Chapter 1117: Arrangements for Beiyuan a Thousand Years Hence

Beiyuan, Liu Dao Sect.

Inside the Black Demon Palace.

A one-armed youth in green robes pressed his hand on the sword hilt, seated on the Wang Zuo of the Liu Dao Sect; behind him, the phantom of the Six Realms of Reincarnation floated and sank, reflecting his calm face as he pondered unknown thoughts.

The great hall was utterly silent.

Li Qingyun Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Da'ai Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Xueyun Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Lieyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Mu Mu Tianxue, and over six hundred others, all heroes of the land and Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun, now bowed respectfully, their gazes daring not to so much as touch the Wang Zuo, as if facing a heavenly deity.

Just a short while ago!

A cultivator ascended from this realm!

Ascending to the Upper Realm!

This is the ultimate dream and final longing of countless generations of cultivators; today they witnessed it truly, seeing it appear before their very eyes!

How could these Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun not be overwhelmed with excitement?

Their divine souls trembled immensely, with no sign of calming down to this very moment.

Who were those three ascended ones?

The invincible one from ten thousand years ago in this realm, who founded the Beiyuan family, Master Shuoyang Canghai Tianjun!

The Sword Lord of the Eastern Sea!

And another unknown Canghai Tianjun, surely also a figure of earth-shattering importance.

These Canghai Tianjun were all born in this realm, grew up in this realm, left various pasts and deeds in history, once led the winds and clouds of the world; among those present were bloodline descendants of ascended Canghai Tianjun, they were not vague, ethereal figures.

Such tangible figures ascending to the Upper Realm—how could this not stir excitement?

If these elders could,

then naturally we can too!

Many Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun saw hope truly and concretely.

Yet, faced with such terrifying ascended Canghai Tianjun, before Tushan Tian Jun, before this one-armed youth with a youthful face, what situation arose?

They fled at the mere sight of him!

The so-called Master Shuoyang Canghai Tianjun, the so-called Eastern Sea Sword Lord, and that unknown Canghai Tianjun, dared not even face Tushan Tian Jun directly; they could only flee from afar, even daring not to return to their native realm to see their own bloodline descendants.

These were ascended Canghai Tianjun!

The divine souls of many Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun were struck; they did not know what kind of existence the ruler of Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting truly was, such that even ascended Canghai Tianjun regarded them as straw and dared not face them directly.

Thus, the Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun stood in solemn silence.

No one knew how much time had passed.

"My lord,"

Gong Gong Caiyu stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and spoke: "When will you ascend to the Upper Realm?"

Upon hearing these words, every Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun's heart trembled.

Indeed.

Even ascended Canghai Tianjun were but defeated foes under Tushan Tian Jun; if they could ascend, what could prevent Tushan Tian Jun from doing so?

There must be such ability!

Some

Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun felt wild joy surge in their hearts, as if the great mountain atop their heads had been moved; they were about to possess the entire world; before a new Canghai Tianjun was born, they would be the unquestionable rulers of the world;

some Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun were filled with panic; without Tushan Tian Jun, they would undoubtedly be trampled and ruled by those Nascent Soul peaks; these Nascent Soul peak cultivators were not as tolerant as Tushan Tian Jun;

some Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun felt reluctance and attachment, like orphans who had lost their father, at a loss.

Some Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun...

Such varied thoughts, a thousand faces among a thousand people, each different.

Whatever their thoughts, everyone knew they could only accept the final outcome and could not interfere with the Canghai Tianjun's will in the slightest.

"Ascend?"

Jiang Ding slowly emerged from deep contemplation.

There were many things he needed to consider now, concerning Beiyuan and the immortal sects, spanning a timescale of a thousand years; his divine soul's computational power was devoted entirely to this.

At this moment, hearing Gong Gong Caiyu's words, his mind shifted slightly.

"Ascension might still take some time."

"I still have some matters to attend to."

Jiang Ding's gaze fell upon the over six hundred Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun present; without much effort, he could discern their thoughts: many were loyal, many harbored ambition, many held various notions... none of this mattered.

Even loyalty, under the passage of vast time, was unimportant.

Without military suppression to enforce rule, one must give up; this was his realization, not relying on certain people's loyalty to continue maintaining rule.

"This 'some time' might exceed the lifespans of all of you."

