I am evergreen in the world of cultivating immortals

Chapter 504 The Grand Ceremony of the Merchant Alliance, Storms in the Starry Sea

More than half a month later.

Wei Dongjun, who was busy preparing for the celebration, finally managed to find time to visit Hidden Mist Island.

"Congratulations on Alliance Leader Wei's advancement to the mid-Nascent Soul stage!"

Lu Chang'an came out of the cave to greet him, smiling and cupping his hands in congratulations.

Wei Dongjun advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and took command of the Great Demon King, the Azure-Eyed Beast. His transcendent status within the Merchant Alliance was close to that of the former Grand Elder of the Azure Sea.

In recent days, the Nascent Soul elders within the alliance have taken the initiative to pay their respects, and the Wei family island has been filled with distinguished guests.

Lu Chang'an, as a guest elder, did not join in the fun.

After transforming into "Wei Lang" for the first time, Wei Dongjun was no different from his eldest grandson in his previous life.

"Fellow Daoist Lu has been in seclusion for many years, so please don't be distant! Without Fellow Daoist Lu's kindness, how could I, Wei, have achieved what I have today?"

Wei Dongjun feigned displeasure, but his hearty laughter remained as warm and approachable as ever.

Despite the improvement in their status and strength, they did not adopt any arrogant attitude.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, you flatter me."

Lu Chang'an smiled and changed his form of address back to Lu Chang'an, nodding to himself.

Judging from the Grand Elder's past life, Wei Dongjun's character was not bad.

At this level of cultivation, there are no longer any virtuous men or women. However, he is loyal to the Wei family, deeply respects his grandfather Wei Lang, and is quite filial.

This person still has some sense of loyalty and is at least not a heartless, cold-hearted, or ungrateful person.

This is one of the reasons why Wei Lang and the Azure-Eyed Beast were willing to bet on him.

……

Inside the Dongfu Tea House.

Lu Chang'an and Wei Dongjun sat facing each other, discussing the upcoming Wei family's Infant Ceremony.

The newly promoted Yuan Nascent Soul of the Wei family is named "Wei Yishan".

According to seniority, he is Wei Dongjun's grand-nephew, and is only a little over 250 years old this year.

Wei Yishan's Nascent Soul Ceremony alone has a relatively limited impact across the vast Tianxing Sea.

However, Wei Dongjun's simultaneous announcement of his advancement to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, coinciding with this Nascent Soul formation ceremony, carries significant meaning.

This indicates that the Wei family is about to return to its peak in just a few decades.

Wei Dongjun had a big plan in mind: to invite powerful forces in Tianxinghai to expand his influence and build connections.

The Wei family today certainly has the qualifications, and it is also bound to the guardian deity of the Merchant Alliance, the Great Demon King, the Azure-Eyed Beast.

In the cultivation world, interpersonal relationships are inevitable among powerful forces. This is especially true for merchant alliances, where personal connections and networks are of paramount importance.

For example, Wei Lang once secretly offered tribute to the Grand Elder of Xingyue Palace and had some relationship with the latter.

During the last crisis at the Merchant Alliance headquarters, the Star Moon Palace also sent the Twin Lords of Sword and Blade to provide support.

The successful reconciliation between the two major business alliances, Azure Sea and Black Sea, was due to pressure exerted by the Grand Elder of Star Moon Palace.

Now, Wei Dongjun wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and reconnect with the people he knew back then, so he has upgraded the scale of the Nascent Soul Ceremony.

Lu Chang'an agreed with this, and even felt a little gratified.

"The Wei family has also invited Tianwai Island for this grand ceremony. The Immortal Physician Lingchun was unable to visit last time, but he will be attending this Nascent Soul Ceremony in person."

Wei Dongjun offered a reminder.

in business.

The Azure Sea Merchant Alliance and the Heavenly Island, a sacred land for independent cultivators, have close trade relations.

The Wei family has a long history with the immortal physicians of Tianwai Island, and their relationship has always been good.

The chaos of the Merchant Alliance more than thirty years ago, whether it was the speculation about the identity of the "Insect Demon" or the terrifying methods of the [Pure Heart Gu], were all just speculations by Lu Chang'an and Wei Dongjun.

Without conclusive evidence, and with only personal speculation, it cannot deter the esteemed and renowned physician.

