Chapter 477: Hard to Bring Forth an Immortal Ascension Art, the Tool Man Lin Changsheng

These two truly lived up to their reputation of often being "birds of a feather" since ancient times — their back-and-forth really was perfectly in sync.

The topic shift was so abrupt, yet they managed to pick it up anyway.

Ba Zun grumbled inwardly for a moment, then promptly straightened his expression and said:

"Since the Sect Masters have this idea, why not later delegate part of the Immortal Net's authority, so they can to a certain extent regulate the status of divine positions within the Xuan Realm afterward."

According to their original plan, they would only purge the lingering influence of 'Xuan' within the Xuan Realm.

Then, using the power of the Immortal Net, they would leave behind the foundation of the Divine Dao and let it evolve on its own.

Roughly like the Beast God Realm before—

Remove the so-called absolutely overwhelming existence of 'Hun Tian Yi', then weaken the Beast God Clan's strength to balance the two sides, and stop interfering, giving the human race of the Beast God Realm more room for autonomous choice.

After all, a True Immortal's will is too absolute; too much interference would cause the human race of the Beast God Realm to lose their own characteristics.

The 'Dao Extreme Immortal Ascension Art' currently used in the Grand Xuan Realm carries far too high a risk, and the cultivation system above Return to Void is still in the 'refinement' stage.

To innovate and create a brand-new 'Immortal Ascension Art' is virtually impossible.

Precisely because of this, more 'variables' different from the Grand Xuan Realm's own cultivation system are needed.

From the start of the Ascension Plan to now, the sword-intent spirit bodies Xu Xing sent to the myriad realms of the Chaotic Sea have never once altered a world's cultivation trajectory at its root.

At most, they would use the local world as a foundation, deduce one or two divine abilities, and pass them on to the fated.

But now that the Sect Masters have this idea…

It's not that they can't give it a try.

Although the Dao Merging level is also higher than the entire Xuan Realm, it has not yet reached an 'absolute' degree; coupled with the fact that this world's cultivation system has already been thoroughly wrecked by 'Xuan'…

With appropriate guidance from them, it might achieve decent results?

"Worth a try. If something truly goes wrong, we can step in and correct it later." Dan Zu nodded slightly.

Emm…

But logically speaking, the Sect Masters oversee all matters of the Xianzong Sect, the four star domains, and the Central Continent.

Any single one of those, in scale, is who-knows-how-many times larger than the Xuan Realm, which only has Return-to-Void-level power.

Even the Xianzong Sect is managed in perfect order by them; a Xuan Realm shouldn't be likely to cause problems either.

Of course, the possibility of an 'accident' cannot be ruled out.

"Then it's settled." Xu Xing swept his gaze across the crowd. "This time we will no longer use the original plan, but instead adopt the 'Modernized Divine Dao Reform' proposed by the Sect Masters. What does everyone think?"

Everyone nodded slightly, effectively agreeing to the matter.

……

……

And just after the Immortals had reached their decision.

Within the Xiang Jianzong's inner gate, atop the cloud platform high above the venue.

Several Xianzong Sect Masters now also perked up, watching the status of the remaining two timelines within the Xuan Realm, occasionally exchanging remarks.

In these final moments, they were all guessing who would take the championship.

Yet Xiang Jianzong Master Du Ruoheng and Grand Dao Sect Master Cheng Junming appeared somewhat restless — the two had made a high-stakes bet: a father-son showdown!

But soon, a piece of information that appeared in their minds without warning made them pause.

It was the reply to the solution they had previously discussed via talisman transmission regarding the situation within the Xuan Realm.

The Ancestors… agreed?

The gist of the message was — the Ancestors found their idea very interesting, so they had directly approved their plan.

And they would also delegate part of the Immortal Net's authority, to make it convenient for them to regulate the divine positions and guide the Xuan Realm onto the right track.

The expressions of the several Xianzong Sect Masters who saw this became extraordinarily colorful.

Ah, this…!

That plan was only meant for the Ancestors' reference!

Even if it were to be implemented, it would only be fitting for the Ancestors to carry it out personally, right?

With so many matters, big and small, throughout the entire sect, it was already more than enough…

Ahem!

In short, even if we really are workhorses, we can't be used like this, right?

All of them were somewhat at a loss between tears and laughter.

Once Du Ruoheng and Cheng Junming came back to their senses, they glared furiously at Hehuan Sect Master Shen Qingjun.

Reporting this matter to the Ancestors — it was she who proposed it!

And at this moment, Shen Qingjun, feeling that piece of information that had appeared in her mind without warning, was also stunned.

The Ancestors actually really adopted it…

She had clearly only been worried that her Master would come back and say she did nothing proper all day, so she had prepared to show off a little, to prove she hadn't been slacking off…

Well then!

