Chapter 520: Sequence Nine, Sequence Eight (4K)

Tian Ding State, Copper Furnace Prefecture

Zhang Jian appeared, and at this time, the entire Zhang family in Copper Furnace Prefecture was in an uproar.

With the appearance of Zhang Jian, the old ancestor of the Zhang clan, many powerful beings knew that the day to set out for the Central Celestial Realm had finally arrived.

However, many powerful beings also knew that the Great Xia Emperor was destined not to take everyone to the Central Celestial Realm!

There would inevitably be people left behind in Copper Furnace Prefecture to serve as the stewards of the Three Emperors Celestial Realm Zhang clan.

Zhang Qi stood among the crowd, his expression somewhat complex; if nothing unexpected happened, he would certainly be among those left behind in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm.

In the main hall, Zhang Jian sat in the chief seat, his gaze sweeping over the immortals present; after a moment's thought, he spoke.

"Father, mother, and all of you, since I have emerged from seclusion, then you should prepare yourselves; following me to the Central Celestial Realm comes next. However, abandoning the Zhang clan's foundation in the Tian Ding State would be regrettable, so I have decided to leave a portion of the clan behind to guard this place, also establishing a foothold for the Zhang clan in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm!"

Upon hearing this, many immortals in the hall immediately became solemn.

They had already mentally prepared for this matter.

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon Zhang Qi, and he immediately said.

"Zhang Qi, since your two great-grandmothers have approved, I hereby formally appoint you as the head of the Zhang family in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm. Do you have the confidence to make the Zhang clan of Copper Furnace Prefecture flourish and grow strong!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi's expression became solemn as he said.

"Great Ancestor, I, the child, have confidence!"

After a slight pause, Zhang Qi's expression turned bitter, and he continued.

"But Great Ancestor Father, the foundation of the Zhang clan in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm is currently shallow; I beg the Great Ancestor Father to grant us some assistance!"

Zhang Jian glanced at him; at this moment, his eyes swept over the many immortals present, and whoever his gaze passed over, the other immortals all lowered their heads, unwilling to miss this opportunity to go to the Central Celestial Realm because of this matter.

Zhang Jian took in this scene, silently noting it in his heart.

After thinking, his gaze fell upon Zhang Tianrui, Zhang Tianxiang, and Zhang Tianhe, the three brothers; after a moment's thought, he said.

"Tianrui, Tianxiang, Tianhe, you three brothers stay behind!"

Upon hearing this, the three Zhang Tianrui siblings nodded slightly; they also knew that the Zhang clan in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm must have celestial-level experts to hold the fort.

They are all celestial immortals of the Zhang family, and naturally should remain to assist Zhang Qi with all their strength.

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon Zhang Qi again, and he said.

"Additionally, I leave you twenty-two true immortals to assist you in stabilizing the Zhang clan's situation!"

Zhang Jian's gaze fell upon the ancestor of the Dongshen Sect and the Deyang Elder, saying: "Dongshen Daoist friend, Deyang Daoist friend, you too shall guard Copper Furnace Prefecture for me! You shall serve as the leaders of the Zhang clan's true immortals, and I specially permit you to reestablish the Dongshen Observatory and the Five Elements Immortal Sect in the Three Emperors City!"

Upon hearing this, the ancestor of the Dongshen Sect and the Deyang Elder exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and then clasped their hands in acceptance.

Zhang Jian then proceeded to name twenty true immortals, ordering them to remain and guard the Three Emperors Celestial Realm.

He noticed that the true immortals who had not been named secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, he casually said.

"Earlier, I visited the Three Emperors Holy Hall and received the golden decree sealed by the Three Holy Emperors; now I am an official member of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council, and among the official members, I hold a high-ranking position. Now I am an elder of the Haozheng Hall, and in the Three Emperors City, I also possess certain authority, having established a foundation!

According to the rules set by the Three Emperors Five Elders Council, besides having a certain number of recommendation slots each year that I can use to arrange for clan juniors to enter various secret realms for cultivation!

Furthermore, I also hold recommendation rights in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm's Heavenly Troops Camp, Divine Generals Palace, Heavenly Kings Palace, and even all the Holy Kings Palaces!"

As his words fell, the eyes of many immortals and gods in the hall lit up.

