Chapter 231: Exchange Dharma Assembly, Arriving One After Another

After deliberately releasing a wisp of aura.

Lu Yuan began to examine himself, sensing the improvement in his cultivation.

First and most obviously, after condensing the Spirit Embryo, his Divine Sense and Dharma Power underwent a very distinct transformation; in terms of Divine Sense, with just a single thought, he could reflect the Heaven and Earth for over a hundred miles around Zizhu Peak, and as long as he wished, his Divine Sense could sweep across it in an instant, searching the heavens and scouring the earth.

Of course, this area was filled with the cave dwellings of Golden Core Real Persons, and even the Linglong Peak of True Monarch Huanglong was within a hundred-mile radius, so he naturally was not so reckless.

Secondly, in terms of Dharma Power, his previously vigorous True Qi had once again become like a river or an ocean, at least nearly doubling compared to before the breakthrough, and its level of refinement was also far greater than before, better able to support the consumption when unleashing various Supernatural Powers.

And besides his Divine Sense and Dharma Power, he could also clearly feel that, in the dark, his lifespan had suddenly increased significantly; according to what the 【Guidance】 said, he now possessed a lifespan of at least a thousand years or more.

And all things considered, the time he had spent stepping onto the path of the Dao was only twenty or thirty years.

"The Spirit Embryo realm is comparable to the Nascent Soul; to reach this realm after only twenty or thirty years of cultivation, it really is true that no matter how peerless your natural talent or heaven-defying your good fortune, it cannot compare to cheating."

Feeling the massive increase in his cultivation and the surge in his Dharma Power, Lu Yuan could not help but feel moved.

Although the Yuanling Heaven cultivation world had experienced great catastrophes, those with outstanding natural talent were as numerous as carp crossing a river, too many to count.

Especially those core disciples of top sects and clans, who practiced top-tier techniques, consumed precious medicines and Great Pills, and received the teachings of Nascent Soul or even Transformation Spirit Giants; there had even appeared peerless figures who stepped into the Nascent Soul realm in less than two hundred years of cultivation, becoming legends.

But, even such rare cases that were considered legends and myths in the cultivation world seemed like a small witch meeting a great witch compared to his experience of stepping into a realm comparable to the Nascent Soul after only twenty-some years of cultivation.

Stepping from an ordinary person to a realm comparable to the Nascent Soul in twenty-some years had never occurred in the Yuanling Heaven, which had experienced countless epochs; even the reincarnation of a Transformation Spirit or even a Return to Void Great Ability could not achieve this, making it an impossible myth.

And just amidst this silent reflection.

Lu Yuan's heart suddenly stirred, and under the reflection of his Divine Sense, he immediately perceived that several streaks of light had already arrived before Zizhu Peak; they were clearly Golden Core Real Persons whose cave dwellings were in the vicinity and who had been startled.

He chuckled, but did not go out immediately, instead continuing to meditate to consolidate and adapt to his cultivation.

Meanwhile, in the void outside Zizhu Peak.

Separated by several miles, three men and one woman, all Golden Core cultivators of Longshan Immortal City, were staring with slight suspicion at the cloud-shrouded Zizhu Peak, communicating with each other:

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, did you feel the fluctuation of aura just now? Was that..."

"It was indeed the aura of a Golden Core breakthrough, and the aura was like wind sweeping away the clouds; an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator could not possibly have such vast Dharma Power fluctuations—it must be a breakthrough from the middle stage to the late stage!"

"It's just that I don't know if the core this person condensed is an ordinary Yuan Core, a superior True Core, or the most superior Golden Core? Judging by the aura just now, I fear it is at least a True Core!"

"Who would have thought that this outsider renting a cave dwelling would be so unassuming yet possess such cultivation; I wonder when this person will come out so we can offer our congratulations and build a good connection."

