Time slipped by quietly.
Qin Muling had established a regular routine, venturing out for about seven days at a time with his two Senior Sisters to exterminate the ubiquitous progeny of the Magic Clan and purify the floating lands' dead zones.
If they encountered a formidable individual from the Magic Clan that exceeded Qin Muling's current strength, his Senior Sisters would step in to handle the situation.
There were no other benefits from these Magic Clan descendants; the resources they used for cultivation were unsuitable for human cultivators, so any spoils had to be destroyed. The greatest gain from killing them was heavenly merits, and if they could capture the formidable individuals alive, those skilled in weapon forging could turn them into Dao weapon puppets, which were excellent machines for war and slaughter.
Qin Muling didn't lack Dao weapon puppets; the only resource he valued was merit. As long as his cultivation improved, other problems would no longer be issues.
After the seven-day period, the trio would return to the Dao Court branch for closed-door cultivation to assimilate the gains from their experiences and tend to the medicinal garden, nurturing the spiritual herbs into sacred and divine herbs. Whether used personally or sold, they would be a lucrative choice.
Of course, satisfying his Senior Sisters was also an essential task. Fortunately, with Qin Muling's current cultivation, it was within his capabilities.
With ample cultivation resources, heavenly merits, and the benefits of continuous cultivation, the trio's cultivation speed was as swift as ever. Qin Muling had reached the third level of the True One Realm, and his Senior Sisters were not far from the mid-stage of the Elemental Immortal realm.
***
Inside the secret hall.
"…At this rate, it's entirely possible that you two will reach the True Immortal realm first. But of course, our Senior Sisters will have their complaints."
After a round of cultivation, Qin Muling sat up with some effort, glancing at his Senior Sisters, their faces flushed with satisfaction. The Harmony Spirit Seed within him emitted a hazy radiance, and the essence of spiritual energy continuously flowed into him, rapidly restoring his vitality.
Qi Yalan adjusted her blood droplet necklace and silk stockings garter, donned her exquisite skirt, and hugged her Junior Brother with lingering affection, smiling, "Why worry? This was all arranged by our Sect Master. Even if we benefit differently, it's only temporary. They won't blame you, Junior Brother."
"That's good to hear."
Qin Muling muttered, though he wasn't holding out much hope. In such matters, even the most cultured and gentle women wouldn't be reasonable. Or rather, they would only be reasonable according to their own logic.
Luo Huan elegantly tied the strings of her sheer embroidered bellyband, her lustrous, jade-like feet rubbing against Qin Muling's waist. She smiled gently, "With your cultivation progress, Junior Brother, reaching the Destiny Realm is only a matter of time. Then you won't need to worry about any imbalance."
Qin Muling nodded, got dressed, and took out his communication jade talisman, infusing it with mana to check the important events that had occurred in and out of the sect these past few days.
The calamity of the Magic Clan was intensifying. Nearly all Dao Lineage powers in the Great Void, including territories of other intelligent species, were under siege by large numbers of Magic Clan descendants, with staggering losses, especially in mortal realms and cities.
A group of Magic Clan descendants with True Person Realm strength slaughtered billions of mortals on a floating land within two or three days. Without equivalent forces to intervene in time, no number of mortals could withstand them.
During the days Qin Muling and his Senior Sisters were in closed-door cultivation, thousands of small and medium Dao Lineage powers in the Great Void had been annihilated. Not only were countless mortal lives lost, but their foundational strongholds were also leveled, with only a few descendants narrowly escaping danger.
【Fairy Butterfly: Just a day ago, the Cloud Luo Sword Sect of Qingyao Immortal Domain had its stronghold breached, and the Supreme Sect Master, along with tens of thousands of Disciples and Elders, perished in battle. Less than a hundred managed to escape.】
【Fenghua Fairy: Is this the first Supreme Dao Lineage within the Dao Court's territory to be wiped out? It's odd though, Cloud Luo Sword Sect was not weak. How were they defeated by those outsiders? Was there an accident?】
【Yu Lingzhou: There must have been a Quasi Holy Emperor among the Magic Clan descendants. I remember that the territories around Cloud Luo Sword Sect were surrounded by vast dead star regions, likely harboring an unimaginably large army of those outsiders. No wonder they couldn't hold out.】
【Fairy Butterfly: That's exactly what happened. Moreover, the Magic Clan Quasi Holy Emperor that emerged had a powerful treasure, making its combat strength extraordinary. Without a counterpart in Cloud Luo Sword Sect, their defeat was inevitable.】
【Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord: I'm certain there's more than one Quasi Holy Emperor among those outsiders. More Emperors will surely emerge. Cloud Luo Sword Sect is the first Supreme Dao Lineage to fall, but it won't be the last.】
Qin Muling's expression changed slightly as he sensed the plausibility of this scenario. Not many Supreme Dao Lineages or super clans in the Great Void had a Quasi Holy Emperor. Facing them might not guarantee an advantage.
Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had Xinyu Emperor to oversee it, with the Mountain Protection Array and Li Feng Star Cloud Tower as support, so confronting a fully-powered outsider Quasi Holy Emperor wouldn't be a problem, ensuring temporary safety.
