Born with immortal seed

Chapter 910 Which Enemies, Which Allies

The moment his divine sense shook the heavens and earth, Bai Zichen understood that he was not attacked, but rather resonating with a cultivator who practiced the same technique.

Upon seeing Meng Yanqing, it was clear that he was a fellow disciple of the Jingming Sect in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

It was the clan elder mentioned by that person, the immortal official in charge of the medicinal garden in the Daoist court.

When he first ascended to immortality, he even considered attaching himself to a sect and taking advantage of the Pure Brightness Sect to facilitate his development.

However, plans can't keep up with changes, and after leaving the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm, they encountered a series of unexpected situations.

But every time, the outcome was in his favor, and they supported him all the way to the point of being able to merge.

This perfectly timed, tailor-made adventure is also one of the sources of unease in my heart.

"After merging, I felt that I could go anywhere in the world. Apart from the matter of my body undergoing tribulation, I had no other worries and relaxed my guard... In the past, I would never have stayed in an unfamiliar place for so long and given the opportunity to recognize each other."

Bai Zichen sounded an alarm for himself: after the Nine Heavens Bone Forging Technique was destroyed, he was no longer as impenetrable as before when facing the insidious methods of villains.

However, it is indeed worthwhile to make friends with fellow disciples of the Pure Bright Sect, as they are naturally much closer to each other than other cultivators.

"Bai Zichen, a cultivator who ascended from the lower realm, inherited the lineage of the Qingfeng Sect of Ancestor Shaoyang."

"It was originally the lineage left behind by Master in the lower realm. They were truly one family... After you ascended, why didn't you go to Thunder Tai Province? I remember Master once sent a decree to the lower realm."

Meng Xirang stretched out his hands and eagerly greeted him.

Those who migrated and separated from their original sects tens of thousands of years ago or even earlier are not the same as the successors of the Shaoyang Immortal Lord's lineage.

This relationship is already quite close.

The Hidden Dragon Realm, from which the Immortal Lord Shaoyang originated, has been dormant for far too long, so long that it has almost been forgotten.

"I heard from Yanqing that you are interested in the Vermilion Bird Red Lotus. I happened to have it with me on my way back, so I will give it to you."

After Meng Yanqing finished serving as a waiter and poured the spirit wine, Meng Xirang took out a celestial plant, which seemed to be flapping its wings like a vermilion bird about to soar into the sky. The heat wave caused the ice on the table to begin to melt.

It is the Vermilion Bird Red Lotus, a fire-elemental innate spiritual root, which, after being imbued with the Undying Heavenly Flame, is often used to refine substitute death talismans.

I originally intended to use this innate spiritual root to forge a good relationship with the rumored newly promoted cultivator, and now that my target has become a fellow disciple, I will not be stingy with my offer.

Being in a good position, he could easily obtain the Vermilion Bird Red Lotus with a little effort; it was far less expensive than the exorbitant price that outside cultivators imagined.

However, figuring out how to address him was a real headache, and he hesitated for quite a while.

Normally, all disciples of Shaoyang Immortal Lord belong to Dongzhen Altar, and since they are of equal cultivation level, they can address each other as fellow disciples.

However, the other party has another identity: the Heavenly Emperor's tribulation status is higher than that of the Heavenly Venerable, and the person who has opened the sword path can basically lock in the future perfect integration.

Addressing someone as an equal made Meng Xirang truly afraid that he wouldn't be able to bear the consequences and would gain a huge advantage.

“It is indeed useful to me, so I will not pretend to be modest. Thank you for your kindness, Brother Meng. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to help.”

A few immortal crystals are far too insulting to a Nascent Soul cultivator; they are definitely not as valuable as a promise from Bai Zichen or a single act of kindness.

The Vermilion Bird Red Lotus was held in the palm of his hand, and the splashing undying heavenly flames radiated a scalding heat, unable to escape even a fraction of the palm's width.

"How is Master Shaoyang? I should have come to pay my respects as a disciple, but I have important matters to attend to and can only do so later."

