Chapter 477 - 476: The Basis of Stance, Can be Called Immortal Lord

After receiving the voice message from the Charming Spirit, Ling Ling blinked her eyes twice to awaken Li Jing, and then relayed the message.

Li Jing learned that the Charming Spirit had left a power seed behind and furrowed his brows slightly.

To detonate it.

In common understanding, it would lead to an explosion.

But this power seed belonged to the Charming Spirit, making its effect much more intriguing.

Heavenly Demons are not inherently violent beings.

They rely on various strange abilities to "sustain" themselves.

The Charming Spirit is the original demon and also the demon of desire.

Exactly how many abilities the Charming Spirit had and how strong they were, Li Jing couldn’t say for sure.

What was certain was...

The Charming Spirit had an incomparably strong ability to instigate the primitive desires of living beings. After all, even she couldn’t control it.

Without any exceptions, the power seed left by the Charming Spirit should be related to her "best trick".

As for her prestige, the Charming Spirit had given plenty.

However, her power seed was undoubtedly a double-edged sword.

Remember...

Had it not been for his presence in the Little Universe and his timely sealing of the five senses, Li Jing would have succumbed to the Charming Spirit’s allure in minutes.

Of course...

He had a symbiotic contract with Ling Ling, so even if he succumbed, he would only suffer just for a moment.

What it truly feels like to be consumed by lust, Li Jing did not know and did not want to find out.

Given the assistance she was providing, Li Jing naturally had no complaints.

Even if it was a double-edged sword, if used well, there shouldn’t be any issues.

The stronger the methods set by the Charming Spirit, the more confident he would be.

Li Jing made a mental note to be cautious when detonating the power seed left by the Charming Spirit in the future, and then asked Ling Ling.

"So, how should I detonate the power seed of the Charming Spirit?"

Ling Ling instinctively answered upon hearing his question.

"How else can it be detonated, obviously..."

She choked on her words mid-sentence, blinked her eyes, coughed and said.

"She didn’t say."

"..."

Li Jing.

Ling Ling’s carefree attitude was nothing new, he knew that.

But to this extent, he was truly at a loss for words.

Watching as a certain person was left speechless, Ling Ling let out a dry laugh.

"Why not, I’ll call her back for you to ask?"

"No need, I’ll take a look first."

Li Jing smiled helplessly, and then his eyes turned into a golden hue.

The Charming Spirit didn’t tell Ling Ling how to detonate the power seed she left behind, probably a small retaliation for him using her to intimidate the Ascension Celestial Officer, making things a bit difficult.

This "challenge", Li Jing felt, was acceptable. After all, the difficulty wouldn’t be too high.

If the Charming Spirit was really unwilling, she would not have helped him in the first place.

Using the Eye of True Vision to observe...

Li Jing quickly discovered a faint pink smoke, invisible to the naked eye, lingering around the Zhenyuan Tower. It was like an invisible ribbon.

Seeing the ribbon, a cold sweat broke out on Li Jing’s forehead.

As he had initially thought...

The power seed left by the Charming Spirit was indeed her "best trick".

This wasn’t a big deal.

The key point was...

The knowledge gained from the Eye of True Vision informed him that this wisp of faint pink smoke could, in an instant, destroy the rationality of all living beings within almost tens of millions of kilometers and ignite their primitive instincts.

After a bout of madness, none of the affected creatures would be spared, and in the end, each would perish, consumed by their desires.

The power of this, truly, was not just a force to be reckoned with.

Indiscriminate killing within tens of millions of kilometers. This placed on Blue Star would be enough to obliterate a superpower nation in the blink of an eye, leaving no survivors.

And what’s worse, detonating this faint pink smoke seemed to be quite simple...

All that was needed to trigger it was insight into its existence and a small stimulation.

This...

It’s actually pretty dangerous.

Li Jing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and took a light breath.

The Charming Spirit’s setup was somewhat haphazard.

However, he could accept this reality.

After all, even if this pink smoke were discovered and detonated by some capable outsiders, he could take the whole of Chen Tang City into his tiny universe and avoid the impact. The ultimate result would then be only ending up the invaders setting fire to their own end.

Times had changed.

Having stepped into the Tenth Realm, Li Jing’s Primordial Soul Strength had reached an unimaginable level. Covering the entire Chen Tang City in the blink of an eye was not at all challenging for him.

He glanced at the Star-grabbing old man who had fortunately managed to evade a disaster after seeing the Charming Spirit, and then turned his attention to Ling Ling and asked again.

"Ling Ling, it’s your first time in the Immortal Realm. Would you like to go sightseeing with me later?"

"I’d better not."

Ling Ling shook her head and said.