Without a complete breakdown in relations, the two powers maintained a "friendly" relationship, and various trade collaborations continued as usual.

"It's alright. I've long heard of the legendary physician's reputation. Meeting him wouldn't be a bad thing."

Lu Chang'an nodded, his face expressionless.

Over the past few decades.

He had mastered supernatural powers and had control over the True Spiritual Treasure, which greatly increased his confidence.

Looking across the Star Sea, apart from the Star King, the Moon Queen, and the Demon Lord of Abyss City, other Nascent Soul cultivators pose a relatively limited threat to him.

Lu Chang'an didn't mind facing the Immortal Physician Lingchun directly to test her abilities.

……

He saw Elder Lu's calm expression.

Wei Dongjun recalled the Azure-Eyed Beast's private assessment of Lu Chang'an: This man's strength probably far exceeds the assessment of external intelligence, and he may have the ability to protect himself by dealing with great cultivators.

It is the Wei family's good fortune to be able to befriend such a person.

"Given Elder Lu's achievements—saving the main headquarters and turning the tide—he deserves to be exceptionally appointed as a formal elder of the Merchant Alliance. Once he accumulates enough seniority, further advancement in the future is not impossible..."

Wei Dongjun subtly tried to win him over.

After a few decades of transition, he can assume the position of Grand Elder.

At that time, Lu Chang'an will be officially appointed as the deputy leader of the alliance, forming a powerful alliance with stronger control over the business alliance.

If Lu Chang'an could fully integrate into the business alliance and be firmly bound to the Wei family, that would be the best thing.

If it were any other Nascent Soul cultivator, even if the favor was great, Wei Dongjun wouldn't dare to do this; he would always be somewhat wary of outsiders.

But it was based on some kind of intuition.

He felt very close to Lu Chang'an, with an inexplicable sense of trust and security.

"I am grateful for Fellow Daoist Wei's trust. However, I have no interest in the power of the Merchant Alliance."

Lu Chang'an shook his head, refusing without hesitation.

A thought crossed his mind, and he sneered:
"If the Merchant Alliance recognizes my contributions, and one day I need to use the Merchant Alliance's fourth-grade superior spiritual vein to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, I hope the headquarters can act flexibly."

"I, Wei, can make the decision on this matter!"

Wei Dongjun agreed without hesitation.

He confirmed once again that Lu Chang'an was the kind of cultivator who was indifferent to fame and fortune and focused solely on cultivation.

Lu Chang'an's request was reasonable.

Nascent Soul cultivators join major powers as guest elders, and spiritual vein dojos are an important requirement.

The mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivators of various forces in Tianxinghai, including the giants within the Merchant Alliance, all harbor ambitions to reach the late-stage realm.

However, due to the influence of the environment, the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm is close to the limit of the human world, and the success rate of breaking through is very low.

Legend has it that it is even more difficult for practitioners of the Evergreen Technique to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, requiring a long period of refinement and enlightenment.

The situation of overseas healers seems to confirm this rumor.

Therefore, Wei Dongjun did not take Elder Lu's request to use the fourth-grade high-quality spiritual vein seriously.

In his view, even if Lu Chang'an had the opportunity to advance to the late Nascent Soul stage, it would be a distant prospect, unlikely to be achieved within the next one or two hundred years.

……

More than two months have passed.

The Luoxia Islands, where the headquarters of the Bihai Business Alliance is located, are hosting the grandest Nascent Soul Ceremony in hundreds of years.

Hidden Mist Island, behind the cave on the mountain cliff.

Lu Chang'an completed his cultivation for the day.

The sound of the tide rising and falling below the cliff was drowned out by the sound of shuttles flying through the sky.

He slightly raised his head and gazed at the sky above the archipelago.

Magical artifacts, flying birds and mounts, rosy clouds and veils... all sorts of strange and colorful streams of light flew by.

Among them are the flying chariots and giant ships and palaces of powerful forces, soaring through the clouds and mist, with magnificent momentum.

The representatives attending the celebration were almost all high-level cultivators from various prominent forces in the Tianxing Sea.

Rarely seen Core Formation cultivators and exceptionally powerful Nascent Soul cultivators occasionally appear at the celebration.

"Tianxing Sea truly lives up to its reputation as the most prosperous sea among the overseas human races."

Lu Chang'an sighed inwardly.

