Chapter 1576: All Matters Concluded, Ascending to the Upper Realm

In terms of interests, Qingmuxian Sect is already deeply bound together with the Immortal Gate.

The Immortal Gate has obtained a large batch of top-tier wood-attribute cultivators, cultivators with outstanding ability in spirit-plant cultivation, which is an excellent supplement to the Immortal Gate's industrial system.

The Qingmuxian Sect cultivators, in turn, have obtained resources far exceeding the past, as well as security far exceeding the past; both sides have gained benefits.

Moreover, just like the Youming Sword Cave Heaven, Qingmuxian Sect is also cultivating the next generation of Dao Sons to become ascension immigrants; when that time comes, the ties between the two sides will become even closer.

This is the Immortal Gate's world-cluster governance system.

The two inspected for a long time, then raised their heads to look into the distance.

Beyond the distant starry sky, ten escape-lights of differing radiance appeared, flying toward this place; they soon arrived and bowed slightly in salute: "Greetings, Great Sun Canopy!"

These were the other ten Dao Sons; among them, Youming Sword Cave Heaven possessed three Sword Sons — Yu Yu Qianzi, Taiyou Sword Son, and Guangming Sword Son.

Yu Yu Qianzi ultimately still chose to leave Qingmuxian Sect and return to the Taiyin lineage of Youming Sword Cave Heaven.

The reason these Dao Sons had gathered was that they had received authorization and orders from the Immortal Gate; they would accompany the Great Sun Sword Master on his inspection of the realm domains, sweeping clean the four directions.

"Greetings, Sword Master!"

The forms of address for Taiyou Sword Son and Guangming Sword Son differed from the others.

"Everyone, it has been long since we last met."

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword hummed softly; the sound of the Materialist Solar Sword Soul spread in all directions, completing a highest-grade inspection of these prodigies to ensure they had not been parasitized by any Ancient God Ancestor.

The many Dao Sons' body hair stood on end; they stiffened on the spot.

A moment later, the Taiqing Flying Sword flew back to the brow of the blue-robed youth, having carried out no slaughter.

"Everyone,"

"It has been long since we last met; your bearing is as before — congratulations."

Jiang Ding looked at the many Dao Sons and said with a smile: "An Tu Zi, you've grown old now — you've even grown a beard, like some old fellow; you differ greatly from the way you looked in my memory."

The current An Tu Zi looked exactly like a down-on-his-luck, unemployed middle-aged man who had lived a miserable life, and had even put on weight.

"Jiang Ding Zi,"

"It's not just looking like it — I really am an old thing."

An Tu Zi said with a bitter smile: "I'm already over twenty thousand years old; I'm no longer the youth of years past. The successive Ancestors at my age were already on their last legs, far inferior to you."

"Haha!"

"This is merely Daoist Friend An being too modest."

Jiang Ding said with a smile: "You are bound to achieve Dao Merging in the future; as for Heavenly Being…"

His words paused, and he fell into brief thought.

The surrounding Dao Sons' breathing hitched, and they all looked toward the blue-robed youth.

This was a sovereign of a world cluster.

Within the scope of the world cluster, he was nearly equivalent to one whose words carried the Mandate of Heaven; whatever he said had an extremely high chance of becoming reality, no matter what the matter.

"…as for Heavenly Being, there is some hope."

Jiang Ding deliberated briefly and said: "Therefore, Daoist Friend An, you must not belittle yourself. You still have a bright future of youth ahead; do not think yourself old — this is precisely the prime of your vigor."

His words, to a great extent, represented the will of the Immortal Gate.

This caused the hearts of the surrounding many Dao Sons to tremble.

"Daoist Jiang, are you speaking the truth?"

Tianji Dao Son's expression stirred; he cupped his fist in salute and said: "The Immortal Gate… truly has such breadth of vision, that it would allow — even help — us advance to Heavenly Being?"

"Is this not too much like a fairy tale?"

Shadow Demon Dao Son and the others, amid their delight, were also somewhat unable to believe it.

Asking themselves honestly, if their own sects became sovereigns of a world cluster, even if they accepted vassal sects, they would absolutely never allow them to advance to Heavenly Being and affect their own sect's position.

Is this just empty promises?

Empty promises are common, because they themselves often made such promises to their subordinates from time to time to motivate them to work; whether the reward was truly given in the end depended entirely on a single thought.

Such empty promises were simply a joke to cultivators who had lived for tens of thousands of years and weathered countless storms of blood and gore; mere polite words were spoken and that was that, and they would not take them to heart at all.

