In the distant sky.
Above the clouds, nine black heavenly ships, each over a hundred zhang long, slowly flew over. The smooth hulls of the ships were shining with countless small-sized talismans, converging into a hazy light curtain that isolated the violent gusts and freezing cold outside.
On the leading heavenly ship, a rich-looking old man stood by the railing on the spacious front deck. His large brocade robe was covered with golden ingot patterns. Standing on either side of him were a pair of extraordinary young men and women.
The surrounding view was extremely open, with boundless clouds spreading out before their eyes. Occasionally, they could see some unknown birds of prey flying past at high speed in the distance, and the dark gray earth could be seen far below.
“…The weather of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace is not as good as before!”
The rich-looking old man sighed slightly, speaking with a melancholic tone, “Thinking back to the past, our Shang family was just one of the many vassal forces of this super Dao Lineage, and not even one of the prominent ones.”
The young man in black clothes chuckled, “Uncle ancestor, why bother to worry? If it weren’t for the drastic changes and decline of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, and the weakening of their strength, how could our vassal families have the opportunity to break free and establish our own sects? Although those years were difficult at first, we have finally made it through!”
“That’s right,”
The young girl in a green dress smiled charmingly, “Now, among the hundreds of large and small floating lands in the surrounding star domains, our Shang family can be considered a prestigious and influential family. Even Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, which used to be our former main family, has to treat us with respect and deal with us on relatively equal terms.”
The old man was Shang Zimu, the current highest authority of the Shang family. This time, he brought two outstanding juniors from the family and a large amount of gifts to visit Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, intending to negotiate certain business cooperation matters with the senior sister of the sect. Of course, the main purpose was for Shang Yunyi, the young man in black clothes, to propose to a core disciple he admired.
Thousands of years ago, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was still a member of the super Dao Lineage, with its influence spreading across hundreds of major star domains in The Great Void. At that time, the Shang family was just an ordinary cultivator family, with a strength that was neither high nor low, and was inconspicuous among the many vassal forces of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.
Later, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace declined and its influence greatly diminished. The vassal families and small sects that lost its protection had to find a way to seek their own path. Some joined other super Dao Lineages, some formed alliances to seek warmth, and some remained neutral.
The Shang family was one of the lucky few. Because the location of their family headquarters in the floating land was relatively crucial, it belonged to the transit area of several important starry trade routes, making it very suitable for doing business. Coupled with the intelligence of the family head at that time, they decisively transformed. After experiencing initial difficulties and hardships, they finally turned the tide and their family business gradually prospered. Now, they have also squeezed into the threshold of ordinary major forces.
Shang Zimu patted his bulging belly and spoke with a steady tone, “Although Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has declined, it has been a super Dao Lineage that has existed for tens of thousands of years after all. There are still several hidden powerful experts supporting the situation in the sect, as well as several precious treasures suppressing their fate. The past heritage still remains, so we must not underestimate them too much!”
“Uncle ancestor is right.”
Shang Yunyi agreed, “A camel that starves to death is bigger than a horse. Although Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has declined from its peak, it has only been about ten thousand years. The remaining prestige of the super Dao Lineage still exists, and there are still many strong experts in the sect. Some secret channels and networks of relationships must not have been completely lost. It is not something that ordinary major sects can compare to.”
The young girl in the green dress, Shang Yao, spoke, “I heard that the current Sect Master, Mu Yinghua, is quite a formidable person. Her methods and temperament are outstanding. So, Uncle ancestor, do you think Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace will have a chance to rise again and restore its past status and glory?”
“Difficult, very difficult!”
Shang Zimu shook his head, “Building a family is like picking up a needle from the ground, while ruining a family is like sifting sand. It is easy to fall from the peak, but climbing back up is not easy at all! Not to mention anything else, those forces that had grudges and conflicts with Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace in the past will not give them any chance and will definitely do everything they can to hinder them.”
The birth of any super Dao Lineage is not an easy task. It requires millions of years of painstaking cultivation, generations of Sect Masters working hard and accumulating strength, and there must not be any obvious weaknesses in any aspect. In addition, they must engage in alliances and attacks, managing a large enough range of influence, and having a large number of vassal forces following them. They also need a special opportunity to squeeze into this small circle.
But ruining a family is much easier. As long as an incompetent family head appears, it is possible that within a few years, the hard-earned accumulation of hundreds of generations will be destroyed.
Shang Yunyi was about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of several rapidly moving golden dots in the far distance.
After a dozen breaths, as the distance closed, he could already see that they were three golden and radiant giant ships, and they should be the same as their own fleet in terms of their direction of travel.
“The people from Calamity Fate Palace actually came too?”
Shang Zimu’s voice sounded puzzled, “These guys have always been low-key and only like to play behind the scenes with conspiracies and tricks. Why are they making such a big show of visiting this time? What kind of medicine are they selling?”In the Great Void, the Calamity Fate Palace is truly a super sect, and it is the oldest and most mysterious existence in this small circle. The people in the sect have always been low-key and secretive, making it difficult for outsiders to know.
All the disciples and elders of the Calamity Fate Palace are skilled in feng shui layout, observing the stars, and deducing the operation of the heavenly mechanism. A few immortal cultivators can even manipulate the mysteries of creation, deducing the fortunes of the world, the fortune of the sect, and even the fate of individuals, all clearly arranged.
At this moment, inside the golden giant ship, in the hall shielded by numerous formation arrays, there was a faint mist and a hazy glow. Six or seven figures sat around a round jade table, each with a strong aura, their faces indistinct.
“…Master, it has been confirmed,”
A deep voice sounded unhurriedly, “The fortune of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has recently shown a significant increase, and there is no sign of stagnation in the short term.”
