Chapter 498: Establishing the Martial Evaluation

Northern Plains, Holy Mountain.

In a palace filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Ji Lei was originally in seclusion.

He was already considered one of the most active cultivators in the Northern Polar Immortal Sect, but even so, most of his time was spent cultivating.

This was the normal state for most cultivators in the world.

Immortal cultivation was inherently a matter of struggling against heaven for life.

To put it bluntly.

It was to struggle to seek that sliver of ethereal chance for immortality before one's lifespan was exhausted.

Otherwise, one would eventually become a handful of yellow earth.

Since Ji Lei began his practice, he had never been slack for countless winters and summers.

Suddenly.

An old and majestic voice reached his ears.

"Come."

Ji Lei slowly opened his eyes; he recognized that the speaker was the Sect Master of the Northern Polar Immortal Sect.

His eyes narrowed.

That Sect Master of the Northern Polar Immortal Sect was an Elder of the Wan Fadian, whose status was similar to Si Feng's, but belonged to a different lineage; of course, regardless of which lineage it was, an Elder at the Dao-body realm was not someone he could afford to offend.

The next instant.

Ji Lei's figure flashed.

Within a few breaths, he appeared before the most majestic palace on the summit.

He stepped inside.

He didn't see the Sect Master, but instead saw the back of a familiar white-clad man.

When he saw that back, Ji Lei's eyes changed, and a stunning name surfaced in his mind. After a long while, he spoke with some disbelief: "Senior Brother He?!"

The white-clad man slowly turned around.

It was a perfect face that would make women jealous, without a single flaw.

Handsome and jade-like!

Seeing the familiar face, Ji Lei's heart was even more shocked.

The world called them exiled immortals, and he didn't feel there was any problem with that.

After all, in the Wan Fadian, he was just an ordinary inner sect disciple.

At most, his talisman skills were considered quite good.

But the He Jiuxuan before him was different; he was one of the top three in the Wan Fadian inner sect!

Even the status of ordinary Elders was not as high as his.

That such a figure would also descend to the lower realm.

How could he not be shocked?

He Jiuxuan smiled faintly: "It is Tao Shidi Ji; it has been a long time since we last met, hasn't it?"

Ji Lei nodded, even appearing somewhat reserved:

"Greetings, Senior Brother He."

Seeming to see through Ji Lei's thoughts, He Jiuxuan laughed at himself: "I couldn't compete, so I had no choice but to think of coming to try my luck."

Ji Lei's heart stirred slightly.

He recalled a certain rumor.

This Senior Brother He was good at everything, and his cultivation journey had been smooth sailing; perhaps the only setback was choosing the wrong Great Dao.

The Dao of Refined Gold.

It was a unique Great Dao that combined the Fire and Gold Great Daos.

His strength went without saying.

Whether it was the Fire Great Dao or the Gold Great Dao, both were existences with extremely powerful killing power.

This Dao of Refined Gold, which combined the two, was even more overbearing.

It was precisely by relying on this unique Great Dao that He Jiuxuan was able to achieve the terrifying result of third place in the Wan Fadian sect competition, where there were countless prodigies.

One must know.

The top two were both disciples of Dao Lord existences.

But one succeeds because of the Great Dao, and fails because of the Great Dao.

The Great Dao that had a Great Dao struggle with the Dao of Refined Gold was the Green Profound Great Dao.

He Jiuxuan was at the Purple Mansion realm; originally, there shouldn't have been such a terrifying Great Dao struggle.

It was just a pity.

The Immortal Cultivation World produced a great power who comprehended the Green Profound Great Dao—the Green Emperor.

Even though the Green Emperor had disappeared for who knows how many thousands of years.

What made countless cultivators despair was that his residual Great Dao suppression still kept the Dao of Refined Gold completely unable to lift its head.

These years.

Any cultivator of the Dao of Refined Gold had taken the path of descending to the lower realm.

He Jiuxuan was arrogant.

At first, he insisted on achieving the Dao under the Green Emperor's suppression.

But after a full sixty years, his realm had not moved a single bit.

Those who were once similar to him, or even slightly worse, had already begun to try to harmonize with the Dao, only one step away from being a great cultivator at the Dao-body realm.

And he was suppressed to death by the Green Emperor's Dao rhyme remaining in heaven and earth.

Looking at it now, he finally chose to give up and intended to compromise.

Regarding this.

Ji Lei expressed great understanding.

After all, he had personally experienced the despair of being suppressed by the Great Dao, which was why he had exhausted his family's assets to come to this Jin Ting small cave-heaven.

He also realized.

The one who called him here was actually He Jiuxuan.

'Worthy of being Senior Brother He.'

A Heavenly Phenomenon cultivator who could actually get a Sect Master to help pass a message; this face was truly too large.

He Jiuxuan looked at Ji Lei: "Tao Shidi Ji, I have been in seclusion on the mountain all along, and now that I finally have some leisure, you have been in this Jin Ting small cave-heaven for a long time; why not walk around with me?"