She had originally planned to wait until after the Xianzong Sect Grand Competition, and before her Master returned, to find some time to give herself a little holiday, to rest up.

Now, with such a matter suddenly dropped on her, the holiday was straight down the drain!

Righteous Alliance Chairman Chen Shang, watching the crowd's suddenly changed expressions, couldn't help feeling a bit puzzled.

What happened?

But since he wasn't really familiar with them, he didn't feel comfortable prying directly.

He could only continue watching the Xuan Realm, though he couldn't help speculating in his heart.

……

……

At the same time.

The main timeline where the Soul Transformation group was located.

Near the main sect of the Tianling Sect, Chang Xiao ultimately still failed to eliminate Lin Changsheng.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to lay a hand on his good friend; after all, it was he himself who had led Wu Zhongfeng to find Lin Changsheng in the first place.

When the chance came, of course he wouldn't hold back.

As for Old Lin's "scam" problem in this Grand Competition.

Aiya~

At worst, once the Grand Competition ended and they went out, he'd personally introduce him to a senior from the Hehuan Sect for a couple of lessons, and he'd naturally understand.

And so, the moment Sheng Qingqing left, Chang Xiao struck immediately!

And without the slightest reservation.

It was also thanks to Lin Changsheng having recovered some of his injuries during this period of pursuit and escape that he barely managed to stalemate with him for a while.

But that was all it amounted to.

Under normal circumstances, his only fate was to be eliminated!

But when the Grand Competition reached its final round, the safe zone grew smaller and smaller, and the remaining contestants all gathered together—how could that be a normal situation?

Just as Lin Changsheng was about to be unable to hold on any longer, and Chang Xiao was finally about to pocket the points...

A three-unit combined divine-mecha construct arrived belatedly.

It directly snatched the kill with a long-range spiritual energy cannon, then drove Chang Xiao back in a frontal engagement, and even pursued him for several hours.

Once, a two-unit combined divine-mecha construct had been able to chase Qiu Zheng, who was in the top tier of this Grand Competition.

Now with three units combined, the might it unleashed naturally went without saying.

After repelling Chang Xiao, the three-unit combined divine-mecha construct began patrolling within the safe zone, searching for the remaining contestants.

Such a behemoth prowling near the main sect of the Tianling Sect naturally made many of the Tianling Sect's disciples uneasy, all hoping in their hearts that the Return-to-Void Immortal Reverends would make a move...

But for some unknown reason, the Return-to-Voids of the Xuan Xiang lineage did not make a move right away.

The divine-mecha construct, with no one able to restrain it, became even more...

Uh...

Well, it didn't act arrogant either; after all, this was only a Grand Competition, and the Sect Masters and many more sect elders were all watching!

Moreover, in terms of hard strength, the likes of them actually couldn't be considered top-tier...

So, they simply searched even more diligently.

Aided by the divine-mecha construct's enhanced divine-sense detection system, some contestants with poorer concealment methods were directly found and eliminated.

In the end, it also successfully ran into Zhao Ruohan.

But it didn't discover her.

The Mountain Puppet's massive size became precisely the feature that blinded others' searches.

After all, one only needed to tuck in the limbs and sit down on the ground like that!

Generally speaking, as long as one's brain worked normally, one wouldn't suspect that a mountain was actually a puppet refined by a contestant in this Grand Competition.

Zhao Ruohan had exploited exactly this feature, combined with the fact that she wasn't within the coordinate-display timeframe.

In the end, she successfully dodged the disaster.

…………

Near the main sect of the Tianling Sect, within the largest Miaocheng.

In the spirit fields specially set aside for cultivating spiritual plants.

Fifteen minutes remained until the next coordinate display.

Beneath the cap of a crimson lingzhi mushroom, a miniature reconnaissance robot crouched quietly, a faint light flickering in its electronic compound eyes.

In the adjacent mu of spirit field, a drab little bird flapped its wings and landed on a branch of a spiritual fruit tree.

The branch bent slightly under the weight, and a spiritual fruit suffused with spiritual energy fell from the branch, rolled twice on the ground, and then human facial features emerged on the surface of its skin.

Soon, a soybean-sized bead, a paper-cut little figure, half a finger with a smooth cross-section, and a wisp of sword qi drifting in the wind, elusive and uncertain...

All sorts of bizarre and strange objects silently appeared within the spirit field.

"Join forces?" The voice came from that elusive wisp of sword qi.

"Sure, I've long had it in for them." The half finger with the smooth cross-section immediately chimed in.

"There's still over ten minutes." The spiritual fruit with human features on its surface said calmly, "Let's split up for now, but don't go too far. Watch who they make a move on, and provide timely support."

"Works for me." Light flickered in the miniature reconnaissance robot's eyes.