He had never seen such a grand gathering of high-level cultivators in the inland regions of Dayuan and Daqing.

The status of Tianxinghai among the overseas human races is equivalent to that of super-large states like Zhongzhou and Fenghuazhou on the Tianheng Continent, but its geographical area is many times larger.

However, the destiny of human civilization lies in the Tianheng Continent. Even though the Tianxing Sea is rich in resources and sparsely populated, its potential is ultimately inferior to that of the central region of the Tianheng Continent.

……

I don’t know when.

In the distance, above the sea, shrouded in mist, the blurry outline of a mirage appeared.

The mysterious mirage gradually solidified, merging with the clouds, sky, sea, and mist, appearing mysterious and ethereal.

"The Sea Mist Pavilion? Could it be the 'Sea Mirage', one of the Seven Great Sea Sects?"

The archipelago is home to many knowledgeable cultivators.

Many of the congratulatory attendees were from powerful Nascent Soul cultivators from Tianxinghai.

call!
Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, a mysterious man with black eyes and white hair stepped out from the mirage that had materialized from the ethereal.

The white-haired man froze.

A few breaths later, his figure and the mirage behind him vanished into nothingness.

It was as if the scene just now was merely a reflection in a mirror.

Over the islands dozens of miles away.

"Haha! So it's Protector Li from the Mirage Tower!"

The Vice Alliance Leader, with a large pregnant belly and a beaming smile, greeted the Nascent Soul man with black eyes and white hair who accompanied him.

The Wei family's Nascent Soul Ceremony is a major event for the Azure Sea Business Alliance. The senior elders of the main headquarters will also cooperate in welcoming distinguished guests and expanding their network of contacts.

The Mirage is the most mysterious force within the Seven Seas Sect.

The representative of this force, "Protector Li," has an unusual identity, and Vice Leader Wan is happy to take the initiative to make contact with him.

"Illusionary Mirage Technique, quite interesting..."

Lu Chang'an murmured, gazing at the mirage disappearing into the distant sky.

At this time, many guests from afar had arrived at the Wei family's Nascent Soul Ceremony.

As a member of the Merchant Alliance, Lu Chang'an could no longer delay and prepared to head to the Wei Family Island.

Before leaving Hidden Mist Island.

Lu Chang'an thought of something and gave Zhao Shiyao a few instructions, telling her to activate the great formation and stay on the island without going out.

This grand event attracted too many powerful maritime forces, a real mixed bag.

During this period, all sorts of shady characters gathered in the archipelago waters, and some minor conflicts might occur.

With the formation and Xuan Shui Jun protecting her, Zhao Xianzi will be safe and sound as long as she stays on the island.

As a long-lived tortoise species, Xuan Shui Jun's drawback is its slow cultivation speed.

However, after digesting the Ink Dragon's Water-type Dragon Essence Pill, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and he has now reached the peak of the early stage of the fourth rank.

Lu Chang'an instructed Xuan Shuijun to spend another two years cultivating his abilities and build up his foundation, while also avoiding the limelight of this grand event.

……

Lu Chang'an rode his escape light at a leisurely pace toward the Wei family's territory, where the celebration was being held.

The Luoxia Islands span a vast area of ​​100,000 square kilometers, with numerous islands and spiritual veins.

Hidden Mist Island and the Wei family's Jade Harp Island are also tens of thousands of miles apart.

Along the way, new Nascent Soul representatives arrived.

Wow!
A giant sea serpent, thirty feet long, with wings on its back, soared through the sky near Lu Chang'an, riding the surging waves and spiritual light.

"The Sea Winged Serpent King of the Sea Spirit Sect!"

The monks from the Merchant Alliance Islands, as well as representatives from various parties who came to participate, all turned their heads in surprise.

On the head and neck of the Seawing Serpent King stood a beautiful woman with exotic blue eyes, her face radiant and her complexion rosy; a silver bell chain adorned her swan-like neck, and her waist swayed like a water snake.

The woman's skirt fluttered, her long legs appearing and disappearing, and beneath her feet, the Sea-Winged Serpent King soared through the air and broke through the waves, moving like a spring snake crossing water, strange and enchanting.

"The presence of Elder Spring Serpent of the Sea Spirit Sect is an honor to our alliance..."

Within the merchant alliance, a veteran Nascent Soul elder took the initiative to greet them.

