Chapter 266: A Sincere Invitation, Heavenly Monarch Xuanya

As the voice fell, the three Heavenly Monarchs could not help but have their gazes tighten.

Immediately following, a faint laugh suddenly came from the void:

"Little friend truly has eyes like torches."

The three Heavenly Monarchs immediately saw the void not far away suddenly ripple like water waves, and then an old man dressed in simple, clean Daoist robes walked out from it without a trace of worldly aura, as if descending from the Heaven.

The old man's gaze was gentle and his appearance elegant; the moment he appeared, this world became lively and filled with vigorous vitality. The previously unscattered power of the Supernatural Powers was instantly swept away, and the previously dried-up Spiritual Machine became full, as if cheering and leaping with joy.

Such a miraculous scene was naturally clearly captured by Lu Yuan. He did not act arrogant and still maintained his manners, politely bowing with his hands folded:

"May I ask if you are the senior Jiudu of the Immortal Alliance?"

Jiudu and Phantom Sea are the only two Return to Void Virtual Immortals in the Xiyanzhou cultivation world.

Ever since Phantom Sea Daoist was poisoned by the Heavenly Corpse Emperor and had to go into seclusion behind the scenes, only Jiudu Daoist Lord remained to preside over the Immortal Alliance.

The reason Lu Yuan was able to perceive this was very simple: first, because of his 【Sprouting】 Supernatural Power; second, the 【Roaming Spirit Controlling Qi】 Supernatural Power gave him a Primordial Spirit far stronger than ordinary Transformation into Divinity Heavenly Monarchs, and coupled with his own mastery of the 【Flying Body Tracing Tracks】 Supernatural Power, he discovered the mysterious figure hidden in the void at the first moment.

And as if to verify his guess, the moment his voice fell, the three Heavenly Monarchs Douzhan, Zhulong, and Lingjian were all extremely shocked and bowed in unison:

"Senior Jiudu, why have you come?"

"My heart was restless today, so I cast a divination and learned that a major event would occur here, which is why I specifically came in person."

Jiudu Daoist Lord explained, then looked at Lu Yuan and smiled:

"My Daoist name is indeed Jiudu. I have not walked outside the Immortal Alliance for many years, yet I never thought that such a stunning and peerless figure would emerge in the Xiyanzhou cultivation world. I watched the battle just now from beginning to end; although little friend's cultivation is still in the Transformation into Divinity realm, your Supernatural Powers are truly earth-shattering, to the point that even an old man like me feels inferior."

Being able to receive an evaluation of feeling inferior from someone as top-tier in the Immortal Alliance as Jiudu Daoist Lord was undoubtedly a compliment without precedent. The three Heavenly Monarchs were all shocked, while Lu Yuan humbly said:

"Senior, you flatter me. These are just minor Supernatural Powers, merely showing off before an expert; how could I dare to be mentioned in the same breath as you?"

Jiudu Daoist Lord's gaze was gentle, his tone carrying appreciation and even gratification:

"Little friend need not be humble. I have seen your methods just now; among the eleven Heavenly Monarchs of the Immortal Alliance today, you should be the first. If you step into the Return to Void realm, you will surely far surpass an old man like me. I just wonder where little friend comes from and who your master is; could you enlighten me?"

Lu Yuan remained calm and composed:

"This junior is a rootless, drifting rogue cultivator with no master. In my early years, my family were cultivators from the Beihao Continent, but later the entire continent fell under a catastrophe, and I had to flee to this region. Later, I often hid my identity, concealing myself in mountains, wild lands, and even various Immortal Cities, until I luckily achieved a little success."

Lu Yuan's Supernatural Power and combat strength were astonishing, but his explanation of his background was truly unconvincing. Jiudu Daoist Lord could not tell if he believed it or not, only pondering for a moment before saying:

"So that is how it is... Since little friend possesses such cultivation and Supernatural Powers, why not join our Xiyanzhou Immortal Alliance and seek welfare for the living beings of the world? After all, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Under the catastrophe, there is no true pure land in the vast cultivation world. As long as the root of the catastrophe is not eliminated, the countless living beings and billions of cultivators in the world will never have peace. Does little friend agree?"

Lu Yuan went with the flow:

"What Senior says is naturally correct. My thoughts have changed since I achieved success in my cultivation, but currently, it seems there are some misunderstandings between me and the three Heavenly Monarchs of the Immortal Alliance, so..."

"Misunderstandings?"

Jiudu Daoist Lord clearly did not know the full picture and immediately looked at the three Heavenly Monarchs Douzhan:

"What misunderstandings do you have with this little friend?"

Douzhan Heavenly Monarch could not grasp the attitude of this Return to Void Great Ability, Jiudu Daoist Lord, and immediately said in a low voice:

"Reporting to Daoist Lord, this fellow Daoist Lu Yuan actually refined the Immortal City Lord of Longshan Immortal City, True Monarch Huanglong, into his own Cloning. Such an act is truly rebellious, so upon receiving the news, we rushed over to investigate. However, according to fellow Daoist Lu Yuan himself, he acted this way because True Monarch Huanglong brought it upon himself, and he even showed us a recording..."