Jiang Ding looked at them with a faint, ambiguous smile.

"The Canghai Tianjun is wise!"

At this moment, many Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun felt relief in their hearts, joy surfacing on their faces.

This joy came from the heart, even among the ambitious Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun.

Tushan Tian Jun was far too generous!

He placed no restrictions whatsoever on his subordinates' advancement; as long as you had military merit or administrative achievements, he would provide all kinds of conveniences.

In this world, it was nearly impossible to find a cultivation environment more favorable than this.

Looking at the posture of the Upper Realm's beings, even ascending to the Upper Realm did not mean entering an immortal paradise where one could cultivate in peace forever.

"I will enter seclusion for a period of time."

"It might last several thousand years."

Jiang Ding spoke slowly.

【2】 That single utterance was like a thunderclap, leaving many Master Dinghai Zhenjun utterly shocked.

【3】 Several thousand years!

【4】 For them, it was no different from ascending to the Upper Realm; several lifetimes' worth of lifespan would pass, and their bones would turn to ash.

【5】 "After I enter closed-door cultivation,"

【6】 "Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting must be maintained as it is."

【7】 Paying no heed to them, Jiang Ding said calmly, "During this period, if any of you fellow Daoists advance to Soul Transformation, you must act within the order of Master Tushan."

【8】 "Of course, if a newly born Soul Transformation cultivator does not acknowledge it, that is also fine."

【9】 In that instant, many Master Dinghai Zhenjun were seized with dread.

【10】 But they did not know whether they even had the right to feel dread, for advancing to Soul Transformation was still a moon in water, a flower in a mirror to them.

【11】 "Mu Mu Tianxue."

【12】 Jiang Ding casually pointed at one person: "If any Soul Transformation Canghai Tianjun violates the laws of Master Tushan, you will be responsible for handling it and slaying them."

【13】 "If you violate them, you know the consequences."

【14】 No one had, at the first moment, designated Mu Mu Tianxue.

【15】 This stirred the hearts of many, who looked toward that snow-skinned, black-haired, black-eyed woman, their faces revealing the utmost envy.

【16】 This meant that the Canghai Tianjun considered Ice-Blood Master Dinghai Zhenjun the most likely among the present Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun to advance to Soul Transformation.

【17】 "Yes, Canghai Tianjun!"

【18】 Mu Mu Tianxue's heart gave a sudden jolt.

【19】 Jiang Ding gave a slight nod, swept his gaze over the many Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun present, and finally let it rest on Han Lin: "Fellow Daoist, if you have the spare strength, you may assist here and there."

【20】 At this, the entire hall was stunned.

【21】 Many Master Dinghai Zhenjun were dumbfounded, even suspecting the Canghai Tianjun had misjudged—how could an utterly unremarkable mid-Nascent Soul cultivator be ranked right after Mu Mu Tianxue?

【22】 "Little Martial Uncle, please rest assured!"

【23】 Perhaps knowing this parting might be very long, Han Lin no longer concealed anything, nor did he fear the flickering gazes of some Master Dinghai Zhenjun around him, and said in a deep voice, "If I have the spare strength, I will surely uphold the normal operation of Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting's order, ensuring your decrees can continue to be carried out."

【24】 Even at this very moment, he still did not speak in absolutes, only saying "if I have the spare strength."

【25】 Great Love Master Dinghai Zhenjun's gaze grew somewhat complex.

【26】 The Great Sun Sword Lord trusted Li Qingyun Master Dinghai Zhenjun far more, and did not trust him—not even a tiny bit; the arrangements for these two people had many reasons rooted in guarding against him.

【27】 "That will do."

【28】 "Then, that will be all."

【29】 Jiang Ding nodded: "If the calamity Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting encounters is too terrible, then abandon it; place your own Dao path above all else."

【30】 He surveyed his surroundings, naming no one further.

【31】 Perhaps there were those with better talent, perhaps many others also had a chance to advance to Soul Transformation, but the degree of trust was still lacking by some measure; there was no need to give further instructions.

【32】 "Gong Gong Caiyu,"

【33】 "I hope you can stay alive, so that we may meet again in the future."

