Chapter 67

The eldest daughter stared blankly at her mother, as if asking whether her mother had misspoken.

“You didn’t hear wrong. Have him become a son-in-law and marry you.” The lady affirmed firmly.

“Mother, what makes Zheng Fa so exceptional? Is it only because Sister Zhang praised his talent for talisman arts?” The eldest daughter’s tone was full of confusion.

More than her mother’s demand that she marry, she couldn’t understand why the lady held Zheng Fa in such high regard.

Her son-in-law would be vastly different from the son-in-law of Zhao’s illegitimate daughter.

She wasn’t merely the Zhao family’s legitimate daughter; more importantly, she was already an inner disciple of the Green Wood Sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The lady sighed: “Too fast.”

“Too fast?”

“The first time I heard Zheng Fa’s name, he was still a farm boy with no father—I couldn’t even remember who he was.” The lady recalled.

“Then he became your brother’s servant. Your brother treated him differently from others, so I thought I’d train him for your brother.”

The eldest daughter listened carefully to her mother’s memories; among all those she’d met since returning home, Zheng Fa was undoubtedly the most memorable.

“I had Master Xu teach him the Spirit Crane Body Technique, intending to wear him down—but he mastered it in a short time. That’s when I realized someone of Nascent Soul rank had guided him.”

“This…” The eldest daughter frowned: “He does have some fortune.”

The lady shook her head: “At the time, I thought no matter what that Nascent Soul True Person intended, he wouldn’t truly care for him—otherwise, why would he still remain as a lowly servant in our Zhao household? With such talent, he could become a useful ally to you and your brother later.”

“But now, Master Zhang has taken notice of him, saying his talisman talent rivals her own.” The lady looked at her daughter: “Do you know how long it took him to go from a peasant to where he is now?”

“How long?”

“Less than four months. If fate truly exists, then he is it.”

“… ”

“I intended to cultivate him, but he’s not obedient enough. I originally wanted to suppress him and make him serve our Zhao family… but you know Master Zhang’s talent in talisman arts—her evaluation of Zheng Fa made me realize his potential far exceeds my expectations. This is not something our Zhao family can control—we can only strive to win him over, and that benefits us.” The lady said to her daughter.

“Mother, isn’t my brother close to him?”

The lady’s face twisted with disdain: “That fool? If you marry him, I’d only lose a daughter. With your brother, the entire Zhao family would be ruined.”

“… ”

“No matter how close your brother is to him, it’s nothing compared to a marital bond. Besides, only by becoming a son-in-law can he truly be considered one of us Zhao.” The lady explained seriously.

“Then… why me?” The eldest daughter frowned: “His indenture still belongs to our Zhao family—he could become a son-in-law to any of my illegitimate sisters. That would be a favor to him.”

“You still don’t understand what I meant by ‘too fast.’” The lady sighed. “Right now, offering him marriage is still an act of grace. Wait longer, and it might become an insult. Moreover, I truly believe he’s your perfect match. Giving him to any of your sisters would be a waste. And what if he sees this as a favor now—what about later?”

The eldest daughter said nothing, but her expression clearly showed reluctance.

“I’m not trying to manipulate you into using you as a tool to win him over. With spiritual energy declining, though our Zhao family has always produced disciples of immortal sects, since our ancestor passed away, none have become truly accomplished—they can’t offer you much help. I know how hard your life is in the Green Wood Sect.” The lady’s eyes were filled with her daughter: “You know your brother’s nature—he’ll only burden you more in the immortal sect, not help you. Just thinking of the pressure you carry breaks my heart.”

“Zheng Fa has exceptional talent and mature character. He’s just low-born. Now, while he’s still obscure, marrying you to him lets our Zhao family assist him in becoming a talisman master—he’ll naturally feel gratitude. Later, he won’t treat you poorly. A rising genius talisman master can provide you with abundant cultivation resources, sparing you from such hardship.”

The lady spoke with heartfelt earnestness, but the eldest daughter remained silent.

