The Long Journey to Immortality

Chapter 914 The Layout of the Extreme Heaven Palace

It's rather awkward for outsiders like Han Lu and other Zheng Yi Sect cultivators to discuss the internal affairs of the Ji Tian Palace.

However, in order to make Mo Zhehan, a cultivator who was focused on cultivation and romance, understand the significance of Han Lu and Xuan Chengzi's actions, Han Lu seriously told Mo Zhehan about the news she had heard about the internal struggles within the Jitian Palace.

Just as Han Lu had thought, even though Mo Zhehan's mind wasn't on vying for power, he did indeed know quite a bit about the opposition factions both inside and outside the sect.

With just a few words, Han Lu sparked a conversation, drawing out a great deal of information that Mo Zhehan already knew.

"Although I don't know the details very well and am not particularly concerned about this matter, there are indeed quite a few cultivators in the sect who are not very satisfied with Master becoming the Palace Master."

"Fortunately, many elders and disciples have benefited from doing business with the Central Plains in recent decades; otherwise, the opposition would have been much louder."

“But this is actually quite normal,” Mo Zhehan said, as a disciple of the Jitian Palace, he was more aware of the inside story and the flaws in the sect system. “It’s the same every time power is transferred.”

"There are nearly a hundred branches in the Jitian Palace, which probably have a million disciples and elders."

Mo Zhehan only gave an estimate; he didn't know exactly how many disciples existed in the Extreme Heaven Palace.

"How can we possibly select a palace master who satisfies everyone from three or four candidates?"

"Don't choose my master, choose someone else."

“Then our Zixiao Sect lineage will definitely be labeled as the opposition.”

“Even if my master doesn’t strive for fame and fortune, there will be elders who are close to him and crave power who will oppose him and cause trouble.”

Thinking simply and seeing things clearly, Mo Zhehan, an outsider, understood the complexity and difficulty of this matter better than many high-level cultivators who were obsessed with power.

The Central Plains and the Great Yu Dynasty, where the Jitian Palace is located, have many differences in social environment.

Naturally, although both are successors designated by the previous leader, the situations faced by Zhengyimen and Jitiangong will be quite different.

At its peak, the number of disciples and elders in the Zhengyi Sect was no more than 25,000.

Combining the customs of the Central Plains with the relationship between the five mountain academies, Zhengyi Sect is more like a slightly larger family, a group of acquaintances.

This organizational structure means that individuals have more room for tolerance towards each other.

Generally speaking, as long as the elders of this generation are not all "oddballs and rotten apples", the successor chosen by the previous sect leader can always be accepted by the vast majority of people.

Even if there are occasional dissenting voices, they mostly come from the "upper levels" and cannot spread to the lower levels within the existing organizational framework.

The Jitian Palace, with its relatively loose organizational structure and numerous disciples and elders, is more like a community composed of buildings.

The Palace Master is merely a "property manager" with certain powers. Coordinating the relationships between each resident and getting everyone to work together towards a common goal is the Palace Master's most frequent task.

In addition to the "community" as a team entity, small groups can also be formed between buildings.

This is also why every time the Palace Master of the Extreme Heaven Palace changes, whether the power is "inherited" or "handed over to an outsider," it always causes controversy.

Although Mo Zhehan didn't use exactly that wording when explaining the reason, he still managed to explain the difference between the items to Han Lu and Xuan Chengzi quite smoothly.

Hearing the reason, Han Lu and Xuan Chengzi felt much more relaxed.

Xuan Chengzi looked at Han Lu and smiled, "It seems that the situation is not as bad as we thought."

Han Lu joked, "Maybe the older Nascent Soul cultivators in the Extreme Heaven Palace are already used to this scene."

"Mo Zhehan," Han Lu asked again, "In the history of the Jitian Palace, are there any examples of opposition groups successfully rebelling?"

Mo Zhehan recalled for a moment and said, "I heard from one of my senior brothers that there were several instances of changing the palace master halfway through the process. As for how many of those instances were due to interference from the opposition, I don't know."

“However,” Mo Zhehan then brought up a more important matter, “it is said that the few remaining Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect all support Master to become the Palace Master.”