The beautiful woman with emerald eyes smiled sweetly and let out a clear, bell-like laugh as she chatted with the elders of the Merchant Alliance in a harmonious atmosphere.

Lu Chang'an glanced around casually and had heard of the "Sea Spirit Sect," one of the Seven Sea Sects.

This sect is a top-tier beast-taming sect in the sea, possessing a large number of high-level sea beasts and spirit beasts, and has business dealings with the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance in the spirit pet industry.

Even within the entire Tianheng Human Realm, the Hailing Sect ranks among the top beast-taming sects, surpassing the Beast King Valley of Daqing in terms of heritage and foundation.

"Eh! That fellow Daoist possesses powerful magic and an extraordinary aura. I don't recognize him. May I ask which giant of the Heavenly Star Sea you are?"

Elder Spring Serpent's gaze inadvertently fell upon the figure on the azure light to the side.

The man was about thirty or forty years old, with a handsome figure, flowing sleeves, and his tied-up black hair mixed with silver-white hair. He had a weathered and lofty air about him.

The faint spiritual pressure of the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator made the Sea Winged Serpent King under the Azure-Eyed Beauty uneasy.

"Hehe, that is Lu Zhenjun, a guest elder of our alliance."

The elder of the business alliance smiled, his tone carrying a hint of self-satisfaction.

"It's actually Lord Lu, the one who annihilated many evil True Monarchs and drove away the 'Insect Demon'?"

The beautiful woman with blue eyes was moved; her spring-water-like eyes shimmered, unable to conceal her awe and curiosity.

She cultivates the spirit control secret technique of the Sea Spirit Sect, and has an exceptional sense of smell. No wonder she felt a flutter in her heart when the other party was looking her over.

According to the intelligence from Tianxinghai, this Lu Zhenjun is suspected to be a top-tier existence in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Giants at this level can even briefly exchange blows with great cultivators, and often have a track record of escaping death from the hands of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Top-tier beings in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, such as the infamous Insect Demon, pose a significant threat to ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Elder Chunshe's eyes flashed, preparing to have the accompanying elders from the Merchant Alliance introduce him to the two.

It's not that she's vulgar or trying to climb the social ladder.

Such overseas giants are located at the upper echelon of the Nascent Soul cultivator circle, with status and position second only to Nascent Soul Grandmasters.

The major powers of Tianxing Sea, or even renowned Nascent Soul cultivators, were all eager to forge such powerful connections. Unfortunately, as Elder Chunshe hesitated, the azure light accelerated, and the weathered figure of the man receded further and further into the distance.

Elder Spring Serpent sighed with regret, temporarily abandoning the idea and not insisting.

If that Lu Zhenjun is aloof and indifferent, and she rashly tries to get to know him, she might be snubbed and lose face for the Hailing Sect.

……

Lu Chang'an and Elder Chunshe of the Hailing Sect both landed on "Biqin Island" in the Wei family territory.

Unlike Hidden Mist Island, which is a spiritual island dojo that serves individual cultivators.

Biqin Island is a large island with a medium-sized fourth-order spiritual vein, which is more than enough to support a Nascent Soul power group.

At the highest point of the island, the Wei family specially prepared a neat area paved with crystal stones.

A misty haze hung in the air, like auspicious clouds covering the sky and shielding it from the blazing sun.

On the magnificent jade platform at the very head of the table sat two Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Wei family.

They are Alliance Leader Wei and Wei Yishan, who has just reached the Nascent Soul stage.

"Elder Lu has finally arrived."

Wei Dongjun rose with a smile and greeted Lu Chang'an.

Wei Yishan was thin, looking like a young man around thirty years old, and wearing a black robe with gold trim.

"Greetings, Lord Lu Zhenjun."

Wei Yishan adopted a humble posture, bowing slightly when he greeted her with clasped hands.

Today's Nascent Soul Ceremony is nominally hosted by him, but his presence is very minimal.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the two gentlemen of the Wei family, Lu Chang'an took his seat in the center of the ceremony venue.

Starting from below the jade platform in the main house, there are rows of elegant long tables, each about ten feet long.

Each table, about ten feet long, served as a separate banquet, representing a representative of a certain power, and was adorned with delicacies from land and sea, rare fruits and fine wines.

The long tables near the main residence were occupied by people from top forces in the Tianxing Sea, most of whom were Nascent Soul cultivators.