In an instant, he narrated the information they possessed without any emotion. After hearing it, Jiudu Daoist Lord only nodded slightly, with no intention of questioning or investigating further, and looked at Lu Yuan with a smile:

"Little friend's actions indeed had a cause and are not a crime. I will bear witness here; let this matter end here. What does little friend think?"

Lu Yuan did not seem very surprised and immediately said:

"If so, that would be for the best. Many thanks for your magnanimity, Senior."

Jiudu Daoist Lord smiled and stroked his beard:

"No matter, it is a small matter. Since that is the case, would little friend be willing to become the twelfth Heavenly Monarch of our Xiyanzhou Immortal Alliance and join us in resisting the catastrophe together?"

Lu Yuan bowed and said solemnly:

"I am honored by your kindness, Senior; I am naturally willing."

"Good, good, good."

Jiudu Daoist Lord said the word "good" three times in a row, clearly quite pleased:

"Our Immortal Alliance has added another Heavenly Monarch. With the addition of a peerless figure like little friend, why worry that the catastrophe will not be extinguished in the future? Little friend seems to have no Daoist name yet; why not take one so that after I return, I can announce it to the world, invite fellow Daoists, and hold a celebration at the Holy Land of the Immortal Alliance in the Central Region to congratulate you?"

Lu Yuan smiled:

"Your kindness is truly overwhelming. I have never liked to be in the limelight. If the Immortal Alliance has any needs, just send a message, but this celebration is really unnecessary."

Jiudu Daoist Lord was clearly not surprised by this, nor did he force it:

"A new member joining—how can such a major event not be announced to the world? A celebration ceremony is of course necessary; it can be postponed, but it cannot be omitted. I know that little friend may be cautious as a former rogue cultivator and needs some time to adapt. I will first announce this among the higher-ups, and when the time is ripe in the future, we will hold the celebration for you. How about that?"

As a dignified Return to Void Great Ability, these words could be said to be full of sincerity. Lu Yuan immediately said:

"Since Senior is so frank, I cannot be ungrateful. I will definitely attend the celebration when the time comes. As for the Daoist name..."

He recalled the past and immediately said: "Let it be Xuanya."

Not wanting to attend any celebration was naturally out of caution. After all, the Central Region was the heart of the Immortal Alliance, and the so-called Immortal Alliance Holy Land was no ordinary place. If he were to be besieged upon entering, that would be very bad.

But since the other party, a dignified Return to Void Great Ability, had spoken to this extent, it would be truly ungrateful if he still refused. Anyway, with the 【Sprouting】 Supernatural Power, he could receive early warnings, and with 【Flying Body Tracing Tracks】, he had nothing to fear. Moreover, if a Return to Void Virtual Immortal really intended to take action against him, they could do it now; why go to such great lengths?

"Heavenly Monarch Xuanya... This name is excellent!"

Jiudu Daoist Lord could not help but smile:

"From now on, little friend is the twelfth Heavenly Monarch of our Xiyanzhou Immortal Alliance, with the Daoist name Tianya. The Heavenly Monarch level can automatically obtain the highest authority of the Immortal Alliance and can enjoy the Fifth Tier Spirit Pulse dojo in the Central Region, as well as many Supernatural Powers, Secret Techniques, heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and rare resources. You can learn about these one by one at the Immortal Alliance Holy Land later; little friend can go at any time."

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment:

"I still have some matters to deal with in Longshan Immortal City and may need three to five years before I can head to the Immortal Alliance Holy Land. I wonder if Senior..."

"What is a mere three to five years?"

Jiudu Daoist Lord did not care at all. With a light wave of his sleeve, a Jade Talisman floated in front of Lu Yuan:

"This is the Wuya Talisman. Even if you are millions of miles across continents, you can directly send messages to the Immortal Alliance. Little friend can take it first; whenever you come to the Immortal Alliance Holy Land, just let us know."

Lu Yuan immediately took it and bowed:

"Many thanks, Senior."

Jiudu Daojun revealed a smile:

"Why thank me? This old man looks forward to meeting you again at the Immortal Alliance Holy Land in the future. I depart, I depart."

Having said this, he laughed heartily and flicked his sleeve; a gigantic and miraculous green phoenix soared into the sky, scattering brilliant five-colored divine light, and carried the figure of this Return to Void Great Ability away in an instant.

"Respectfully sending off the Senior!"

Lu Yuan, who had gained much today, bowed respectfully to see him off, while the three of Douzhan Tianjun exchanged glances and hurriedly set up their escape lights to give chase; only Kong Linsen and Wei Bufan, the two great Heavenly Monarchs dozens of miles away, watched all this with dropped jaws, seemingly never having imagined that things would end up in such a state.

Lu Yuan ignored the two of them and flew straight toward Longshan Immortal City.

Although the appearance of the Return to Void Great Ability, Jiudu Daojun, was somewhat unexpected, the final result of the entire matter did not deviate from his predictions.

