The Elders of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion were nearly unanimous. Ao Guang was merely a minor at Qi Cultivation Level Nine who had gotten lucky in reaching Foundation Establishment. For the sake of a Banished Immortal Seed of the Extreme Realm, his death was inconsequential. Liuyun had been so foolish as to make a move against Lin Wudi!
"It wasnât Lin Wudi who killed him," a single sentence from Zhuge Jingyun instantly silenced the great hall, "but ten Foundation Building Immortals from the Four Seas Gate who took action!"
Moments later, the atmosphere exploded once again.
"Four Seas Gate! They want to annihilate our Sect!"
"They must have learned about Shangguan Shiming being a Banished Immortal Seed and are willing to pay any price to kill her!"
"Damn it!"
"Pavilion Master, we canât wait! We must immediately send people to escort Shangguan Shiming back to the Sect!"
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, impatient to act. Among the group of Elders, one person watched everything in silence, his gaze ice-cold. This person was the Shangguan Familyâs ancestor, Shangguan Xue.
He felt utterly triumphant at this moment.
Just half a day ago, these very same Elders had unanimously denounced Shangguan Shiming as a traitor. It was also them who had forcefully detained him, wanting to cripple his cultivation and send him to labor in the mines.
Yet, just half a day later, after learning that Shangguan Shiming might be a Banished Immortal Seed of the Extreme Realm, the Pavilion Master himself had gone to the dungeon to release him. He had even been promoted to the high and powerful position of a Transmission Elder.
But Shangguan Xue had already seen through these petty hypocrites. His only thought now was of Shangguan Shiming. As long as she could return safely, there was hope for everything.
"Something has happened in Heavenly Origin City. The Teleportation Array has been continuously active, so we canât use it to get there," Zhuge Jingyun said.
The Eldersâ expressions changed slightly. The Elder in the purple robe clenched his teeth and said, "Then weâll fly there on our swords! It will only take a day. This concerns a matter of fifteen hundred years of importance to the Sect. We cannot wait!"
The other Elders all voiced their agreement.
ăCelestial Northern Dipper Pavilion, Outer Sect.ă
Compared to the bustling main hall, this place was much quieter. The disciples went about their business in an orderly fashion. Some cultivated, some set up stalls, and others sparred.
Around an arena, a crowd of disciples gathered around one person like stars around the moon.
"Brother Zhang, who do you think will win?" a disciple asked with a fawning smile.
Brother Zhang, Zhang Wanzai, whose Daoist name was Daoist Wanzai, was one of the two Proud Sons of Heaven of the North Dipper Celestial Pavilion and the strongest candidate expected to reach Foundation Establishment within the year. All the young disciples of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion looked up to him.
Zhang Wanzai glanced casually at the two fighting on the stage and said with disdain, "Itâs nothing more than a chaotic brawl. Whatâs there to say about victory or defeat?"
None of the surrounding disciples were offended; instead, they felt it was perfectly normal. This was precisely the air one expected from Brother Zhang.
"Brother Zhang, I heard a rumor, but Iâm not sure if I should say anything..." a young female disciple said, her eyes filled with adoration as she gazed at Zhang Wanzai.
Seeing this girl, Zhang Wanzaiâs voice softened. "Ah, Sister Luoyu. Have you heard some news from your grandfather? Go on, Iâd love to hear any news you have."
Luoyuâs grandfather was the Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion, a man of immense power. Even someone of Zhang Wanzaiâs status had to treat him with great respect, so he was always very courteous to Sister Luoyu.
Upon hearing his words, a blush crept onto Luoyuâs delicate face. The other female disciples who saw this were filled with envy and jealousy. Zhang Wanzai had never spoken to them in such a gentle tone. But it was pointless to be jealous. Who among them had such a distinguished grandfather?
Gazing at Zhang Wanzai, Luoyu was so smitten she forgot to speak. Zhang Wanzai didnât rush her, simply watching her with a gentle gaze.
Such naive little girls are the easiest to deceive. A single glance, a few gentle words, and their hearts are captured.