Before the long table, there is often a Nascent Soul cultivator sitting, or one or two Core Formation juniors who have seen the world.

Lu Chang'an held a special position within the Business Alliance, and thus sat alongside Nascent Soul representatives from these top-tier forces.

On the long tables to Lu Chang'an's left and right sat two Nascent Soul stage experts from top-tier forces.

The top position is representative of "Corpse King Island".

This gaunt old monster had a dark, withered face, wore a filthy Taoist robe, and had sunken eyes that shone like ghostly lamps, giving him a sinister, zombie-like appearance.

Some of the junior Core Formation cultivators present were filled with awe and trepidation at the sight of this person.

"Old Ghost Chai from Corpse King Island is at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. This old ghost is unpredictable and has a rather poor character; the representatives in the vicinity are not very willing to sit next to him."

Lu Chang'an exchanged glances with Wei Dongjun on the stage and learned the general situation.

At his lower position.

The lifeless, expressionless man carried a strange black stone coffin on his back. At first glance, it looked like an even longer, thinner stone coffin for the dead.

However, the black stone coffin was not nurturing corpses, but rather powerful swords and magical artifacts.

“A Nascent Soul sword cultivator from Black Reef Sword Tomb.”

Lu Chang'an gave a barely perceptible purse of his lips.

It turns out he was sitting between two figures from the underworld.

No wonder he didn't arrive early; this good empty seat was still empty.

Black Reef Sword Tomb is a top-tier sword sect among the Seven Seas Sects.

Unlike most sword-cultivation sects, Black Reef Sword Tomb focuses on the art of sword nurturing, specifically the art of nurturing swords with death energy.

Therefore, Black Reef Sword Tomb and Corpse King Island are somewhat competitive in terms of resources and business, and their relationship is not very harmonious.

For a long time, Corpse King Island has been stronger.

As one of the "Three Islands" of Tianxing Sea, Corpse King Island has a Corpse King at the peak of the fourth rank, whose powerful defense is said to be unbeatable even by those in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Even in a relatively weak era, without a powerful cultivator in charge, Corpse King Island could easily overcome the challenges.

Similar forces include Immortal Craft Island, which possesses late-stage fourth-tier puppets with inherited skills.

In this era, Corpse King Island had both late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and was in a very powerful period.

At this moment, the representatives from the two cities and the palace have not arrived.

Old Ghost Chai from Corpse King Island was arguably the representative with the highest cultivation level and status present.

……

After Lu Chang'an took his seat, he ignored the sinister gaze of Old Ghost Chai from Corpse King Island.

The Nascent Soul representatives from several top-tier forces in the vicinity mostly looked at him with curiosity and cast benevolent glances.

Such unbridled gazes as those of Chai Laogui are extremely rare.

Lu Chang'an scanned the entire scene and spotted the Nascent Soul representative from Immortal Craft Island. However, it wasn't the Iron Skeleton Elder he was more familiar with; it was just an ordinary Nascent Soul elder.

The Nascent Soul representatives on Immortal Craft Island are relatively low-key and are positioned slightly towards the back.

The seats at the outermost tables belong to ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators from powerful forces, while more than half of the representatives celebrating are Core Formation cultivators.

These Nascent Soul forces often have only one or no more than two early Nascent Soul cultivators, similar to the Li Huo Palace of Liang Kingdom or the Yun Xia Sect of Da Yuan.

Even so, to ordinary cultivators, they are still a powerful and influential force in the Tianxing Sea.

"Elder Lu, I have heard that you once killed a fourth-tier flying zombie. Is that true?"

The cold, hoarse voice came from Old Man Chai, who sat at the head table next door.

"A fourth-tier flying zombie? Oh, I think there is such a thing."

Lu Chang'an thought for a moment and then responded.

If Old Chai hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten about it.

He also seems to have a fourth-tier flying zombie, which has been "working" at the Merchant Alliance headquarters for years.

During the chaos at the Merchant Alliance headquarters, Lu Chang'an killed two evil Nascent Soul cultivators. Alliance Leader Zuo and others captured two fourth-tier flying zombies alive by freezing them, and afterwards, Lu Chang'an received one of the spoils.

At that time, the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance suffered significant losses at the top of its combat force, so it "rented" that fourth-tier flying zombie for a fee.

