Chapter 1288: Master Tushan Canghai Tianjun, Ascending to the Upper Realm Today!

Before him, all twelve Hua Shen cultivators of the entire Minor Thousand Worlds prostrated themselves on the ground.

Ripples stirred in their hearts as they recalled many things from the past.

Three thousand years — even for Hua Shen cultivators, that was a long stretch of time; half their own lifespans had already passed, and they had entered the latter half of a Hua Shen cultivator's years.

And yet, even so.

They still did not dare forget Master Tushan.

Because forgetting Master Tushan, forgetting the Laws of Master Tushan, meant death.

"Everyone, it has been long."

"Please rise."

Jiang Ding gave a slight nod.

In his heart, he sighed faintly.

The last time he had seen these old acquaintances was just over a thousand years after they had ascended to Hua Shen Qi — full of high spirits, like a man in the prime of his youth, as if countless futures lay before them.

Yet in the mere span of three thousand years, a faint trace of aging had already appeared on them.

Many fellow Daoists' lives had already entered their later stage.

"Mu Mu Tianxue, how old are you now?"

Jiang Ding asked.

Among those present, Mu Mu Tianxue was the oldest.

In the past there had been countless people older than her — Master Dinghai Zhenjun Zhenjun Shen Ya, Master Dinghai Zhenjun Master Tianyang, Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo, and so on — but all those of the older generation had died, none of them having ascended to Hua Shen Qi.

"Reporting to Canghai Tianjun, I am already five thousand five hundred and seventy-two years old."

Mu Mu Tianxue cupped her hands and reported.

"And you? Han Lin."

Jiang Ding asked again.

"Little Martial Uncle, this disciple is just a little over five thousand years old."

Canghai Tianjun Li Qingyun Han Lin scratched the back of his head.

"Canghai Tianjun, I am much the same."

Canghai Tianjun Da'ai bowed respectfully.

"Master, I am about the same age as Canghai Tianjun Li Qingyun, within a year or two."

Canghai Tianjun Gong Caiyu said.

"Canghai Tianjun, I am just over two thousand years old…"

The remaining newly-ascended Canghai Tianjun said likewise.

They hailed from the Master Tushan Maid Corps, or the Great Sun Sword Capital, or the Hun Yuan Fa Heaven Capital — the strongest prodigies of the entire Minor Thousand Worlds — and had ascended by relying on the Blood Demon Abyss and the more efficient mid-stage order of Master Tushan.

Yet toward these newly-ascended Canghai Tianjun, Jiang Ding merely gave a slight nod and paid them no further attention.

"Canghai Tianjun!"

"I am seven thousand years old this year!"

Master Dinghai Zhenjun Jiuyuan Chun Chun Sanwa hurriedly raised his hand and said.

He was still in a child's form — a Nine Element Spirit Ginseng in human shape, Sect Master of the Nong Sect — and although he was only a Nascent Soul cultivator, he truly could live, and was still bouncing about full of life.

"Not bad, you little fellow, not bad at all."

Jiang Ding smiled faintly: "The lifespan of your ginseng folk really is enviable — to live so long at only Nascent Soul."

"Sigh, Canghai Tianjun, I'm about to die too."

"If I can't break through and ascend, at most I can live another thousand years."

Chun Chun Sanwa gave a bitter smile.

Jiang Ding smiled faintly.

For this old acquaintance, he would naturally lend a hand and grant some fortune — that went without saying.

He looked toward the many Canghai Tianjun.

Among those who had cultivated to the late stage of Hua Shen by five thousand years old were Canghai Tianjun Li Qingyun Han Lin and Canghai Tianjun Da'ai — two people; although they had arts to conceal their cultivation, in Jiang Ding's eyes they were useless.

These two, cultivating to the late stage of Hua Shen in such a barren environment, must certainly possess great fortune and great secrets; one need only consider that Mu Mu Tianxue, who possessed a Dao Body, was only at Hua Shen Zhong Qi, the same as Canghai Tianjun Lieyang.

However, Jiang Ding did not mind, nor did he intend to pry.

Because others' fortunes had not violated the Laws of Master Tushan and were none of his concern — he felt not even a flicker of curiosity.

Han Lin, Da'ai, Mu Mu Tianxue, and Lieyang — these four, through great fortune, through talent, through mad enough slaughter, each held a sliver of hope on the path to Refining Void.

As for the rest…

Jiang Ding's heart was complicated.

What he regretted most was his political-affairs maid, his most reliable maid-officer, Canghai Tianjun Gong Caiyu — in these several thousand years he had never uncovered a talent for loyalty that could match hers.

Yet her realm was only the peak of Hua Shen Chu Qi.

It was expected that the limit of her life would be Hua Shen Zhong Qi; Refining Void held not the slightest possibility, because this Minor Thousand World was a damaged one.

The Great Dao is heartless; parting is inevitable in the end.

"I am about to leave."

"Fellow Daoists."

Jiang Ding did not soften it in any way, and said lightly.