In the Three Emperors Celestial Realm, the greatest authority undoubtedly lies with the immortals and gods of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council.

And the immortals and gods of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council, according to their rank, or their treatment within the council, have a total of fifteen levels, also known as sequences.

Specifically, there are three lower sequences, three middle sequences, three upper sequences, three marquis sequences, and three holy emperor sequences.

The lower three sequences mostly consist of ordinary official members.

The middle three sequences mostly consist of the backbone strongers of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council; they are usually heads of various departments, or managers, and can also be called stewards.

The upper three sequences usually consist of the elder sequence.

Already being mid-to-upper level.

They usually possess great authority.

For example, in the various realms' merchant associations under the Three Emperors Five Elders Council, they enjoy priority purchasing, or certain deductions and discounts; just this point alone is an invisible stream of wealth.

Buying low and selling high benefits everyone.

Moreover, the elder sequence usually can mobilize a portion of the Three Emperors Celestial Realm's heavenly troops and divine generals, and establish a personal guard.

This is genuine authority.

And if one steps into the marquis sequence, it becomes even more extraordinary.

That usually means they are the absolute top echelon of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council; each one is a powerful being who holds sway over a region, suppressing and intimidating strongers from all realms.

Their subordinates are often countless strongers, able to easily mobilize millions of heavenly troops and generals.

And now, the Great Xia Emperor being able to rank among the upper sequences of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council means that staying behind in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm is not necessarily a thankless task; on the contrary, it is rather a pleasant assignment.

Having a upper-sequence strongers of the Three Emperors Five Elders Council as a protector, they can live very comfortably in the Three Emperors City, and even throughout the Three Emperors Celestial Realm.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi was momentarily stunned, and then a barely concealed joy appeared on his face.

This is truly a great surprise!

With his great ancestor deciding to focus his efforts on the Central Celestial Realm, many privileges and benefits naturally fall upon the Zhang clan of Copper Furnace Prefecture.

Moreover, there is no need to mention that this great ancestor also has recommendation rights from time to time.

That is truly real authority.

According to Zhang Qi's understanding, the immortals of the Heavenly Troops Camp, Divine Generals Palace, Heavenly Kings Palace, Patrol Guard Palace, and other departments are truly immortals with real authority.

They also nominally belong to the heavenly court of the Central Celestial Realm.

However, their salaries are paid by the Three Emperors Heavenly Palace.

"It seems staying in the Three Emperors Celestial Realm turns out to be a blessing in disguise!"

Sitting in the lower right seat, the ancestor of the Dongshen Sect had an expression that remained unchanged, though there were some ripples in the depths of his eyes.

He was now only one step away from becoming a celestial immortal, but he knew that even if he followed the Spirit Source Emperor into the Central Heaven Realm, he might not obtain an official immortal post, let alone compete for the twelve preparatory immortal positions.

The number of celestial immortals present was already considerable.

Compared to them, they had a greater chance of obtaining immortal posts.

Moreover, the Spirit Source Emperor's residence likely still had some immortal posts that would fall into the hands of the Tongshan Dao lineage.

This was worldly wisdom, and also inevitable.

Now that they remained at the Tonglu Zhang clan, they naturally could share the benefits of the Three Emperors Heaven Realm.

And obtain official immortal official positions.

Meanwhile, Deyang Laozu also felt relieved in his heart.

"Fortunately, I did not speak in opposition; otherwise, I would surely have missed this opportunity..."

In fact, he had wanted to raise an objection earlier, but ultimately dared not speak out due to awe of the Spirit Source Emperor's imperial might; otherwise, he would certainly have made a fool of himself.

"A Yu, is this true? What is your rank in the sequence?"

Zhang Yi, however, was somewhat excited at this moment and could not help but stand up.

Behind him were also seven or eight female cultivators, or perhaps female immortals, their eyes gleaming.

These were the concubines Zhang Yi had collected over the years; most were sent from the Tianding State, and even from other states, as 'sugar-coated shells.' Other Zhang clan members held firm, but Zhang Yi accepted them all without hesitation.

Behind him were also dozens of young men and women, who were Zhang Jian's younger brothers and sisters, or perhaps nephews, nieces, and grand-nephews...

Zhang Jian slightly nodded and said.