Every year, fourth-tier flying zombies can earn Lu Chang'an a considerable amount of spirit stones or resources.

Fourth-tier flying zombies require a large amount of blood and a yin spirit environment.

Lu Chang'an was not skilled in the evil art of raising corpses, so he simply affiliated himself with the main headquarters, which made things easier for him.

At this moment, Old Ghost Chai's mention of this fourth-tier flying zombie clearly indicates that he has something in mind.

"That fourth-tier refined corpse was a lost item from my Corpse King Island. Elder Lu is not proficient in corpse refining and cannot unleash the full power of this corpse."

Old Chai's withered, dark face showed a smile, seemingly trying to express goodwill, but beneath that zombie-like appearance, it sent chills down one's spine.

"Today is the Wei family's grand ceremony, and Corpse King Island is showing its full support. Elder Lu, why don't you give me some face and trade this Flying Corpse Refiner back to Corpse King Island at market price?"

Old Chai seemed quite agreeable and proposed a deal.

In the past, Corpse King Island and the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance had a generally strained relationship and had relatively little interaction.

Old Ghost Chai is considered the third most important figure on Corpse King Island, roughly equivalent to the vice leader of the Merchant Alliance. For someone of his stature to attend the ceremony is indeed a great show of support.

"If Fellow Daoist Chai can produce an ancient treasure or a replica of a spirit treasure of near-fifth-order quality, I, Lu, would not mind making a deal."

Lu Chang'an said casually.

He had reached an agreement with the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance that even if a fourth-tier refined corpse were to be sold, it would be given priority to the Merchant Alliance.

Of course, if the offer from outsiders is substantial and shows great sincerity, he might consider making a move.

"Tsk tsk! Elder Lu has such a big appetite, isn't he afraid of stuffing himself to death!"

Old Chai chuckled coldly, his tone unpleasant.

As the big boss of Corpse King Island, he couldn't accept an excessively high premium and only wanted to reclaim the fourth-tier flying zombie at a relatively low cost.

"I'm not afraid of being stuffed to death, I'm only afraid that Fellow Daoist Chai's worth isn't high enough."

Lu Chang'an said with a half-smile.

Upon hearing this, Old Ghost Chai's face darkened, his ghostly eyes flashed, and a terrifying, invisible, yin and rotten spiritual pressure emanated from him.

The surrounding area seemed to have been transformed into a gloomy and terrifying cemetery.

If it were an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, they would probably be terrified and lose their composure.

Lu Chang'an, however, remained calm and composed, leisurely savoring the fine wine.

Old Ghost Chai was slightly surprised, his expression shifting between light and dark, and he withdrew his powerful aura.

The oppressive aura from before seemed to be absorbed by a bottomless abyss, making it impossible to discern Lu Chang'an's true strength.

……

The little incident at the ceremony quickly passed.

Lu Chang'an ignored the arrogant and gloomy old man Chai sitting next to him.

He didn't want to escalate the conflict and spoil the festive atmosphere of the Wei family's celebration.

If they were to meet in the wild, Lu Chang'an would not hesitate for a moment.

I witnessed what just happened.

The Nascent Soul representatives from the surrounding major powers gained a more realistic and direct understanding of the legendary Elder Lu.

External intelligence assesses Lu Chang'an's strength as possibly being at the top-tier mid-stage Nascent Soul level.

However, there are also rumors:
Lu Zhenjun's strongest achievement was somewhat of a "lucky break" moment; he only made his move after the Merchant Alliance headquarters and the traitorous evil cultivators had fought to a standstill.

After all, many cultivators had witnessed the magnificent spectacle of Elder Bihai's "Song of the Returning Tide of the Azure Sea," and most of them severely injured the traitor.

The so-called "Insect Demon" being intimidated was most likely a case of a fox borrowing power, as the Twin Lords of the Star Moon Palace arrived shortly afterward. The Insect Demon was clearly not afraid of Elder Lu.

It is precisely because their strength is questionable.

With the backing of Corpse King Island, Old Ghost Chai has no fear of Lu Chang'an and may even be provoking him to test his strength.

"Hmph! This old ghost is blind and doesn't know what's good for him, daring to offend young friend Lu. When the celebration ends and he's alone, we should ambush and kill him, and make a fortune."

The spirit's old-fashioned, murderous voice echoed in Lu Chang'an's mind.

