of heaven-defying artifacts he would bestow!
With one accord, they all knelt before Ji Fuyao. Thump! Thump!
Wang Man, Qing Yan, and the others declared with solemn faces, "We are willing to go through fire and water for Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, and give our all!"
Ji Fuyao nodded. "I will not fail you, either. In this life, we will join forces to rebuild the Fuyao Dynasty into a true hegemon-level power!"
Everyone was thrilled. A hegemon-level power! A small spark of ambition ignited in their hearts.
Watching the scene, Lu Xuan nodded contentedly, then continued to lie back in leisurely comfort.
Just then, the System's voice chimed in his ear.
"Ding! Limited-Time Disciple Recruitment Quest issued: Within half a month, travel to White Cliff State and take Chen Changsheng as a disciple!"