"I’ve known about the existence of the Immortal Realm for a long time. The reason I never came is that many people have told me that the people here like to capture exotic creatures as pets and mounts. Creatures like me, who don’t have much fighting power, are likely to be targeted."

Li Jing was speechless.

He wanted to say that in this aspect, the Immortal Realm was likely just like the Divine Domain, but felt it didn’t matter anymore. Ling Ling had been well-instructed by what she called "many people".

And from a factual perspective.

If Ling Ling’s existence was known by some scheming individuals in the Immortal Realm, it would indeed cause trouble.

After brief contemplation, Li Jing said,

"Alright, you go back to the tiny universe first. I’ll find you when I need you. To be honest, I personally don’t have the ability to guarantee your complete safety yet. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll take you on a tour of the Immortal Realm."

"Okay."

Ling Ling nodded.

After getting a response, Li Jing moved her back to the tiny universe with a thought, sending his own Spirit Weapons with her. Then, not caring about the old man blocking his five senses, he proceeded toward the Zhenyuan Tower in Chen Tang City.

By now, Liu Sisi and the others had explained the situation to Quan Chang and the rest of the Ancient God’s descendants.

The ancient god’s descendants had no objections to Li Jing’s arrangement.

On the one hand, they were dependent on him, and they would sure help Li Jing if they could.

On the other hand, without the Zhenyuan Tower, the Heritage Stele of the Qingyuan Fairy Palace was the only thing that could attract them in his tiny universe.

To the ancient god’s descendants, the benefits brought by the Zhenyuan Tower were much greater than those offered by the Heritage Stele.

And having been in the tiny universe for so long, those who had the ability to gain insights from the Heritage Stele had already obtained them. These days, staring at the Stele for benefits was less about comprehension and more about luck.

If they had to choose, they would definitely prefer to be with the Zhenyuan Tower.

By now, the ancient god’s descendants had once again entered the Zhenyuan Tower, enjoying the process of rapid aging and strength growth as time accelerated.

When Li Jing arrived, Liu Sisi and the others were chatting near the Zhenyuan Tower.

Seeing him return, all five turned their attention to him as Liu Sisi asked,

"How did the preparations go?"

"Quite smoothly."

Li Jing nodded and said,

"I’ve set up a spatial formation around Chen Tang City with the help of Wina’s power. It can prevent cultivators below the Eleventh Realm from invading. Also, I’ve asked Charming Spirit to help set up a trump card against foreign enemies."

Liu Sisi and the others have never seen Charming Spirit.

However, they were aware that such a guest, a veritable "human disaster" and Ling Ling’s friend, had once visited the tiny universe.

The reason they hadn’t acquainted themselves with Charming Spirit was that she was too unique, and ordinary people simply had no chance or capacity to converse with her.

Hearing that Charming Spirit helped with the setup, all five raised their eyebrows.

Compared to the spatial formation set up by Li Jing,

Charming Spirit’s methods were undoubtedly extraordinary.

Li Jing also made it clear,

It was a trump card against foreign enemies.

The set-up by the Charming Spirit was undoubtedly akin to a confidence booster for Chen Tang City, helping it stand firm.

After all,

Compared to Ling Ling, who had no combat power to speak of, and whose abilities could not be freely used for fear of violating certain taboos, Charming Spirit was completely different.

Let’s not discuss her combat power for now.

The very existence of the Charming Spirit was a disaster for any living being.

They didn’t know if there were any beings in the Immortal Realm who could rival or resist her, but even if there were, they must be few and far between.

After exchanging glances, no one asked what exactly the Charming Spirit had prepared. Chen Yuran, however, broke the silence,

"While you were busy, Li Jing, we discussed that we need to disperse and gather information. We need to get a map of the Eastern Immortal Domain and figure out where the towns are and what forces are nearby."

Li Jing nodded and said,

"That can be arranged. The Star-grabbing old man came while I was setting up just now. He is currently above the clouds."

Hearing that the Star-grabbing old man had come, everyone was momentarily stunned. Yulian asked suspiciously,

"He arrived quite quickly, but why didn’t he come down with you?"

Before she had finished speaking, Jiang Yini, who was familiar with Li Jing’s way of doing things, made a guess,

"Did he have no objections to you seizing the Ascension Platform? Or have you already..."

Seeing the strange look in the eyes of Liu Sisi and others at Jiang Yini’s words, Li Jing gave a bitter laugh.

"I didn’t do anything to him. Even in the worst-case scenario, we should talk about the principles. It would be totally unacceptable to take his Ascension Platform and injure him, right?"

