Chapter 370

Zhongzhou, the sacred land of the ancient sages.

As the contenders swiftly departed, the mountains and forests returned to silence.

But this silence did not last long before wave after wave of disciples from immortal sects arrived in a roar.

First came the Chen Shixian Clan, nearby; then the Shanhai Pavilion, across the vast Qingzhou; followed by Lingjian Mountain, at the southernmost tip of the Nine Provinces, on the shore of the Xuan Sea; finally, the farthest away—the Yu Danzong of Yuzhou.

Disciples from the four sects arrived in turn, lingering for a long time among the dense cracks, their eyes flickering between light and shadow.

After observing the space, riddled with cracks like a shattered mirror, they quickly went to the Zhongzhou aristocratic families who had fought fiercely in the forest.

“Is this a strand of immortal radiance that leaked out after the sacred land cracked open?”

“Correct. Though we do not know what it truly is, its immortal energy surges powerfully, its Daoic resonance vast—merely approaching it makes one’s thoughts flow effortlessly.”

“How does it compare to the Sun-Moon Essence Stone that appeared in the northern frontier ten years ago?” asked Shang Xingkong, vice-abbot of Yu Danzong, standing in the hall with a tone devoid of emotion.

The elder of the Jiao Clan bowed: “The Sun-Moon Essence Stone was merely a spirit-attracting object, but this immortal essence transcends all laws—I felt, upon briefly touching it, the breakthrough opportunity I had struggled for thirty years without attaining. This object must have immense origins. Most crucially…”

“Most crucially?”

“Most crucially, after returning, several clan disciples reported that when I held the immortal essence, they too experienced a sudden surge in their qi—as if their realms had been forcibly pushed forward. Had I held it longer, some of our young ones might have broken through…”

“????”

Upon hearing this, the Yu Danzong disciples instantly widened their eyes, disbelief flashing in their gazes.

Cultivation has always been an individual endeavor; they had never heard such a description, nor any record of a treasure capable of granting collective advancement to an entire clan—it sounded like pure fantasy.

Yet the problem was, the elder of the Jiao Clan’s expression showed no sign of deception.

In fact, the forest had been chaotic then—not only did aristocratic families fight over it, but the barbarian and demon clans also intervened.

The Jiao elder was on high alert, dodging deadly attacks while fixating on the immortal essence, leaving him no time to notice what happened to his accompanying disciples.

He only learned of what he had missed after returning and hearing the reports from his subordinates.

Meanwhile, the Yu Danzong group unconsciously fell silent, beginning to whisper among themselves.

Though the Jiao Clan relies on the Chen Shixian Clan, that is merely their leverage in aristocratic struggles—not absolute loyalty—so Yu Danzong believed he would not dare exaggerate.

Moreover, they had already anticipated this before arriving.

Something that radiated such brilliant immortal light, turning the entire Qingyun region into daylight for an instant, could hardly be merely an ordinary treasure.

Especially since it came from the most ancient heartland of humanity—the sacred ground where the first sages communed with the Dao.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through their minds.

“My Jiao Clan ventured deep into the forest. The moment we saw the immortal essence, we knew this was no ordinary matter—we immediately reached an agreement with the He Clan, Zuqiu Clan, and You Clan to hand it over to the immortal sects.”

“But in the end, Ji You snatched it away and vanished without a word.”

“At that time, Zuqiu Dianzhu of the Tian Shu Academy was already heading toward the forest—he never even saw it. But he cut off spirit stone supplies and tried to sabotage the tax tribute; his actions have always been bold, contemptuous of the immortal sects, so such conduct is unsurprising.”

All necessary questions had been asked, all descriptions given—this topic should have ended here.

But the elder of the Jiao Clan spoke again, offering further explanation of the entire event.

Shang Xingkong turned his head, looking down at the elder of the Jiao Clan.

He knew this Jiao man wanted to distance his family from the affair, fearing future repercussions.

After long contemplation, the Yu Danzong disciples left the Jiao Clan’s territory in silence, heading west.

The appearance of the immortal essence not only triggered visible celestial anomalies across the Nine Provinces but also caused a widespread, though not violently intense, earth tremor—news could not be concealed.

Overnight, rumors spread wildly.

Many of these rumors originated from Zhongzhou aristocratic families; though some were embellished, they did not stray far from the truth.

Soon after, many knew what had happened the previous night.

The sacred land of the ancient sages had apparently suffered a breach—a limitless immortal force had appeared, sparking conflict and attracting the covetous eyes of barbarian and demon clans.

In the end, Ji You seized it, the demon clan’s Heavenly General fled, and the barbarian clan’s General King lay gravely wounded, near death.