At these words, it was as if the heavens had split and the earth cracked. The Hua Shen Canghai Tianjun present were shaken to the core — stormy waves surged in their hearts: reluctance, swollen reddened eyes, wild joy, worry — a tangle of complex emotions.

Leave?

Leave to go where?

He would definitely ascend to the Upper Realm!

Since Tushuang Canghai Tianjun ascended several thousand years ago, today, another ascending cultivator would once again arrive.

Many Soul Transformation Canghai Tianjun felt their hearts blaze, countless yearnings and wild imaginings rising up.

There was the longing for ascension to the Upper Realm,

and also a vast desire for the entire world — no one knew better than they how enormous a quantity of heavenly materials and earthly treasures flowed each year into the treasury of Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting.

This was a staggering fortune sufficient for any Soul Transformation cultivator to cultivate all the way to the late stage.

Even if Master Tushan Canghai Tianjun took away all the movable wealth, the entire Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting's annual output was still an astronomical figure!

"Just as you all have guessed, I am about to leave this world, ascend to the Upper Realm, and seek my own Dao."

"This is what I wish to inform you of."

Jiang Ding paid no heed

to the complicated thoughts of the many cultivators present, nor did he have the habit of keeping people in suspense. He continued, "At the same time, I will also leave behind an avatar to continue holding down Master Tushan Master Tushan Zhongting and maintain its order."

"If any of you are so inclined, you may also make a move against this avatar."

"If you win, and slay this avatar, you will naturally obtain everything you desire."

An entire world.

Jiang Ding would not let go, would not simply ascend to the Upper Realm and leave everything unattended — he would always make all manner of arrangements. As for what others thought, that was not within his consideration.

In an instant, the surroundings fell silent.

Many Soul Transformation Canghai Tianjun felt their hearts turn cold in an instant, and a sudden gloom descended upon them.

"Young Master, is it really true?!"

Gong Gong Caiyu Canghai Tianjun was overjoyed, nearly jumping up.

In her heart, there was not much longing for distant places — she only wished to stay forever by the side of the familiar person, even if he did not emerge from seclusion once in several thousand years, it did not matter.

As long as he was there, that was enough.

That way, she would feel at ease.

"…Mm."

Jiang Ding was silent for a moment, then said.

The complicated emotions that had risen could not shake his Dao heart.

"Then let it be so."

"Fellow Daoists, Zhen Zhong. If any of you have the wish to ascend to the Upper Realm, you may stay here to observe the ascension Lei Gao Jie for a while — though it may not necessarily serve as a reference."

Jiang Ding stepped out, passing through the world's barrier, arriving beyond the starry sky.

He erupted with his full aura, no longer sealing or concealing it.

Boom—

In an instant, Lei Gao Jie thunderclouds spanning tens of thousands of kilometers rolled in to gather, their pressure sinking deep, radiating a terrifying aura that made many Soul Transformation cultivators tremble in fear — even peak Soul Transformation cultivators would shudder at this moment, unable to control themselves.

Yet, when these ascension Lei Gao Jie thunderclouds touched the blue-robed youth beneath the starry sky, they instantly froze, stiffened, and clearly sensed the six orders' aura upon him.

This was not something as simple as surpassing the Soul Transformation limit.

He had already set foot into the Void-rank Order, and even the Dao-rank Order was beginning to stand firm within Refining Void!

The ascension Lei Gao Jie, which had been gathering into form, slowly dissipated.

The starry sky spanning tens of thousands of kilometers once again returned to brightness, replaced instead by a resplendent scene of light — golden lotuses springing from the earth, Master Dinghai Zhenjun Tian Hua raining down, celestial cranes dancing in the air, and countless chaotic visions of rule-runes and secret treasures.

Amid these various prodigies, a golden ascension staircase stretched out from the endless void, extending boundlessly, reaching all the way before Jiang Ding.

In the hazy void, the imprints of the great Dao echoed ceaselessly.

"…Void… Order… Sea of Blood Heaven… ascend…"

"…Three thousand… return…"

This voice was vast and ancient, yet also halting and incomplete, broken beyond measure.

This voice appeared within Jiang Ding's sea of consciousness, informing him of certain things that should originally have been conveyed.

"…sever… ah! No!"

The broken, intermittent voice lasted for an instant, then vanished, replaced by a shrill, miserable scream — as if it had shattered completely.

Sever?

Sever what?

Jiang Ding's heart jolted; he hesitated and paced, many questions — and even fear — rising within him.

There was no answer.

The voice did not appear again.

Moreover, with his hesitation, the boundless staircase stretching from the endless starry sky began to grow hazy, as if about to vanish once more — or even disappear entirely.

The Upper Realm's ascension staircase was about to disappear.

"Enough."

"Since it has already been decided…"

Jiang Ding gave a soft sigh.

He no longer hesitated, stepping onto the golden ascension staircase. He took one last look at the many old acquaintances of the Minor Thousand Worlds, and his figure gradually vanished as the golden ascension staircase withdrew.

Master Tushan Canghai Tianjun,

today ascends to the Upper Realm!

(End of this chapter)