"Even if in the future, the opposition does indeed collude with outsiders to organize a force, just as you have seen, and attempt to stage a coup."

Mo Zhehan laughed and said, "Even if he had five lives, it probably wouldn't be enough for him to die."

Hearing Mo Zhehan's analysis, Han Lu was completely relieved.

Since it's just a minor skirmish, it's unlikely to destabilize the situation at the Extreme Heaven Palace.

With the political situation stable and the Jitian Palace unlikely to change its nature in the short term, all that is needed is to report the major event of the "world collision" to the Palace Master of Jitian Palace, and the Zhengyi Sect cultivators need not worry about anything else.

Seeing Han Lu and Xuan Chengzi's expressions, Mo Zhehan felt the time was right and asked, "Now you can tell me what happened, right?"

Mo Zhehan noticed that Zi'e had remained silent, and guessed, "Could it be related to this fellow Daoist?"

Han Lu admired Mo Zhehan's intuitive judgment.

Since I need his help and we've already gone this far, I can't not explain the details to Mo Zhehan now.

Not to mention that Mo Zhehan has a bright future and possesses the bloodline of a true spirit. A thousand years later, he will surely be the most outstanding cultivator in the Great Yu Dynasty.

If a war were to break out with the Eastern Lands in the future, even without his relationship with Han Lu, Mo Zhehan would definitely fight on the front lines.

Han Lu was about to use telepathy to explain her reasons to Xuan Chengzi so that he would allow her to reveal the secret, but Xuan Chengzi spoke first, explaining the purpose of the three of them's trip to Mo Zhehan.

"Fellow Daoist Mo Qiong." Although Xuan Chengzi and Mo Zhehan had met a few times in the Zhengyi Sect when Xuan Chengzi was still the sect leader, they were by no means familiar with each other.

"This matter is actually related to a catastrophe that will befall the Central Plains and the Great Yu Dynasty a thousand years from now."

"Elder Zhenfeng must have told you about the Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm. When the Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm opened, there was a stone tablet at the entrance, which was left by the ancient cultivator Wang Lin, who was skilled in divination, 100,000 years ago."

"He predicted that there would be a calamity that would threaten the very survival of humanity."

"And just a few years ago, through this Fellow Daoist Zi'e, we finally saw through the layers of mist and understood what this calamity was."

Xuan Chengzi looked at Zi'e and said, "Fellow Daoist Zi'e, please take off your hood."

Upon hearing this, Zi'e reached out and removed the hood covering her head, revealing her light gray hair.

Mo Zhehan could sense that the clothes on Zi'e's body were a magical artifact that isolated divine sense. Since Xuan Chengzi had instructed her to do this, Mo Zhehan could naturally guess Xuan Chengzi's general intention.

He used his divine sense to sweep towards the purple calyx.

Upon sensing the true form of Zi'e, Mo Zhehan looked surprised.

Chapter 915 Appointment and Visiting Friends

"Fellow Daoist..." Mo Zhehan asked, searching for a gentler word, "I have never seen a true spirit or magical beast like you."

Zi'e introduced herself, "I come from another human realm called the Eastern Land. It's normal that Fellow Daoist Mo Qiong doesn't recognize me."

"How should I address you, fellow Daoist?" Mo Zhehan asked.

Zi'e introduced herself, "Zi'e."

"Fellow Daoist Zi'e, could it be that the calamity and disaster that Fellow Daoist Xuancheng and Han Lu mentioned are truly related to you?"

Suddenly, true spirits and magical beasts that he had never seen before and came from other worlds appeared. Mo Zhehan naturally felt that his previous guess was correct.

It was inappropriate for Zi'e to say such a thing, so she obediently followed the rules that Xuan Chengzi had made with her, keeping silent and acting as a living prop and living evidence.

Xuan Chengzi, who knew more about the specifics, was responsible for explaining.

Han Lu, who had not participated in the "interrogation" of Zi'e over the three years, also became a listener and spectator.

However, since it was only to explain the situation to Mo Zhehan, Xuan Chengzi did not tell Mo Zhehan all the secrets.