"No problem on my end either." The drab little bird on the branch also said.

The paper-cut little figure nodded, and even the soybean-sized bead rolled twice, indicating its agreement.

Not bad!

Because the threat of that three-unit combined divine-mecha construct was too great, everyone decided to join forces and take it out first!

"Then it's decided."

The elusive wisp of sword qi drifting in the void dissipated.

There was no binding agreement, no tactics at all—just a simple alignment of intent.

Even whether to act was left entirely to each individual's own will.

Those present were all competitors, and they didn't quite trust one another...

"I'm off!" The finger with the smooth cross-section scurried away quickly.

The remaining contestants each employed their own methods and vanished on the spot.

Before long, the spirit field returned to its usual quiet.

From start to finish, none of the Tianling Sect disciples guarding the spirit fields noticed anything.

……

……

On the other side of the main Tianling Sect.

In the midst of rolling mountains, halfway up an unremarkable Shanfeng.

Inside a cave covered in climbing vines.

The stone walls around were coated with a thin layer of moss, like a velvet carpet of emerald.

At the deepest part of the cave sat a figure, slowly withdrawing her spirit from the distant Miaocheng spirit fields.

She opened her eyes; a flash of emerald light vanished in her sharply divided black and white pupils.

It was Zhao Ruohan.

"Shenji Mechanism Units…" she murmured softly.

She had to admit, the competitors from Shenji Lianbao Pavilion truly had skill this time.

Even she, who had already "fully developed" and commanded a full army of spirit plant puppets, was no match for the triple-linked Shenji Mechanism Units.

After all, it wasn't as simple as one plus one—when three Shenji Mechanism Units united, their combat power approached that of an unweakened counterfeit Return to Void from this world!

It was hard to imagine such power came from nothing but some spirit-energy components and refined ore veins from this world.

This technology…

She had never seen it even on Shenji Lianbao Pavilion's current flagship "Shenji" artifacts.

"New technology…" Zhao Ruohan rose from the ground.

After the competition ends, she should keep an eye on Shenji Lianbao Pavilion's developments—if their direction matches her expectations, she might invest a little to earn some pocket money…

Thinking this, she walked to the cave entrance.

The climbing vines hanging at the entrance automatically parted to either side.

She looked up at the distant sky, her eyes reflecting a flawless, cloudless expanse.

She had a premonition.

After this joint attack on the Shenji Mechanism Unit, it might be the final moment.

【Alert! Only ten contestants remain in this Cixian Sect Competition (Soul Transformation)!】

【Ranking settlement beginning!】

【This Cixian Sect Competition (Soul Transformation) has entered its final stage!】

【Alert! Precise coordinate display time reduced to 60 minutes!】

The sudden announcement caused Zhao Ruohan's expression to shift slightly.

Just moments ago there were thirteen people—how could it drop to ten so fast?

And the rules had changed again.

This Cixian Sect Competition was too strange—completely unlike any before. Not only were the rules not announced in advance, they kept changing constantly.

It felt as if someone was deliberately training them to adapt on the fly…

Before she could think further—

Boom!

Blood qi surged like a pillar to the heavens, staining the flawless sky a crimson red.

Vast, scorching blood qi spread recklessly, accompanied by a roar that shook heaven and earth!

"Fuck your grandpa!"

The fist intent blazed like a sun, bearing a will that crushed all ten directions, slamming toward the heavens.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort sent howling winds that instantly scattered the blazing blood qi across the sky.

A face nearly covering the entire sky appeared—eyes like polished glass, occasionally flashing seven-colored light, features exquisitely perfect—coldly gazing down at the earth.

The sunlike fist intent before it was as insignificant as a spark about to be blown out.

Second Patriarch of the Tianling Sect, the strongest in the Xuanxiang Realm—

Xuan Xing!

Seeing the triple-linked Shenji Mechanism Unit rampaging through the Tianling Sect as if it were empty, he could no longer hold back.

Previously, he had held back out of caution for the forces behind the outsiders' Soul Transformation cultivators.

But now that Lin Changsheng had been eliminated, he had a perfect excuse.

That gullible fool he'd once given gifts to!

In a way, weren't they friends?

"Lin Changsheng was my closest friend—I failed to notice he was struck down…" The voice echoed across heaven and earth, laced with sorrow, "If this were fair competition, I would say nothing—but to gang up on one? I cannot stand idly by."

So you were the one who destroyed that triple-linked Shenji Mechanism Unit?

Chang Xiao, hiding in the Shenshan to observe, stared in shock.

Even Sheng Qingqing was one thing—but this Return to Void?

Could it really not have been a scam?

Is Lin's personal charm really that insane?

Did he secretly learn charm arts?! (End of chapter)