With that, he smiled and said,

"He’s still up there because he closed off his senses and is not aware of what’s happening outside. By the way, he ignored my advice earlier when he encountered the Charming Spirit and almost immolated himself due to strong desire, but Ling Ling saved him. After such an experience, he may not dare to unseal his senses for a while."

Hearing Li Jing say this, everyone fell silent.

What Li Jing said seemed to be the truth.

But according to everyone’s understanding of that certain person, it was clear that he had deliberately set up a trap for Old Master

Old Master Zhēxīng doesn’t not know what kind of existence the Charming Spirit is, how could he listen to advice?

Seeing Liu Sisi and the others staring at him with peculiar expressions, even Li Jing’s thick-skinned face became somewhat uncomfortable. He coughed and said-

"I’ll call him down now. Before this, I didn’t dare to speak, but now, he should be willing to cooperate with us."

The crowd was speechless.

Having been duped by Li Jing once, it seemed that Old Master Zhēxīng was left with psychological trauma, how could he not cooperate now?

Unless...he’s extremely stubborn.

However, it was very clear that Old Master Zhēxīng was not that stubborn.

Over here-

After delivering his message, Li Jing promptly sends a voice transmission to Old Man Zhexing.

"Old Master Zhexing, you can unseal your senses now and come down to Chen Tang City."

Upon receiving the voice transmission, Old Master Zhexing, who was standing above the cloud layer over Chen Tang City, still did not feel at ease.

What does the saying go again?

Once bitten by a snake, one fears a rope for ten years.

Having been trapped by Li Jing once, how could he not be careful?

For you see-

Facing a Charming Spirit is genuinely dangerous.

It’s deadly dangerous!

First, he unsealed his own Primordial Spirit sense and confirmed that there was no stronger existence in his perception range. Only then did Old Master Zhexing feel relieved and unseal his five senses.

Upon opening his eyes and discovering that Li Jing was no longer by his side and his Spirit Weapons were also gone, Old Master Zhexing looked displeased.

Obviously-

The Charming Spirit had been gone for a while, but someone didn’t even bother to notify him! They just left him alone here!

This...

He couldn’t tolerate this!

However, after witnessing what happened by Li Jing’s side, he didn’t dare get angry.

Not only did he dare not get angry, but he now had some other thoughts.

Dropping through the clouds to a point where he could see the whole of Chen Tang City, Zhexing paused for a moment.

Looking gloomily at Li Jing in front of the Zhenyuan Tower, Old Master Zhexing quickly forced a smile onto his face, descended in front of everyone, and bowed to a certain person.

"I am Zhexing greeting Immortal Lord."

?

Li Jing.

Old Master Zhexing came down with a smile.

With this attitude, he was quite satisfied.

Compared to before-

The "intimidated" Old Master Zhexing would definitely be easier to talk to.

He was about to speak when he suddenly got this shock, which left him momentarily stunned.

Immortal Lord?

What kind of title is this?

Upon hearing Old Master Zhexing’s words, Liu Sisi and the others were also confused.

Seeing the everyone’s confusion, Old Master Zhexing smiled and stroked his beard.

"You have only recently arrived in the Immortal Realm, so you may not know that in our realm, anyone with strength can establish their own sect. When a sect gains more than a hundred members and a certain level of strength, they can apply to the Donghua Immortal Palace to become a registered official force with territory in the Eastern Immortal Domain. There are many benefits to this."

"First, it implies recognition from the Eastern Emperor Donghua; second, only a registered Sect can truly own a territory; third, registered forces, according to their five levels, can regularly receive benefits from the Donghua Immortal Palace, including but not limited to participating in the contention for some blessed lands and exploring some magical places."

After continuously voicing his ideas, Old Master Zhexing continued.

"Once the application is approved, and the Sect is registered, no matter the Sect Master’s level of cultivation, they will be treated as an Immortal Lord. As an Immortal Lord, going to the cities in the Eastern Immortal Domain will bring a lot of privileges and courtesies. Chen Tang City is already qualified to apply for registration. Given Chen Tang City’s foundation, its application getting approved is a certainty. It’s just that I have started referring to him by this title ahead of time."

Hearing Old Master Zhexing’s words, Li Jing, Liu Sisi, and the others were taken aback.

Nothing about this was recorded on the jade brand provided by Old Master Zhexing.

However, it was not difficult to understand.

Basically, Chen Tang City met the criteria for registration, and they could "legally" have a territory. At the same time, as the head of the Sect, Li Jing could gain some privileges.

Upon seeing the cheerful Old Master Zhexing, they all looked at each other, not sure what to say.

The key issue-

This person’s attitude had changed too- abruptly.

Everyone expected Old Master Zhexing to submit.