"In his first life after ascending to immortality, Master was severely injured by a star beast in the heavens, which severed his path to immortality and stopped him at the peak of the Void Refinement stage... In his second life, he did not unravel the mystery of his birth until he was a thousand years old, which ruined his foundation and caused him to have no potential after advancing to the Body Integration stage. As a result, he had enough time to organize the lineage and complete many scattered techniques and supernatural powers, truly reaching the point of establishing a sect."

“Even the great figures of the Daoist court heard of my master’s reputation and summoned him to the Ninth Heaven, rewarding him with the position of the Five Thunder Court Envoy. It was during that period that I became his disciple.”

Meng Xirang raised his voice slightly, clearly very proud of Shaoyang Immortal Lord.

"After calculating the best time for reincarnation, with more than 20,000 years of lifespan remaining, I decisively entered the cycle of reincarnation ahead of time. I awakened my memories as soon as I was born in my third life, and I am now in the late stage of the Fusion Realm."

After his long speech, he actually felt relieved. He couldn't refuse a visit from his master, and he was also blatantly pushing the Jingming Sect to the forefront of the conflict.

Because of the matter of the candidate for the Celestial Venerable of Immortality, the conflict between the Daoist court and the Louguan Temple has grown increasingly intense and is almost out in the open.

The Shenxiao Palace recommended him, but the Daoist Court rejected him because he did not meet the requirements. They severely punished those below who coveted the position.

In less than half a year, Yuqing Prefecture sent another person, saying that when he was born, a long river of time swept by and cicadas chirped.

The court reprimanded him again, banished him from the register, and vowed never to be employed again.

More than ten celestial officials from Yuqing Prefecture were punished by having their celestial stipends reduced and being subjected to lightning strikes.

Bizhen Palace, Qifei Hall, Suying Tower... As one was suppressed, more palaces and pavilions emerged, sending all sorts of so-called divine beings to the Ninth Heaven.

Even from this glimpse, one can already see the extent of the internal divisions within the Daoist court.

By directly intervening as an 'outsider,' the Jingming Sect will inevitably offend one side severely, and may not even gain the support of the other.

"Master Shaoyang is a genius, and I believe he can go even further..."

Bai Zichen sincerely admired him. When the Shaoyang Patriarch ascended to heaven, the Jingming Sect was just an empty shell. It can be said that he single-handedly brought the sect back into the mainstream spotlight.

In the future, in terms of the order of the ancestral tablets to be enshrined in the sect, it will be able to surpass many predecessors and be second only to the founding ancestor, Immortal Lord Nanhua.

However, for a fusion, three reincarnations are basically the limit.

The original essence has been almost worn away in the cycle of reincarnation, and forcing it to come back would only result in another unconscious wandering soul.

The two tacitly avoided sensitive topics and engaged in lively discussions, ranging from anecdotes about the Immortal Realm to their experiences in combined cultivation and the merits and demerits of the Jingming Sect's techniques.

Aside from the Cantong Qi, Bai Zichen has only practiced the Qianji Forbidden Technique and the Jingming Dharma Body, which would definitely not be considered top-tier in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

According to Meng Xirang, while reviving the Jingming lineage, Master Shaoyang also improved a large number of cultivation methods and supernatural powers.

For example, the Pure Bright Dharma Body was upgraded to the Profound Sky True Dharma Body, which was extremely powerful in combat, tireless, and its physical body could rival that of a seventh-tier demon emperor.

"It is Qinghua Tianzun's junior disciple who has successfully advanced to the Integration stage. This is announced to the world, and he is now known as the Immortal Lord Who Saves the People from Suffering."

Midway through the conversation, a commotion broke out outside. Meng Yanqing left his seat to inquire about the situation and then hurried back to report.

"The Palace of Wonderful Words has gained another Nascent Soul cultivator, truly a flourishing place, completely overshadowing the other Heavenly Venerables among the Six Emperors..."

Meng Xirang's smile carried a hint of helplessness; Qinghua Tianzun was currently the de facto ruler of the Dao Court.

Furthermore, from the Daoist court's attitude toward the candidate for the Longevity Celestial Venerable, it is very clear which side the Azure Flower Celestial Venerable is on.

"It seems that the Celestial Venerable Qinghua is not pleased to see the Celestial Venerable of Longevity in his place?"

Bai Zichen's heart stirred; sometimes, the enemy on the surface is the most steadfast ally.