Although the matter of possessing Huanglong True Monarch had been exposed, because he had now ascended to Transformation into Divinity and relied on Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities to possess top-tier combat power that was nearly invincible among his peers, he could greatly influence and change the situation.

After all, under the great catastrophe, the cultivation worlds of various continents were retreating steadily; although they had managed to gain a foothold later, they were still facing immense pressure, with countless cultivators rushing forward one after another to forge a defense line with their lives to resist the endless tide of Corpse Demons.

Under these circumstances, combat power at the Transformation into Divinity level was an important cornerstone and pillar for maintaining the situation, not to mention top-tier combat power within the Transformation into Divinity level.

This led to the fact that after Lu Yuan took action decisively and defeated three Transformation into Divinity cultivators in a row to prove himself, the issue of possessing a Nascent Soul was no longer a problem.

Of course, the arrival of the Return to Void Great Ability, Jiudu Daojun, was an unexpected development, but Lu Yuan, who possessed the Supernatural Power of "sensing the sprout," was very certain that, firstly, this top-tier existence of the cultivation world had no intention of making a move against him, and secondly, even if both sides were to fight, the other party would not be able to do anything to him!

【Sword Technique】, 【Obstacle Clothing】, 【Sensing the Sprout】, 【Sending the Staff】, 【Nine Breaths Serving Qi】, 【Mastering Five Thunders】, 【Flying Body and Hiding Traces】, 【Returning Wind and Reversing Fire】.

With so many powerful Supernatural Powers in his possession, even with a difference of a major realm, he had absolute confidence in preserving himself.

"Regardless, this Jiudu Daojun is much easier to talk to than expected."

In a single step, Lu Yuan leaped through the void and flew back to Longshan Immortal City, unable to help but sigh:

"Finally, I can cultivate openly and honestly, and carry out the next step of my plan."

At the same time.

Hundreds of miles away, under the desperate pursuit of the three Heavenly Monarchs, they finally caught up with Jiudu Daojun, who was riding the green phoenix away.

Jiudu Daojun was clearly waiting for the three of them on purpose; after they arrived, he smiled from the broad back of the bird:

"Why, do you three seem to have some questions?"

Douzhan Tianjun hesitated for a moment before being the first to speak and ask:

"Lord Daojun, that person's background is extremely mysterious; we have no knowledge of his origins at all. To accept him as the twelfth Heavenly Monarch of the Immortal Alliance just like that, is this..."

Douzhan Tianjun had deep seniority and had always been straightforward in his speech; Jiudu Daojun did not mind:

"Is it too hasty? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. This person's background is indeed unusual; even this old man's arts of calculation cannot trace his origins or pry into his background. However, his Supernatural Powers, aside from being earth-shattering, are also upright and righteous, especially that Supernatural Power of commanding the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, which is definitely not something that can be mastered by evil or demonic cultivators. Since he is a person of the righteous path, it is fine to absorb him as the twelfth Heavenly Monarch of the Immortal Alliance."

Having deeply experienced the power of Lu Yuan's thunderous Supernatural Power, Zhulong Heavenly Monarch nodded in deep agreement:

"Lord Daojun's words are very true. Those who can command the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, let alone practice evil or demonic arts, would find it difficult to even practice or use ordinary heterodox arts or Dharma Artifacts, as it would inevitably cause a backlash against themselves. From this, it can be seen that this person must be walking the grand and righteous path."

Lingjian Tianjun still had his brows tightly locked:

"But... I observed that his Supernatural Powers are numerous and all incomparably powerful. I have never heard of them before. Whether it is the person himself or the Supernatural Powers he possesses, it is as if they do not belong to Yuanling Heaven. I suspect that this person..."

Douzhan Tianjun said in a deep voice: "Is Fellow Daoist Lingjian suspecting that this person is a visitor from another world?"

Yuanling Heaven is vast, and many secret lands and dangerous places contain cave-heaven secret realms, as well as passages connecting to other small worlds; this is common knowledge known to the vast majority of cultivators in the cultivation world.

Lingjian Tianjun frowned:

"This possibility cannot be ruled out. However, in the hundreds of epochs of reincarnation in Yuanling Heaven, every cave-heaven secret realm that has appeared has been a low-level small world, and some were even simply Absolute Spirit Lands, without even a path of cultivation. Over these years, countless cultivators have searched, and let alone worlds higher than Yuanling Heaven, there are not even any that can compare to Yuanling Heaven. Then, this person?"

While they were puzzled, Jiudu Daojun said indifferently:

"You need not speculate any further. Once he joins the Immortal Alliance and there is trust, there will be plenty of opportunities to find out. But regardless, as long as he does not do anything harmful to the Immortal Alliance or the cultivation world, we must treat him with gentleness and courtesy, and must not push him into opposition.

Do not think that what this old man said earlier was an exaggeration. Although this person appears to be at the Transformation into Divinity realm, he can merge into and travel through the void as he pleases. Such methods are completely no different from Return to Void. If we were to truly fight, I am afraid I might not necessarily be able to do anything to him. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, the three Heavenly Monarchs were shocked in their hearts and all remained silent for a moment before responding:

"We understand..."