But, these were the words of a Great Sun Sword cultivator.

Based on their understanding of their Great Sun Sword Master, he would never make empty promises to the weak — he would simply ignore them entirely.

"It is no fairy tale."

"Such a possibility does indeed exist."

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly: "In recent years, while excavating the Ancient God Dao inheritances, the Immortal Gate has made some gains. There is a certain possibility that beyond the Ancient God Domain there exist new world clusters… information about new world clusters seems to be in the hands of the Ancient God Ancestors — there is a certain possibility."

"If such a possibility truly arises in the future, the Immortal Gate should permit all of you to advance to Heavenly Being, so long as you have the ability."

"The Immortal Gate's goal has never changed."

"Becoming Immortals!"

"Becoming Immortals is the Immortal Gate's dream. If all of you have sufficient ability, even if it is beyond Heavenly Being — so what?"

Jiang Ding looked at the many Dao Sons: "This Lord will not mince words — this is under circumstances where the situation develops favorably. If the situation turns unfavorable, the path to Heavenly Being for all of you should not exist."

"Moreover, if this Lord were to suffer a great accident and be on the verge of death, I should likely take all of you along with me."

All his words were fact; he disdained to deceive anyone.

"It should be so."

"Daoist Jiang, what magnificent spirit!"

Tianji Dao Son did not consider this wrong, and sighed in admiration.

East

The meaning of the Extreme Demon Sect's Great Sun Councillor was already very clear: the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect would not restrict their growth, would not let them worry about anything, would let them display their talents as much as possible, make all kinds of contributions to the sect's immortal-dao industrial chain, seek profit for themselves, and seek profit for the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect.

Use even those you suspect; employ only the talented.

No matter how brilliant they displayed themselves, they could not draw the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's wariness.

Because of the Great Sun Sword Master's existence.

Conversely, if the Great Sun Sword Master were to meet with mishap, even if they kept a low profile it would be useless — the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's fleet would still sail in, destroying all potential threats, becoming extremely conservative.

"These are but minor matters."

Jiang Dinglue brushed past these without mentioning them, and looked at the many Dao Children: "Have you reached the peak of Refining Void?"

"Precisely."

"We should be able to break through within one or two thousand years."

Tianji Dao Child and the others said, somewhat embarrassed.

For existences like Dao Children, cultivation speed was not something worth being overly delighted about, because it meant their foundations had not been well laid — viewed from a higher level, it was far too shallow and unsubstantial.

"We may sit and discuss the Dao together."

"Regarding Refining Void and Merging Dao, I have many humble views below, which I may share with all of you fellow Daoists…"

Jiang Ding ceased the pleasantries and began to expound his own comprehensions.

"This…"

The many Dao Children revealed expressions of wild joy, unable to believe it.

They did not dare to disturb him in the slightest, holding their breath as they listened, unwilling to miss a single word, unwilling to let slip even a trace of Dao essence.

The Great Sun Sword Pavilion and the Immortal Gate had an extremely detailed understanding of the Badaxian Sect — even more than they understood themselves!

At this moment, a Dao Child of an upper-realm Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong was personally expounding the Dao, pointedly indicating the various problems in their existences, how to make up for their foundations and so on — it could be called a great opportunity across ten thousand ages.

This was also the intent of the Immortal Gate's Council of Councillors.

Over these past several thousand years, the Badaxian Sect had displayed extremely high value, allowing the Immortal Gate's great industrial system to gain great benefits, flourishing in every aspect.

Therefore the Immortal Gate's Council of Councillors believed that further strengthening the Badaxian Sect's resistance against the Immortal Gate's ancient god ancestors was necessary, and that no risk existed in doing so.

The Great Sun Sword Master suppressed everything.

Under this premise, the strengthening of the Badaxian Sect's oxen and horses was entirely a growth of wealth, able to accelerate the Immortal Gate's development.

This Dao exposition lasted three hundred years.

Three hundred years later, Jiang Ding laid down a sword formation, took his leave, and let the eleven Dao Children stand dumbly in place — they had fallen into a state of sudden enlightenment that would not end for a thousand years.

Jiang Ding continued to patrol the realm domains.

More than a hundred years later, he returned to the Immortal Gate together with the Ninth Army Group's fleet, fell into a deep-level closed-door cultivation, and no longer received visits from outside cultivators.

From then on, for a very long stretch of time, the Immortal Gate's cultivators never saw the Great Sun Sword Master again.