"Indeed, I heard that this outsider seems quite young; perhaps there is a possibility of touching the Nascent Soul realm in the future. If we don't get to know them now, we might not have the chance later."

Golden Core Stage cultivators are the backbone of the various Immortal Cities, and late-stage Golden Core cultivators, especially those with great potential, are Nascent Soul seeds and pillars with limitless futures, highly valued by the various Immortal Cities and even the Immortal Alliance, their status far exceeding that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

Although they were completely unacquainted with Lu Yuan, who rented Zizhu Peak, they were not averse to taking this opportunity to build a good connection.

Saying this, the four cultivators waited together outside, not daring to rashly go up and disturb him.

After the mountain-protecting array was activated, most of the mountain body was shrouded in clouds and mist, preventing it from being probed by the Divine Sense of other cultivators.

Of course, the strength of such an array was limited, and cultivators proficient in Divine Sense techniques could forcibly break through to investigate, but probing the cave dwelling of another Golden Core cultivator with Divine Sense was an extremely serious provocation; once it happened, the two sides would inevitably become enemies, so no Golden Core cultivator would do such a thing within an Immortal City.

And just at this moment, as if they had sensed something, they suddenly turned their heads and saw a streak of auspicious clouds coming from afar, arriving in an instant before them.

Seeing the person who arrived, the four Golden Core cultivators bowed and bent their waists at the first moment:

"We pay our respects to Real Person Liuyun."

Real Person Liuyun had no time to return the greeting, his brows slightly furrowed as he stared at the cloud-shrouded Zizhu Peak:

"Was the aura just now emitted from this peak?"

The only female Golden Core cultivator replied: "It should be Zizhu Peak; we sensed that the aura of the fellow Daoist inside seems to be a breakthrough from the middle Golden Core stage to the late Golden Core stage, so we thought to come here to offer our congratulations."

"Late Golden Core stage..."

Real Person Liuyun's eyes darkened, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

Ever since Lu Yuan took over Zizhu Peak, he had been observing in secret, waiting for the other party's reply.

However, for over a year, Lu Yuan had remained reclusive; apart from two maidservants who often went out to purchase supplies, he had not stepped out of the cave dwelling even once, which made him gradually grow impatient.

He had originally planned to find an excuse to expel the other party from Longshan Immortal City if they did not respond after a few more days, but he had not expected such a turn of events.

Including himself, there were only five late-stage Golden Core cultivators, including those at the peak, in the entire Longshan Immortal City.

And no matter which one it was, their age when entering the late stage was much older than Lu Yuan's; not one of them had reached this realm after less than two hundred years of cultivation like Lu Yuan.

This also meant that whether it was the value of recruiting this outsider of unknown origin or the potential level of risk, both had suddenly climbed significantly.

And just as Real Person Liuyun was lost in thought.

They saw the ethereal clouds and mist on Zizhu Peak suddenly fluctuate and disperse, revealing the entrance to the cave dwelling.

Immediately, the cave entrance opened wide, and Lu Yuan stepped out; Real Person Liuyun in the distance felt his heart stir, immediately mounting his auspicious clouds to greet him, his laughter echoing through the void:

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lu! Congratulations on breaking through the bottleneck, advancing in the Great Dao, and having hope for longevity!"

"My fellow Daoists nearby and I sensed the Dharma Power fluctuations and came specifically to congratulate you!"

Behind him, the four Golden Core cultivators also hurriedly followed, each reporting their names and offering congratulations; Lu Yuan responded with a very polite cupped-fist salute:

"Many thanks, many thanks to Real Person Liuyun, and to Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Chen, and Fellow Daoist Qi. I only broke through by luck; I was so carried away during the breakthrough that my aura leaked out, and I am truly sorry for disturbing you all."

"It is no matter."

Real Person Liuyun calmly sensed the residual Dharma Power fluctuations on Lu Yuan, confirming that he was indeed a late-stage Golden Core who had just broken through:

"Cultivation breakthroughs are the most important matter for us cultivators; it is perfectly normal to be unable to control oneself for a moment. We are only happy for Fellow Daoist Lu; there is no talk of disturbance."