【34】 Jiang Ding looked at the last woman, a hint of tenderness surfacing in his gaze: "Those two—one was coerced by me, the other has good personal moral character and a high bottom line; although they can maintain the stability of Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, they do not recognize the importance of Master Tushan's laws."

【35】 (continuation of the sentence)

【36】 "You are different. If you are here, Master Tushan's laws will be implemented even better, and can even change along with shifts in the social environment, never becoming stale and rigid."

【37】 This Master Dinghai Zhenjun had been entrusted with great hopes by him.

【38】 "Young Master…"

【39】 "Please rest assured!"

【40】 Gong Gong Caiyu's little face flushed red, and she said firmly, "I will definitely advance to Soul Transformation!"

【41】 "I definitely will!"

【42】 "Mm, you definitely will."

【43】 Jiang Ding smiled.

This single cry was earth-shattering, causing many Master Dinghai Zhenjun to tremble with shock.

Several thousand years!

For them, this was no different than ascending to the Upper Realm; several lifetimes would pass, and their bones would turn to dust.

"After I enter seclusion,"

"Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting must be maintained as it is."

Jiang Ding ignored these reactions and spoke calmly: "During this time, if any of you Daoist friends advance to Soul Transformation, you must act within the order of Tushan."

"Of course, if a newly born Soul Transformation cultivator does not approve, that is also fine."

In that instant, many Master Dinghai Zhenjun felt fear.

But they did not know if they even had the qualification to feel fear, because advancing to Soul Transformation was still a moon in the water and a flower in the mirror for them.

"Mu Mu Tianxue."

Jiang Ding pointed casually at one person: "If a Soul Transformation Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun violates the laws of Tushan, you are responsible for handling it and executing them."

"If you violate them, you know the consequences."

No one immediately designated Mu Mu Tianxue.

This caused many hearts to stir; they looked at the woman with snow-white skin, black hair, and black eyes, revealing expressions of extreme envy.

This meant the Canghai Tianjun believed that Ice Blood Master Dinghai Zhenjun was the most likely among all the Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun present to advance to Soul Transformation.

"Yes, Canghai Tianjun!"

Mu Mu Tianxue's heart grew stern.

Jiang Ding nodded slightly, scanned all the Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun present, and finally settled on Han Lin: "Daoist friend, if you have spare strength, you may assist a little."

This caused the entire hall to be shocked.

Many Master Dinghai Zhenjun were stunned, even doubting the Canghai Tianjun had made a mistake; how could an ordinary Nascent Soul Mid-stage cultivator possibly be ranked only after Mu Mu Tianxue?

"Little Junior Uncle, rest assured!"

Perhaps knowing this parting might be very long, Han Lin no longer concealed anything, nor did he fear the flickering gazes of some Master Dinghai Zhenjun around him; he spoke deeply: "If I have spare strength, I will certainly protect the normal operation of the order in Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, ensuring your decrees can continue to be implemented."

Even at this very moment, he still did not speak too absolutely, saying only "if I have spare strength."

Great Love Master Dinghai Zhenjun's gaze was somewhat complex.

Great Sun Sword Master trusted Li Qingyun Master Dinghai Zhenjun more and did not trust him, not even a tiny bit; the arrangement of these two had many reasons aimed at guarding against him.

"That is enough."

"Thus, it is enough."

Jiang Ding nodded: "If Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting encounters a calamity that is too terrible, then abandon it; prioritize your own Dao path."

He looked around, designating no one else.

Perhaps there were those with better talent, perhaps many others had opportunities to advance to Soul Transformation, but the level of trust was still lacking; there was no need to give further instructions.

"Gong Gong Caiyu,"

"I hope you can live, so we may meet again in the future."

Jiang Ding looked at the last woman, his gaze showing a hint of tenderness: "Those two, one was coerced by me, and the other has good personal conduct and high bottom lines; although they can maintain the stability of Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting, they do not approve of the importance of Tushan

laws."

"You are different; if you are here, the Tushan laws will be implemented better, and can even change with the evolution of the social environment, without becoming stale and rigid."

This Master Dinghai Zhenjun was invested with high hopes by him.

"Young Master..."

"Rest assured!"

Gong Gong Caiyu's small face flushed red, and she said firmly: "I will definitely advance to Soul Transformation!"

"I definitely will!"

"Mm, I definitely will."

Jiang Ding smiled.