"Not bad; now my rank among the three elder levels is nine!"

Zhang Yi instantly laughed, having dwelled in the Three Emperors City for twenty thousand years, he knew well the value of rank nine.

This was the highest rank in the elder sequence.

In the Three Emperors City, it also carried great authority.

Even a divine state like Tianding State, with the entire nation united, had no one exceeding rank seven, let alone rank nine.

The other female cultivators behind him also showed expressions of astonishment.

The sequence is usually directly related to a cultivator's talent, Dao attainment, fortune, or achievements.

This holds true in the Central Heaven Realm as well.

One who is directly granted rank nine by the Three Emperors and Five Elders Council naturally possesses the corresponding ability.

According to their knowledge, even in the depths of the Sacred Emperor Dao lineages, elders of rank nine are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

In the distance, Qi Yuhua and Bai Liying also turned their wonderful gazes over, their eyes holding some delight.

Zhang Jian's eyes swept over the crowd; seeing the many immortals and gods' expressions change, the corner of his mouth instantly curled into a hint of a smile.

"I am the Elder of the Hall of Rectitude, and I also have eight official immortal official positions belonging to the Hall of Rectitude!

Among them, four are mid-to-low level immortal officials, and four are low-level immortal officials!"

Zhang Jian's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said.

"Although the Hall of Rectitude is a civil institution, responsible mainly for classifying documents and guarding scriptures, it excels in purity and nobility!"

"However, mid-level immortal officials usually require a Dao cultivation above the Taiyi realm; whereas, the conditions for the four low-level immortal official positions only require the celestial immortal level. Zhang Qi, Tianrui, Tianxiang, and Tianhe—among you four, Tianxiang and Tianhe, who prefer tranquility, will temporarily enter the Hall of Rectitude to fill two low-level immortal official positions!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianhe and the Zhang Tianxiang beside him, dressed in a multicolored robe, both had eyes full of delight, and immediately responded with eager agreement.

"As for Tianrui, I intend to recommend you to enter the Divine General Palace, to take up a martial immortal post; you need to make some preparations!"

Zhang Jian's eyes fell upon this grandson.

Zhang Tianrui is the eldest grandson of the third generation, he and the grandson of the Ji clan, his bloodline exceptionally pure, possessing innate divine blood of the earth attribute, though he has never been able to transform it into an innate divine form.

Yet he also possesses an innate Dao body stronger than the strong earth attribute.

The Innate State and Altar Dao Body!

"I, the child, am willing to obey the Emperor's arrangements!"

Zhang Tianrui bowed his hands in acceptance.

Zhang Jian slightly nodded.

Since deciding to become part of the Three Emperors and Five Elders Council, the Zhang clan, as part of the council, naturally cannot lack real power; he needs to cultivate a portion of loyal, direct-line strongmen belonging to himself, to thus control authority and also care for the Tonglu Zhang clan.

One cannot always run over to exchange benefits with other strongmen over every small matter.

If done too often, it would only damage one's dignity and invite ridicule.

As for the remaining four mid-to-low level immortal official positions of the Hall of Rectitude, and the other two low-level immortal official positions, Zhang Jian temporarily retains them, or perhaps prepares to trade them with the Tongshan Dao lineage.

At the same time, Zhang Jian also comforted Zhang Qi with a few words, saying that after he breaks through to the celestial immortal level, he will surely bear important responsibilities, and so on.

After the guards were decided, Zhang Jian had everyone prepare first, while he himself came to the Zhang clan's outer residence.

The Tianding State's Tianding Immortal Sovereign received the news and had already rushed over to see everyone off; of course, more importantly, to meet Zhang Jian, this disciple-nephew of his.

For these twenty thousand years, the Zhang clan's stable development has been inseparable from the Tianding Immortal Sovereign's care; Zhang Jian also holds a favorable impression of this Tianding uncle-master.

……

Central Heaven Realm, Wan Yun Ferry.

Yet, seen at the edge of the realm sea in the distance, one after another massive tower ship broke through the realm's spacetime and came from afar.

At this moment, Wan Yun Ferry was heavily guarded, with strands of immortal light filling the void, and moreover, many immortals held divine weapons, standing in strict readiness.