After a long moment, he finally had to let out a soft cough, which startled Luoyu from her reverie.
"Brother Zhang, my grandfather said... that our Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion might have produced a Banished Immortal Seed of the Extreme Realm..."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. The term "Exiled Immortal of the Extreme Realm" held a unique significance in the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion. Two thousand years ago, it was precisely an Exiled Immortal of the Extreme Realm that allowed the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion to dominate the Ancient Land for fifteen hundred years! If a Banished Immortal Seed had truly been born, it meant the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilionâs great opportunity had arrived.
However, some people cast strange glances toward Zhang Wanzai. He was one of the two Proud Sons of Heaven of the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion. Barring any surprises, he was the most likely person to succeed the Pavilion Master. The birth of a Banished Immortal Seed was wonderful for others, but for Zhang Wanzai, it wasnât necessarily good news.
"Sister Luoyu, where did this news come from?" Zhang Wanzaiâs voice was tense, and his handsome face grew stiff.
Luoyu seemed a little frightened by him. She took a small step back before saying timidly, "It was... the Mud Bodhisattva..."
The Mud Bodhisattva! The number one diviner in the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion! If he said it, then it was almost certainly true.
The thought that an Exiled Immortal of the Extreme Realm would soon descend upon the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion made nearly every disciple ecstatic.
"Hooray!"
"Glory to our Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion!"
"The heavens are blessing our Sect!"
All the disciples cheered. Amidst the jubilant crowd, Zhang Wanzaiâs sullen face seemed particularly out of place.
No! This canât be allowed to happen!
Zhang Wanzai took out a Communication Talisman and sent a message to his father.
"Brother Zhang, are you alright?" Luoyu asked, looking at him with a worried expression.
Zhang Wanzaiâs lips twitched as he forced an ugly smile. "Iâm fine, Sister Luoyu. Why donât you join me for..."
Before he could finish, the sectâs Teleportation Array flashed with white light, and six figures appeared within it.
"Sword Control Sectâs Zilian Immortal!"
"Isnât that the Sword Control Sectâs Proud Son of Heaven, Li Duanjian?"
"The other Proud Son of Heaven, Wan Jianyi, is here too!"
"My heavens, is that Sister Juling Yin, the Proud Daughter of Heaven from the Palace of Heavenly Sound?"
Aside from their leader, the Foundation Building Immortal Zilian Immortal, the other five who appeared were all mighty young cultivators. One was from the Palace of Heavenly Sound, two were from the Sword Control Sect, and the other two were the Proud Sons of Heaven from the Carefree Pavilion, one of the Ten Great Sects.
The simultaneous appearance of five such powerful young cultivators was an incredibly rare spectacle.
Zhang Wanzai could no longer bother with idle chatter. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Zilian Immortal, esteemed guests, may I ask the purpose of your visit to the Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion?"
"Itâs nothing important. We just wish to spar with the Proud Sons of Heaven from your Celestial Northern Dipper Pavilion!" Zilian Daoren said.
Zilian Daoren was a famously beautiful woman among the Sects of the Ancient Land, hailed as the First Sword Immortal of the Ancient Land. This title didnât mean her swordsmanship was number one; rather, it meant she was the most beautiful Sword Immortal in the Ancient Land.
Of course, her cultivation was by no means weak. She was a powerhouse who had reached Foundation Establishment from the Eleventh Level of Qi Cultivation using a Genius Cultivation Method. Now, she was already at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. She could even fight ordinary Immortals who had reached Foundation Establishment from Qi Cultivation Level Nine or Ten, regardless of whether they were in the late stage or at the peak of their realm.
Furthermore, the most famous story about Zilian Daoren was that her younger sister, the Red Lotus Daoist, had also reached Foundation Establishment. A pair of sisters, both Sword Immortals, was a rare sight even among the Sects of the Ancient Land.
Zhang Wanzai was one of Zilian Immortalâs many admirers, but her words today made his expression change drastically.
"Zilian Immortal, what is the meaning of this?"