The Supernatural Power of Embryo Transformation could change a person at the bloodline level, so simulating the aura and Dharma Power of a late-stage Golden Core was naturally simple; moreover, let alone the five Golden Core cultivators before him, even if Real Person Huanglong himself arrived, he would not be able to tell. Lu Yuan cupped his hands and said:

"Many thanks for your understanding, Real Person Liuyun. By rights, since you all came to congratulate me, I should invite you into my dwelling as guests, but because I have just broken through, my Dharma Power is unstable and I still need to consolidate it, so I will not invite you all in for a chat for the time being. Once my cultivation is consolidated, I will invite Fellow Daoist Liuyun and the four other fellow Daoists to my dwelling as guests."

This was clearly a dismissal, and Real Person Liuyun nodded slightly:

"That is as it should be; Fellow Daoist Lu's consolidation of cultivation is the priority, so we shall not disturb you further."

The other four Golden Core Real Persons also took their leave one after another, then departed together with Real Person Liuyun.

After leaving Zizhu Peak, they clicked their tongues in wonder; they had wanted to discuss this matter with Real Person Liuyun, the Immortal City Order Official, but they did not expect that he would only give a perfunctory reply before flying toward Linglong Peak without looking back.

And after arriving at Linglong Peak, before Real Person Liuyun could speak, the clouds and mist on the mountain peak spontaneously dispersed, allowing him to proceed straight through to the thatched cottage where Real Person Huanglong was meditating.

At this moment, in the extremely dense spiritual energy environment, Real Person Huanglong was still like a statue, but this time he opened his eyes and said leisurely:

"That outsider cultivator, has he broken through to the Jiedan Late Stage?"

Liuyun Zhenren nodded and said contemplatively:

"After sensing the fluctuation of aura, this disciple went to investigate immediately. The residual Dharma Power aura on this person is indeed undoubtedly Jiedan Late Stage; it is just unclear whether he truly just broke through, or if he was already a Jiedan Late Stage cultivator."

True Monarch Huanglong smiled faintly:

"This seat also probed him with divine sense just now. He did indeed just break through; the state of his Dharma Power cannot be faked. Unless it were a Transformation Spirit Giant, it would be absolutely impossible to hide it from this seat's eyes."

Liuyun Zhenren's expression became even more cautious:

"Since Master has already probed him with divine sense, it can naturally be confirmed. Now, it is just unknown how much credibility there is to the background this person claims. If what he says about having cultivated for less than two hundred years is true, such talent is truly too astonishing. Unless one has a Heavenly Spirit Root, one cannot have this speed of cultivation, or else..."

True Monarch Huanglong looked as if he were smiling yet not:

"You want to say, this person might have had some great fortuitous encounter?"

Liuyun Zhenren lowered his eyes slightly:

"Cultivators who can reach the Jiedan realm are all people with good fortune, but this person's background is a bit too mysterious. This disciple originally intended to keep him if he were willing to be used by the Immortal City, and to expel him if he were not. Now, I do not know how to handle this, and ask for Master to make the decision."

True Monarch Huanglong also revealed a slightly interested expression:

"This person has already reached the Jiedan Late Stage; for Longshan Immortal City, he is indeed a rather large help. If his age is not faked, he is even more of a rare genius. Let it be this way: later, when there is time, this seat will personally go to see this person and see if he can be kept in the Immortal City."

The decision of Huanglong Zhenren was the highest will; Liuyun Zhenren did not have any rebuttal and immediately agreed:

"This disciple understands."

Compared to the silence of renting a cave dwelling and practicing in seclusion, Lu Yuan's breakthrough in realm stirred up quite a wave in this Longshan Immortal City, especially among all the Jiedan cultivators stationed in the city.