People all see him as someone who has undergone tribulations, but they don't know that he is different from his past tribulations and therefore doesn't feel any joy because of it.

Those who do everything they can to prevent the Heavenly Emperor from returning are the ones who stand on the same side as him.

"The first generation of the Eternal Life Celestial Venerable was His direct descendant, who was taught the Great Dao of Time and was regarded as His successor... If the main deity resides in the Eternal Life Palace, in the absence of the Jade Emperor Celestial Venerable, from a legal perspective, he should be the head of the Six Emperors."

Meng Xirang was surprised that Bai Zichen brought up this topic, so he could only answer cautiously and carefully.

"Whether the Longevity Celestial Venerable is equivalent to His incarnation, and whether his long reign will produce any chain reactions, is beyond my ability to speculate."

When the Heavenly Emperor goes to war, the Jade Emperor leads all the saints, balances the three realms, and governs all spirits.

This is also the reason why the Jade Emperor felt he should ascend to the supreme position after the Heavenly Emperor's disappearance.

"I see."

Bai Zichen raised his glass in a distant toast, the relationship between them certainly couldn't be explained in just a few words.

The Daoist court suddenly split, and now it's a mess, with both sides accusing each other of betraying the Heavenly Emperor's ideals.

It can only be discerned from subtle clues that the Celestial Venerable of Longevity was presented as a red flag against the Jade Emperor.

After all, the Jade Emperor's influence is too strong, and only the Celestial Venerable of Immortality can rival him.

The turning point should be the activation of the Xuan Tian Sword. Since that time when he turned the tide, it seems that he used up all his luck, and there has never been a truly immortal Celestial Venerable again.

From then on, the status of the Hall of Longevity declined sharply, and it lost its voice in the Taoist court.

After a long talk that lasted from day to night, both of them got what they wanted.

"The path to immortality is long and uncertain. I will return to Zhongji Immortal City to visit fellow Daoists and pay my respects to Ancestor Shaoyang after I have severed all worldly ties."

After the drinks were finished and the conversation had ended, Bai Zichen got up to take his leave.

"Meng will certainly welcome you with open arms, and the entire Jingming Sect also welcomes fellow Daoists back to the sect."

Meng Xirang stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said.

If it weren't for his special status, he would definitely have dragged Bai Zichen to Zhongji Immortal City right now to make his name known throughout the Three Realms.

Such a disciple brings honor to the entire sect.

"Grand Uncle, Senior Bai has already passed away..."

Seeing that the elder was standing still, Meng Yanqing couldn't help but remind him.

"What a glorious day for the swordsmanship! What a glorious day for the great path of time!"

Meng Xirang slumped back into his seat, exhaled a long breath, and wiped away non-existent cold sweat.

From the moment they met, he was overwhelmed by the aura of this fellow disciple, which was vast, majestic, lofty, and ethereal.

His own grotto was covered by a dark shadow, curled up in the corner, as if facing the ruler of heaven and earth.

The river of time flowed past right before them, the tranquil sound of the water drowning out the activity of the Immortal Foundation, causing even the Great Dao Divine Powers to slow down and become sluggish.

It was also because their spiritual consciousness was in sync that they were able to better appreciate the terror of the cultivators opposite them.

"He has only been at the Integration Stage for a few years, yet he can already make me feel uneasy. He truly deserves to be the one most likely to awaken the Heavenly Emperor through tribulation!"

Bai Zichen's two identities clearly made Meng Xirang more convinced.

Those who open the door to the great path have indeed achieved remarkable success, judging from past examples, but it is impossible for them to achieve such immediate results.

Only when it comes to the Heavenly Emperor does everything that seems illogical become logical.

"I have thus incurred a small karmic debt. If the Heavenly Emperor can truly return in this world, this blessing will be enough for me to cultivate to the point of perfect integration."

Meng Xirang's eyes were filled with joy; he was lucky enough to have achieved his wish with just a single Vermilion Bird Red Lotus.

Perhaps it was the fact that you were both disciples of the Jingming Sect that played a role; otherwise, if the Heavenly Emperor, in his tribulation-transcending form, did not want to see you, he would have used a celestial transformation to make the two of you pass each other by.

(End of this chapter)