"Once Young Friend Lu advances to the late Nascent Soul stage, we'll wipe out Corpse King Island as well..."

After so many years of getting along, the spirit of the Sky-Splitting Axe has come to understand Lu Chang'an's true strength and its attitude has improved considerably.

However, the spirit's tyrannical and ruthless nature, its tendency to kill, plunder, and destroy forces, remains unchanged.

……

Half an hour later.

One by one, the top forces of Tianxinghai arrived, and the number of representatives who had not yet arrived was decreasing.

Elder Deng from Xingyue Palace has arrived to offer his congratulations!

Until a certain moment, a loud voice came, causing the lively and laughing cultivators to fall silent slightly.

soon.

An elderly man with white hair, who was in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, from the Star Moon Palace arrived at the grand ceremony venue.

The Wei family had made arrangements in advance, reserving the most central seat for the representative of Xingyue Palace.

Wei Dongjun greeted him with a broad smile.

A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes; he hadn't received the expected result.

As the overlord of the Heavenly Star Sea and the supreme ruling power, the Star Moon Palace only sent an ordinary elder.

The core of the Star Moon Palace, the Sun Palace and the Moon Palace, did not send any representatives, not even junior Core Formation cultivators.

In the present day, the Star Moon Palace has three Nascent Soul Grandmasters.

The Star King controls the Sun Palace, which is mainly populated by his direct male disciples.

The Empress takes control of the Moon Palace, which is primarily staffed by her direct female disciples.

There is also a Grand Elder who oversees the Elders' Hall of the Outer Palace, responsible for managing the mundane affairs of the Star Moon Palace, as well as various industries.

The Elder Deng in question is merely a Nascent Soul elder from the outer palace of the Star Moon Palace, whose reputation is not widely known.

Lu Chang'an could understand Wei Dongjun's feelings.

When his grandfather, Wei Lang, was alive, he established a friendly relationship with the Star Moon Palace and even managed to curry favor with the Grand Elder of the Star Moon Palace.

Judging from the congratulatory envoys sent by the Star Moon Palace, it seems that the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance is not taking this grand ceremony very seriously.

"After the chaos at the headquarters back then, the Grand Elder of the Star Moon Palace spoke up to defend us... Could it be that the past connections and friendships between our alliance and the Star Moon Palace have been completely exhausted?"

Wei Dongjun sat down again, looking slightly disappointed.

One of the main reasons he held this grand ceremony was to reconnect with some important relationships his grandfather had built.

Among these factors, the network of connections within the Star and Moon Palace is of paramount importance.

Old Chai grinned, a hint of mockery in his eyes, as he swept his gaze over Wei Dongjun and the elders of Xingyue Palace.

"The Star Moon Palace is no longer at its peak; it has begun to decay and its decline is inevitable. The era when one palace ruler commanded the Heavenly Star Sea will become a thing of the past in less than a hundred years..."

Over the years, Xingyue Palace's low-key and tolerant attitude has made Chai Laogui increasingly certain of the related rumors and intelligence.

After the "Great Calamity of Heaven" was launched back then.

It is said that the contemporary "Star King" failed to reach the Divine Transformation stage and suffered a severe backlash, resulting in significant damage to his foundation and lifespan.

Intelligence analysis: The Star King has not only suffered a major loss of strength, falling from the top-tier late-stage Nascent Soul level, but also has very little lifespan left.

Once the Star King passes away peacefully.

The remaining "Moon Queen" is alone and cannot form the combined attack of "Star Moon Absolute," nor can she suppress the increasingly powerful "Abyss City."

……

At the meeting, Lu Chang'an vaguely sensed the subtle attitudes of some of the top power representatives present.

The elders of the Star Moon Palace and representatives from Corpse King Island and the Black Sea Merchant Alliance were only superficially polite, lacking the enthusiasm and awe they once showed.

Of course, there are also some lawful forces that still flatter and curry favor with the elders of the Star Moon Palace.

Meanwhile, some forces remained neutral and observed from the sidelines.

Lu Chang'an seemed to see the hidden undercurrents and turbulent winds in the Tianxing Sea, and the alternation of light and darkness between the old and new order.

at this time.

A loud and clear voice rang out again from outside the island:

"From Tianwai Island, the Immortal Physician Lingchun has arrived to offer his congratulations—"

(End of this chapter)