Around the ferry, an immortal god clad in silver-white armor gazed calmly at the void, his brow slightly furrowed, deep in his eyes faintly glowing with a layer of intense divine light!

Behind him were another ten or so immortal gods, each with unpleasant expressions.

"War God, there has been no discovery; that demon head must have already passed through Wan Yun Ferry and escaped?!"

Among them, one immortal, dressed in splendid robes and holding a layer of cyan-green heavenly scripture in his hands, had eyes showing some inquiring look.

The other immortal gods also turned their gazes toward this silver-armored war god.

This war god in silver armor was surrounded by a layer of vast and boundless divine power, like an ocean, as if capable of suppressing mountains and seas, making other immortal gods unable to easily look directly at him.

This is the Desolate Cloud War God of the Northern Pole Army, one of the eight armies of the Tianhe Water Army!

He is one of the Four Great War Gods of the Northern Pole Army, standing below one and above tens of thousands, a renowned high-ranking war commander in the Tianhe Water Army.

This time, the War God of the Northern Pole Army received news that a demon from beyond the realm had intruded here, so he led troops to seal off the Wan Yun Ferry.

The local Heavenly Army commander stationed at Wan Yun Ferry, the Immortal of Shore Sea, was responsible for liaison.

But even after using heavenly secret laws and conducting a carpet-like search of Wan Yun Ferry, no trace of any demon was found.

At this moment, the Immortal of Shore Sea felt some concern.

Wan Yun Ferry is an extremely important port in the northern region of the Central Heavenly Realm, and every additional minute of blockade brings massive losses.

Moreover, many heavenly palace ships have already been stranded before the ferry.

The backlog has grown so large that those immortals and deities are bound to cause trouble.

You must know that among those immortals and deities, there are many of extremely high rank, whom he cannot afford to provoke.

The Desolate Cloud War Commander slightly paused his grip on the silver spear, and a vast, formless pressure erupted from his entire body, as if the earth trembled invisibly, and the boundary sea surged with waves.

Numerous immortals and deities, even the heavenly army commander and heavenly divine generals nearby, felt the pressure, and all their expressions changed slightly.

Under this overwhelming domineering pressure, they felt like ants.

The Desolate Cloud War God's face was icy cold, and he spoke decisively.

"Impossible. Before Wan Yun Ferry lies the Boundary Sea, which is turbid and murky; only with the aid of a Boundary-Breaking Palace Ship can one escape, otherwise there is no way out—even if dead, the soul cannot leave this place!"

"And Wan Yun Ferry has already been surrounded by the Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap Grand Formation; she would be even less likely to enter the Boundary Sea, unless a high-ranking immortal deity privately pardons this demon with an immortal seal!"

His words were neither hurried nor slow, yet carried a sharp edge.

Upon hearing this, the Immortal of Shore Sea's face changed slightly, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.

Only a few immortals and deities at Wan Yun Ferry are qualified to activate the Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap Formation; the War God's implication—could he be suspecting me?

The Immortal of Shore Sea's cheek twitched, and after a moment he spoke in a deep voice.

"As for others, this poor Daoist can still endure, but not long ago, I received news that a Sequence Eight Heavenly Emperor is about to land here; that emperor holds immense authority, and the War God must weigh carefully—do not offend a noble over demon-slaying!"

Upon hearing this, the Desolate Cloud War God slightly furrowed his brow.

The Central Heavenly Realm, like other heavenly realms, has a hierarchy of sequences; Sequence Eight is already extremely close to upper celestial officials.

Most importantly, the other party is still a Heavenly Emperor.

Among many celestial offices, the Heavenly Emperor ranks half a grade higher than peers of the same level, and even up to a full grade higher.

That is to say, the other party may be a being whose status rivals that of a Sequence Nine upper-middle celestial official—this will not be easy to handle!

As a senior commander of the Northern Pole Army, leading his own army only places him at Sequence Seven; upon meeting the other party, he must address them as Upper Immortal, Upper God, or even Emperor.

Although the other party is not his direct superior, it is still unwise to lightly offend them!

After thinking, he spoke with a calm expression.

"If there is an issue, this god will personally enter the Upper Immortal's palace ship to apologize!"

Upon hearing this, the Immortal of Shore Sea's eyes flashed with a hidden hue—this willingness to take responsibility is good.