Summarized, the news boiled down to just two sentences—but triggered countless silences.

Since spring began, the Nine Provinces had been engaged in spring plowing; everyone knew Ji You was farming at home, and Fang Jincheng often mocked him, saying his cultivation was a waste of talent—he should serve the Great Xia as an official of agriculture.

But upon hearing what happened last night, they could no longer deny reality.

Ji You might behave like a rustic landowner, but that was merely his personal preference; when he acted, he remained the same force capable of turning heaven and earth upside down among cultivators.

“What realm is the barbarian General King?”

“Compared to Wujiang, at peak he can fight Shenyou. That general’s name is Danba—his combat power likely lies between the two.”

“Then what exactly went wrong with the sacred land of the ancient sages?”

“All aristocratic families speak vaguely of it, unwilling to elaborate. The forest where the sacred land lies is guarded by Tian Shu Academy disciples—no one may approach. Even without seeing it, we know this is likely no good omen.”

“If Ji You obtained something from the sacred land, will his combat power surge again?”

“That cannot be confirmed—I’ve heard even the immortal sects don’t know what the object truly is.”

In Hongding Tower, discussions on this matter continued all day.

After exchanging accounts of last night’s events, many turned to speculation: what had gone wrong with the sacred land? What use did the immortal essence have? Would humanity respond to the barbarian and demon clans?

As they debated, figures began landing continuously along Changsheng Street.

Disciples of the Chen Shixian Clan, Shanhai Pavilion, Lingjian Mountain, and Yu Danzong.

Such a gathering of immortal sects—they had only witnessed it before at the Heavenly Dao Assembly and the Wandering Immortal Assembly—and they stared for a long time.

Yet after entering the city, they did not lodge at the Immortal Garden, nor did they visit the Tian Shu Academy, another immortal sect—they went instead to the Great Xia’s Office of Immortal Affairs, leaving everyone puzzled about their purpose.

Zuqiu Yang had already returned to the Tian Shu Academy and sat quietly in the Library Hall, poring over countless ancient texts on the sacred land of the ancient sages, confirming his suspicions.

Those who had perfected the upper five realms possessed penetrating spiritual awareness—in an instant, he had flipped through a stack of books as tall as a mountain.

“Bring ink, brush, paper, and inkstone.”

“Yes.”

The three heads of the Hall of Administration immediately ordered disciples to bring the Four Treasures, placing them on the table and grinding ink for him.

After a long while, as the inkstone ground into water, Zuqiu Yang rolled up his sleeves, gripped the brush, filled its tip, pondered for a long time, then began writing swiftly.

But after writing three or four lines, the brush stopped.

He held the brush suspended, thinking deeply, then crumpled the paper and took a fresh sheet to rewrite.

At that moment, the three administrators standing behind him saw the first line—“Ji You”—and their expressions turned complex.

That student who had accidentally entered the academy years ago was now someone even the Dianzhu wrote to with careful wording, weighing every phrase.

Rustle-rustle-rustle—

Zuqiu Yang picked up the brush again, and the content gradually appeared on the paper.

It was essentially an invitation for Ji You to return to the academy, to discuss something important.

He knew Ji You distrusted immortal sects—even the Tian Shu Academy—and so his word choice was extremely cautious, avoiding any hint of suspicion.

When he finished, he swept his sleeve, summoning a gentle breeze to dry the ink, folded the letter into a square, sealed it in an envelope, and handed it to Qin Rong behind him.

“Deliver it to Fengzhou. Give it to Ji You.”

“Yes.”

Qin Rong clutched the letter and, with the other two Dianzhu, headed toward the gate.

As they descended the mountain, an official from the Office of Immortal Affairs hurried over, brushing past them, then bowed before the Zizai Hall, requesting the disciples outside to announce his arrival to Zuqiu Yang.

Hearing the announcement, Zuqiu Yang rose from behind his desk and stepped outside.

“Dianzhu Zuqiu.”

“Office of Immortal Affairs? What brings you here?”

The official bowed and presented two scrolls: “The Chen Shixian Clan, Shanhai Pavilion, Yu Danzong, and Lingjian Mountain will hold a Dao Debate in Shengjing in two days, inviting the Tian Shu Academy to participate. This first scroll is the invitation; the second is the list of invitees.”

Zuqiu Yang heard this, reached out, took both scrolls, then casually opened the first.

The scroll was not written in the name of the Office of Immortal Affairs, but in the name of Shang Xingkong, vice-abbot of Yu Danzong.

According to the scroll, since the downfall of the Chu, Li, Zhuang, and Zhu families, the Qingyun Immortal Sects have remained in semi-seclusion, recuperating, with no communication among themselves.