After all, the Jiedan Late Stage is already a top-tier figure below the Nascent Soul, and coupled with the fact that Lu Yuan is so young and his background is a mystery, it made the cultivators from top to bottom feel curious.

Therefore, in the following month, these Golden Core Real Persons, and even some aristocratic families and chambers of commerce in the Immortal City, sent various types of visiting cards flying toward Zizhu Peak like snowflakes. Even Su Lingyue, who actually knew the inside story, put on an act and proactively submitted a visiting card.

With so many visiting cards arriving, Lu Yuan, who had long since set his plans, naturally could not remain indifferent. After spending a month consolidating his cultivation, he used the form of a Dharma exchange assembly to uniformly invite the Jiedan cultivators and other major forces of the Immortal City who had sent visiting cards.

Once the news of the Dharma exchange assembly was out, the cultivators of the entire Immortal City became restless. After all, according to custom, the upper-echelon cultivators of sects and families in the cultivation world would hold Dharma assemblies from time to time to impart their insights and experiences to the lower-echelon cultivators, which could benefit many bottom-tier cultivators greatly.

Like in Longshan Immortal City, True Monarch Huanglong and his three True Disciples would hold a large-scale Dharma assembly under Linglong Peak every ten years, lecturing on scriptures for several days in a row. As long as one was a cultivator of the Main City, one was qualified to go and listen to resolve one's doubts.

However, the Dharma exchange assembly held by Lu Yuan was clearly limited to a very small scope. Ordinary cultivators of the Immortal City were naturally completely unqualified to participate; they were not even qualified to enter the cave dwelling area of the Jiedan cultivators and could only watch from afar.

This day.

On Zizhu Peak, streaks of escape light whistled in and descended upon the mountain peak.

In the purple bamboo forest in front of the cave dwelling, a flat little plaza had been cleared, equipped with meditation cushions, long tables, Spirit Fruit, and Spirit Wine. Several newly recruited servants respectfully led each cultivator to their seats, forming a very lively scene.

And as the master of Zizhu Peak, Lu Yuan was also welcoming the arriving Jiedan cultivators one by one:

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lu. I am Sun Yunong, manager of the Lingzhi Hall. Seeing you today, you are indeed outstanding in bearing and extraordinary."

"I am He Yunquan, manager of the Qi Refining Hall. Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lu on your progress in the Dao. If you have any needs regarding artifact refining in the Immortal City in the future, feel free to come find me!"

"Thank you for the invitation, Fellow Daoist Lu. I am Jin Chenxi, and I am..."

Jiedan cultivators offered their congratulations one after another, and Lu Yuan responded with a smile to each one, until a fragrant breeze blew toward him, a familiar figure appeared before him, and a voice sounded clear and melodious:

"This little woman Su Lingyue, congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lu for breaking through to the Jiedan Late Stage. May you advance further in the future; the Nascent Soul is in sight, and longevity is in sight. It truly makes us envious."

The woman speaking was dressed in moon-white palace attire, with bright eyes and beautiful teeth; who else could it be but Su Lingyue?

Facing the other's congratulations, the smile on Lu Yuan's face did not change, and he pretended as if they had just met:

"Fellow Daoist Su is too polite. I hear that you are a master of the formation Dao. When we have leisure time, we can exchange ideas."

The Thought Imprint left by the Nightmare Prayer Divine Ability had a deep influence, and Su Lingyue smiled slightly:

"That would be wonderful. This little woman's formation Dao can only be called rudimentary; I dare not call myself a master. I hope Fellow Daoist Lu can provide some guidance then. By the way, our Inner Affairs Hall still has a manager surnamed Qin; I wonder if she knows about this?"

Lu Yuan smiled and was about to speak, but suddenly saw the many cultivators already in the venue turn their heads to look in a certain direction, while at the same time, the excited voice of a reception servant came:

"True Monarch has arrived—!"