Ji Lei understood that he had no possibility of refusing.

He had no choice but to nod:

"Yes, Senior Brother He."

"Hahahahaha."

In the Li Residence.

He Qiannian's hearty, loud laughter rang out.

"Congratulations, Senior He."

Li Rui looked at He Qiannian with a smile.

After a hundred years, He Qiannian's martial arts had finally made progress again.

Stepping into the mid-stage of the Profound Connection realm.

This step had been waited for a full hundred years.

Like Li Rui, who broke through as if drinking water, there were too few, too few; one didn't know how many prodigies had fallen on this road.

He Qiannian looked at Li Rui: "Knowing you, kid, can be considered my good fortune in this life."

These days, he had been staying in the capital.

Revisiting many places from the past.

Yesterday, he suddenly felt inspired and learned to catch fish in the river like he did back then; he didn't expect his state of mind to change, and the bottleneck that hadn't loosened for many years was finally broken.

Of course, he also understood.

Relying solely on the state of mind was useless.

If it weren't for Li Rui helping him re-gather his Qi form first, and then teaching him the cultivation method.

It would have been impossible to break through so quickly.

Thinking of this point.

He couldn't help but sigh.

'Kid Li has achieved great success.'

This was roughly the same principle as when one's most successful disciple returns one day and tells the master that he can rest and enjoy his old age in peace.

"By the way, Kid Li, if there is anything I can help with, just say it; this old bone can still withstand being tossed around."

He Qiannian said.

Li Rui smiled slightly: "I am already a Peace-Establishing Commandant; where would there be so much to be tossed around?"

He Qiannian was stunned at first.

Then he laughed again.

"I really didn't misjudge the person; you are someone who knows what is important, it was indeed me thinking too much."

The current Li Rui was no longer the small military officer from Qinghe.

The Peace-Establishing Commandant could mobilize the entire Mountain-Seeking Division!

The real power in his hands could rank in the top eight in the Great Yu court.

Li Rui was also not one of those pedantic scholars who were suddenly promoted and became high officials; he knew very well how to make his official career easy.

Officials who did everything personally would instead mess things up.

Chief Councilor Zhang could become the head of civil officials because he could get things done?

That was only one aspect.

More importantly, it was his ability to recognize and use people, to be able to push forward what he thought.

This was the greater ability.

Li Rui suddenly spoke: "Senior He, you have enough jianghu experience; if you are interested, why not help advise on that World Martial Evaluation?"

"World Martial Evaluation?"

He Qiannian's eyes brightened.

How could he not hear it?

Li Rui had taken on the task of presiding over the World Martial Evaluation.

Great Yu's World Martial Evaluation was a tradition that had existed since the time of the founding Emperor.

Actually, there had been rumors in the streets recently that the World Martial Evaluation might be canceled.

After all, the trend of immortal cultivation was prevalent now, and coupled with three thousand cultivators descending to the lower realm, it brought a lot of trouble to establishing the World Martial Evaluation, and that word 'martial' had long been somewhat unworthy of the name.

This World Martial Evaluation was presided over by Chief Councilor Zhang.

But according to convention.

Chief Councilor Zhang would at most be the final gatekeeper, and the specific details would naturally be delegated to a high official to lead the people of the Martial Evaluation Pavilion to be responsible.

That identity used to be Jiang Linxian.

Now it had been changed to Li Rui.

He Qiannian nodded without hesitation: "Good."

Speaking of which.

He, a master of external arts famous throughout the world, had a very deep connection with that World Martial Evaluation.

Since the martial evaluation began, he had been the last place for who knows how many years.

He had actually earned the saying of "World's Number One He Qiannian".

Having finally gotten rid of the last-place title.

Now he could even draft the martial evaluation.

He was naturally happy.

Of course, he also harbored selfish motives.

Now that the martial path was declining day by day, he wanted to use the World Martial Evaluation to revive the confidence of the jianghu people.

Seeing He Qiannian agree.

Li Rui laughed: "I knew Senior wouldn't refuse."

There were still two years until the World Martial Evaluation was established.

But actually, the time was not abundant.

Although there were officials from the Martial Evaluation Division who would collect and organize information on the world's Upper Three Rank cultivators and martial artists daily, because there were too many cultivators descending to the lower realm this time, the workload had increased several times over.

Chief Councilor Zhang's meaning was very clear.

At least eighty percent had to be found out.

"The World Martial Evaluation concerns the face of the country, so it must be rigorous, otherwise wouldn't it make the world laugh?"

This was what Chief Councilor Zhang said.

Li Rui, as the Peace-Establishing Commandant, saw it more deeply.

He also knew the reason why Chief Councilor Zhang did this.

The World Martial Evaluation was for that mysterious jianghu fortune; it concerned the struggle for fortune, how could it not be held?

Not only must it be held, but it must be held well.

How to hold it well?

Naturally, it was to make the people of the world convinced.

The two words "convinced" were too difficult.

Even Li Rui couldn't help but feel immense pressure.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 499 =====