“I know he’s still just a servant, and marrying him might seem like a slight to you—but you must look ahead. You’ve written in your letters that in today’s Hundred Immortal Alliance, talent matters more than status.”

After a long silence, the eldest daughter whispered: “Mother, I know you’re thinking of me, but though I’m no match for Sister Zhang, who devotes herself entirely to the Dao, I have no thoughts of romance.”

Seeing her daughter so resolute, the lady could only shake her head.

The eldest daughter thought for a moment and said: “If you truly value him so much and fear it’s too late, why not propose his entry as son-in-law sooner, and betroth him to one of your suitable younger sisters?”

The lady sighed helplessly: “That’s all we can do—just hope you don’t regret it.”

…

Sister Zhang flipped through a bound set of practice problems, a satisfied smile on her face.

Zheng Fa, looking worn out, stared at the booklet, recalling the past days of memorizing and reciting problems in endless darkness—his heart stirred with a pang of bitterness.

Sister Zhang glanced at him, sensing his mood, waved her hand, and pulled out the Immortal Rank Token, placing it before Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa took the token; its warm, smooth jade texture revived his spirit.

His fingers involuntarily tightened.

“This is the Immortal Rank Token of the Nine Mountains Sect. After passing the Immortal Rank Assembly, you’ll qualify to join us.”

Sister Zhang watched his expression without surprise and continued: “There’s one thing I must warn you.”

“What?”

“From the moment you take this token, stop hiding.”

Zheng Fa looked at Sister Zhang.

“In the Hundred Immortal Alliance, every resource must be fought for.” Sister Zhang’s gaze was full of warning: “Caution is wise, but here, you must display your talent and ability.”

“Thank you for your guidance, True Person.” Zheng Fa couldn’t help asking curiously: “Master Zhang, you often mention the Hundred Immortal Alliance—what’s the relationship between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Hundred Immortal Alliance?”

Sister Zhang paused, then asked an unrelated question: “Do you know how many times spiritual energy has declined in the Xuanwei Realm?”

“How many times?”

Zheng Fa was stunned.

One such decline was enough to doom all these cultivators.

How many times?

“Records mention at least five, each separated by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.” Sister Zhang held up one hand: “What happened in the first three is lost to history—I don’t know.”

“But I’ve read the records of the last two. During the second-to-last decline, a powerful demonic sect believed too many living beings consumed too much spiritual energy. They unleashed endless slaughter; immortal sects turned on each other. In the end, barely one in ten thousand living beings survived the Xuanwei Realm.”

Zheng Fa’s expression changed slightly—how the decline unfolded was far more terrifying than he’d imagined.

“During the last decline, a peerless genius resolved to forge a new path for the Xuanwei Realm. He razed mountains and shattered temples, gathering nearly all the cultivation techniques and resources of the entire realm, pushing his own cultivation to an unprecedented True Immortal realm, aiming to split heaven and earth, shatter the realm’s shackles.”

“Did he succeed?”

“He failed.”

Zheng Fa sighed: “Though he failed, he had great audacity.”

“He had a fierce temper too. Before attempting to split heaven and earth, he had already destroyed over ninety percent of the sects in the Xuanwei Realm.”

“… ”

That sounded pretty tragic too.

“So the Hundred Immortal Alliance’s philosophy is unity among immortal sects, reducing conflict, and finding a new path to resist spiritual decline.”

Zheng Fa couldn’t help but admire: “It seems they learned from history.”

This atmosphere sounded far more peaceful than the last two declines—perfect for his survival!

Sister Zhang said coolly: “I don’t know if they did. We did.”

“We?”

“The Hundred Immortal Alliance is a coalition of small and medium sects. In the second-to-last decline, we were the ones slaughtered. In the last decline, we were the ones whose lineages and resources were stolen.”

“… ”

“You asked about the origin of the Hundred Immortal Alliance? Four words—band together for survival.”

Zheng Fa clutched the Immortal Rank Token and suddenly felt it was as cold as his own heart.