The figure sitting in the center slightly raised his head and asked softly, “Compared to the past, how much has it increased?”
“More than twenty percent.”
This answer obviously surprised everyone present, and they quickly discussed:
“…Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has long been declining, and in the past ten thousand years, it has been on a downward trend. The fortune of the sect has been continuously declining and dissipating. How could such an abnormal situation occur?”
“…That’s right, once this overall decline in strength is formed, it is difficult to fundamentally reverse it without special encounters.”
“…That Sect Master has made some achievements, but she is still far from the standard of a revival master. She alone cannot accomplish such a feat.”
“…Then why is this abnormal situation happening? It completely contradicts the previous divination results of the sect. Where did the problem occur?”
The scene fell silent.
The embarrassing situation of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace in recent years is well known to the various forces in the Great Void. Due to the significant reduction in their controlled territory, the size of the mortal population under their rule is less than one-tenth of the past. Moreover, they have always adhered to the tradition of only accepting female disciples. Therefore, during each grand opening of the sect, the number of talented cultivators they can discover is far less than other super sects.
The new generation of disciples is the foundation of all major forces. The quantity and quality of these disciples directly determine the strength of the sect hundreds or thousands of years later. It is an absolutely crucial factor that cannot be ignored.
No matter how powerful a force is, talents are the most important strategic resource. Without people, everything is impossible. Even a great foundation cannot be maintained.
Perhaps there are no obvious problems in one or two generations, but over time, it will inevitably become difficult to recover. After all, those old antiques who play a crucial role in the sect also have limited lifespan. There must always be new people coming in to ensure the long-term stability and existence of the sect.
After a long time, a voice faintly sounded, “According to my speculation, there are only three possible reasons for this abnormal situation.”
“The first possibility is that a powerful figure in the secret realm of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has unexpectedly broken through and reached an unfathomable realm. The second possibility is that this sect has obtained an unimaginable treasure to suppress their fortune. The third possibility is that they have discovered a disciple with extraordinary talent and an extraordinary fortune.”
The important figures present nodded in agreement. Apart from these three possibilities, there are other possibilities, but the probability is very low. Since the birth of the Great Void, there have been very few cases, so they are not considered by everyone.
The figure sitting in the center slowly said, “The first possibility is very low. The few powerful figures still alive in Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace have all suffered some injuries from the catastrophe ten thousand years ago. They must retreat and recuperate all year round. It is basically impossible to recover and make further progress in just ten thousand years.”
“The second possibility is possible, but it needs to be further verified through various channels. As for the third possibility, I think it is the most likely. Perhaps we can consider activating our senior undercover agents in this sect to quickly investigate the situation. What do you think?”
“Very well, I have no objections.”
“Agreed.”
“Agreed.”
…
In the secret hall.
Qing Muling sat cross-legged on the bed made of ten thousand years of purple jade, with dozens of jade pill bottles placed in front of him, all containing precious spirit pills sent by his senior sister.
With the complete activation of the formation array in the hall, a large amount of spiritual energy surged in, quickly filling the entire hall, making his figure almost completely submerged.
There were also a large number of spirit stones piled around the bed. If the supply of spiritual energy during the breakthrough was insufficient, Qing Muling could extract the spiritual energy from these spirit stones as an emergency measure.
The mysterious seed in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, and strands of exceptionally pure spiritual essence descended from the unknown, quietly merging with Qing Muling’s spiritual consciousness, and then transforming into a majestic mana, gradually filling his meridians.
His spiritual consciousness sank into the sea of consciousness, accompanied by long breaths. Faint and subtle bursts of explosions sounded from within his body. The surging blood and qi in his organs flowed like a mighty river, forming an unfathomable vortex. The surrounding spiritual energy crazily gathered and rushed towards him, like countless rivers converging into the sea, being devoured by his body.In this timeline, the cultivation system begins with the Qi Refining stage, which is divided into nine minor realms. However, strictly speaking, cultivators at the Qi Refining stage are still considered mortals, with a lifespan typically not exceeding a hundred years. Even with various life-extending spiritual medicines and elixirs, living past two hundred years is the limit.
Being mortal, they cannot escape the natural law of aging. Once they reach the age of fifty, their vitality begins to decline, a process that is irreversible. Without very special circumstances, there is basically no hope of breaking through to the Understanding Mystery Realm.
What is the Understanding Mystery Realm?
After a cultivator reaches the perfection of the Qi Refining stage, they take a further step, refining and sublimating their body’s essence, qi, and spirit to the extreme, stimulating the potential deep within their bloodline, drawing in the spiritual essence of the void into their body, breaking the shackles of their mortal body, and achieving a dual transformation of spirit and flesh. This gives rise to all sorts of incredible powers, making them true cultivators in the full sense of the word.
Taking this step signifies a dramatic increase in a cultivator’s strength, a qualitative change from the Qi Refining stage. They can communicate with the void in spirit, draw in the spiritual energy between heaven and earth to nourish and replenish their own consumption, maintain their vitality, keep their bodily functions at their peak for a long time, and their lifespan can usually approach three hundred years.
“So this is the Understanding Mystery Realm? It’s truly extraordinary, the feeling of having the power of heaven and earth within me… It’s wonderful!”
Qing Muling’s eyes were slightly closed as he quietly comprehended his state after the breakthrough. His robust mana surged within his meridians, making him feel incredibly comfortable, a sense of power he had never experienced before.
In this timeline, fame, fortune, and imperial power are all external things. Only power is eternal. One must possess great power to control their own destiny, rather than being manipulated like a pawn or an ant by those with great supernatural powers.