Even so, when he heard that the worlds of "Eastern Land" and "Central Plains-Great Yu Dynasty" would collide and merge, causing spiritual energy leakage and more natural and man-made disasters, Mo Zhehan realized the importance of the matter.

“This is…” Mo Zhehan imagined what would happen a thousand years from now and said, “Just hearing about it is terrifying.”

"If the cultivators, true spirits, and demonic beasts of the two worlds were to fight, I'm afraid there would be corpses strewn for miles and rivers of blood, with countless cultivators and mortals dying in the war."

"Indeed, Master must be informed of this matter as soon as possible."

"Even if my master is no longer the master of the Jitian Palace a thousand years from now, we can start preparing now."

Mo Zhehan quickly sorted out his thoughts and, without waiting for Han Lu and Xuan Chengzi to ask, brought up the old matter again.

Han Lu added, "Whether we fight or make peace, we must base our decisions on strength and prepare early in order to minimize the damage caused by this unexpected disaster."

Mo Zhehan nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll go ask Master now to see if he has time to meet with Sect Master Xuancheng, Han Lu, and Fellow Daoist Zi'e."

"This matter should not be spread, so please keep it a secret, Fellow Daoist Mo Qiong," Xuan Chengzi advised.

Mo Zhehan was still unaware that Xuan Chengzi had stepped down, but Xuan Chengzi, in order to make their group seem more important, did not correct Mo Zhehan's minor mistake.

Mo Zhehan nodded in agreement.

“I will go and consult my master immediately, but before I go, let’s settle the three of you down first,” Mo Zhehan said to Han Lu. “Sect Master Xuancheng, how about you three stay here with me for the time being?”

“No problem, thank you for your trouble.” Xuan Chengzi did not refuse.

Han Lu didn't seem to mind and simply nodded.

Seeing this, Mo Zhehan sent out a paper sword and summoned the servants and stewards in his household to help entertain the guests and arrange their accommodations.

Without delay, he set off to find his master, whom he might not see for several years at a time.

Mo Zhehan's master, Zhetian Venerable, is also the Palace Master of Jitian Palace and the current Sect Master of Zixiao Sect.

However, due to the difference in their positions, he usually lived, practiced, and worked in a complex of buildings similar to the "Five Elements Mountain Academy" within the Jitian Mansion.

It's not far from the Zixiao Sect, but it still takes two hours to go there and back.

When Mo Zhehan returned and met Han Lu and the others again, Han Lu, Xuan Chengzi, and Zi'e had already settled down and, with the help of one of Mo Zhehan's disciples, had taken a stroll around the Zixiao Sect, gaining some understanding of the place where Mo Zhehan cultivated and grew up.

Mo Zhehan's return brought news that was far from good.

Although he is the Palace Master, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, Zhetian Venerable must spend more time on his own cultivation.

Mo Zhehan was unable to see the Venerable Zhetian explain the situation to him; he only asked a cultivator who served by the Venerable Zhetian's side to relay the message on his behalf.

"I said that the sect leader of Zhengyi Sect, Xuan Chengzi, has important business to discuss with us. I think that after Master finishes his cultivation these few days, he will definitely send the paper sword as soon as possible to meet with the three of you."

This outcome was within Xuan Chengzi's expectations. "Then the three of us will wait patiently here. I think we should be able to meet the Palace Master of Zhetian Palace in less than half a month and complete this mission."

There were no obvious obstacles, and everything went smoothly, so Xuan Chengzi was naturally quite optimistic.

Han Lu also smiled and said, "This matter should have a result soon."

Xuan Chengzi looked at Han Lu and asked, "Elder Zhenfeng, leave the rest to me and Fellow Daoist Zi'e."

"Whether you're traveling here, visiting friends, or even going to the wilderness to visit relatives, it's all fine."

"Just remember to return to the sect."

Han Lu, of course, was not so shameless as to leave all the troublesome matters to Xuan Chengzi to handle. "No rush. Although I do have the idea of ​​going home for a visit, I will help Elder Xuan Chengzi handle this matter completely before considering it."

"No rush, no rush."