But no one expected him to submit so thoroughly, to the point where he started trying to please them.

Just when everyone was feeling a bit at a loss, the Star-Picking Elder’s gaze moved among the crowd before falling on Li Jing once more. At first, he showed a hesitant look, then as if deciding on something, he stopped acting aloof and started rubbing his hands.

"Well, Immortal Lord, are there any vacancies in Chen Tang City? Or perhaps, do you need a gatekeeper?"

"..."

Li Jing.

"..."

Liu Sisi and others.

The Star-Picking Elder demonstrated through his actions that he could stoop lower than anyone else.

No one had even spoken yet, and he was already considering joining them.

Was this the so-called "if you can’t beat them, join them"?

With a sense of disbelief and amusement, they exchanged glances. Then Li Jing spoke.

"What aspect of our Chen Tang City has attracted you, Elder Star-Picker?"

"Naturally, it’s the potential."

The Star-Picking Elder solemnly responded, then continued confidently.

"I’m not particularly talented, but I’ve been in the Ascendant Celestial Realm for five thousand years. During this time, I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of countless forces. But up until now, I’ve never seen a door like Chen Tang City that has been so formidable from the very start. Given some time, I’m sure Chen Tang City will rise above."

Li Jing was stunned.

The elder flattered them quite sincerely.

Honestly, even he wasn’t sure himself whether Chen Tang City could really rise to the top in the future.

In fact, he had no confidence at all.

All he did was utilize everything he could to ensure Chen Tang City could stand firm.

Looking at the Star-Picking Elder, Li Jing hesitated for a moment, then asked.

"Elder Star-Picker, as a Celestial Guide, you must belong to the Donghua Immortal Palace you mentioned. By joining Chen Tang City, would it be..."

Before he finished speaking, the Star-Picking Elder waved his hand.

"No, it wouldn’t."

Seeing that Li Jing meant to recruit him, the Star-Picking Elder dismissed the concern with a laugh.

"The Donghua Immortal Palace can, to a certain extent, be regarded as a branch under the authority of the Eastern Emperor Donghua, but its main purpose is to manage the Eastern Immortal Domain. Whether we are Celestial Guides like myself or officials with other functions, we are essentially free. As long as we don’t abuse our power, we can join any faction we wish."

After saying this, he added.

"With me joining, you occupying the Ascension Platform on Blue Star would be totally justified. Otherwise, you would have to submit an application and might be asked to leave the vicinity of the Ascension Platform."

Hearing the Star-picking Elder’s words, Li Jing raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Alright then, Elder Star-Picker, from now on you are one of us in Chen Tang City."

Having the Star-Picking Elder on board had many benefits.

Firstly, he had enough understanding of the Immortal Realm, which was precisely what Li Jing and others were currently lacking.

Collecting information individually was still necessary.

The Star-Picking Elder’s knowledge and understanding may not encompass everything about the Immortal Realm, and it might not be up to date.

But with him, a lot of work could be saved for Li Jing and the others.

Seeing Li Jing decisively including him as a part of Chen Tang City, the Star-Picking Elder grinned from ear to ear.

"In that case, Immortal Lord, please don’t call me ’Elder’ anymore. I am not worthy of this honor. The same goes for my fellow members of Chen Tang City, we are all family here, equality among peers is the most suitable."

None of the others had any objections to this.

The saying "respect is given to the one who has achieved the most" only applies to outsiders.

Among themselves, there was no need to be so particular.

At most, they would consider the seniority based on age.

If they were to talk about age, Li Jing might not be much younger than the Star-Picking Elder.

Due to the Zhenyuan Tower, while he mentally still felt around twenty-four years old, physically, he had already lived for tens of thousands of years, becoming an ancient being.

Liu Sisi and others were in a much better situation. One whole year in the Zhenyuan Tower equated to just over ninety years of physiological growth for them.

Without dwelling on how to address the Star-Picking Elder, Li Jing introduced himself.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Li Jing, the lord of the Chen Tang City."

On hearing this, Liu Sisi and others also introduced themselves and their names.

Among them, Liu Sisi, Chen Yuran, and Yulian each explained their relationship to Li Jing as Taoist Companions.

Learning their names, the Star-Picking Elder responded individually with great seriousness.

Though his decision to join Chen Tang City may have seemed impulsive, he was very serious about it.

Despite its superficial weakness, the depth of this force was formidable.

Temporarily ignoring the various unusual aspects about Li Jing, the fact that he had a Spirit of Origin with him, and could call upon the mighty Charming Spirit for help, spoke volumes about their strength.

Impressive!

Since he was sincere about joining, he definitely couldn’t slack off in matters of etiquette.

...