However, if two Quasi Holy Emperors attacked, the outcome would be entirely different. Unless the Dao Court intervened, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would face the same fate of destruction.
【Mu Yinghua: There's no need to worry too much. I've just received news that Xuan Yin Emperor from the Dao Court has already set out with the Wind Thunder Vast Heaven Bell to intercept that outsider Emperor. I believe good news will come soon.】
【Xuebing Xuan: The Dao Court's higher-ups are responding quickly this time. Let's hope Xuan Yin Emperor returns victorious; otherwise, we'll be in a passive position.】
The emergence of a Magic Clan Emperor was a significant psychological blow to the higher-ups of all Supreme Dao Lineages. If not swiftly dealt with, many powers might lose the will to resist. That's why Xuan Yin Emperor decided to take action personally.
Moreover, if the situation is resolved smoothly, the Dao Court's prestige among countless cultivators will soar to new heights, which is beneficial for the Dao Court to further expand its influence.
【Qin Muling: Sect Master and all Elders, my cultivation is stable now, and we can arrange for a new batch of Disciples and Elders to come for Tribulation Crossing. We can handle more people this time.】
The chat went silent for a moment, as everyone was surprised to hear from the usually quiet Qin Muling. This extraordinary personal disciple, although only in the True One Realm, was not someone even Xinyu Emperor could ignore.
【Mu Yinghua: Since that's the case, I'll arrange it for you. The sect is short on manpower, and many territories are difficult to manage. If we can add some Elemental Immortal powerhouses, it will be much easier.】
After putting away the communication jade talisman, Qin Muling pondered silently. With his current level of fortune, he could oversee the Tribulation Crossing for all female cultivators at the peak of the Destiny Realm within the sect, including those at the peak of Ascending to Immortality, as long as they met the conditions.
The fifty Elemental Immortals and two hundred Feather Transformation Realm female cultivators who had successfully crossed the tribulation last time were mostly dispatched by Mu Yinghua to newly recovered territories like Cangquan, Feiyu, and Liuhua, stabilizing the somewhat turbulent situation and integrating the fortunes of countless beings with the sect.
Two days later, seven elongated and elegant giant skyships arrived as scheduled, led by Yu Lingzhou and Yueyi Heavenly Lord, two Supreme Elders, accompanied by thousands of stunning female cultivators, all former Disciples and Elders.
Two hundred at the peak of Ascending to Immortality, along with nearly a thousand at the peak of the Destiny Realm, would become two hundred Elemental Immortals and nearly a thousand Feather Transformation Realm cultivators after passing the Heavenly tribulations, significantly enhancing Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's overall strength.
This time, among them was a special Elemental Immortal, Mingyu Fairy, a younger cousin of Mu Yinghua.
Despite being from the same family, Mingyu Fairy's fate and talent paled in comparison to her cousin Mu Yinghua. She had been stuck at the peak of the Elemental Immortal realm for many years and lacked the confidence to cross the tribulation.
Thus, out of consideration for her family, Mu Yinghua sent her over, hoping Qin Muling could oversee her attempt to reach the True Immortal realm. If successful, she could gain another million years of lifespan.
Qin Muling had no objections. After all, his Sect Master wouldn't let him suffer a loss. The many benefits Mingyu Fairy offered could buy the permanent ownership of hundreds of floating lands, especially those fertile territories spanning tens of thousands of miles that had been cultivated for years.
Given the urgent defense situation in many territories, Yu Lingzhou didn't want to waste time. She immediately set up the Tribulation Crossing Formation Array and asked Qin Muling to begin.
The first group of ten for the Elemental Immortal tribulation and sixty for the Feather Transformation tribulation took nearly a month to complete. Finally, it was Mingyu Fairy's turn.
The power of the True Immortal Tribulation was much more formidable, but with Qin Muling's fortune protecting her, she crossed it safely, albeit with some difficulty.
This time, the toll on Qin Muling was significant, with nearly three percent of his fortune depleted. However, after several nights of dual cultivation with his Senior Sisters, he could quickly recover.
"Alright, next time I'll bring more Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters."
A relieved Yu Lingzhou smiled. With the addition of this new force, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would handle the calamity with greater ease, achieving greater victories with smaller losses.
Moreover, if Qin Muling could ensure all the Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters in the sect passed the tribulation, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's overall strength would significantly surpass its peak from ten thousand years ago, becoming the strongest among the Supreme Dao Lineages, even surpassing Calamity Fate Palace in this regard.
It's known that including the Dao Court, all Dao Lineage powers face a nine-death-one-life challenge during tribulation, with a high failure rate. But with Qin Muling in Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, there's no risk of falling during tribulation. Fifty people undergoing tribulation meant fifty successes; a thousand meant a thousand successes.
"…Can you ensure absolute safety? At least for the next five hundred years. Otherwise, if the news leaks, not just me, but the entire sect will face unimaginable trouble."
In the secret hall, Qin Muling asked Yu Lingzhou. With so many female cultivators, it was hard to ensure none were high-level spies secretly planted by other powers. Without sufficient means to restrain them, any leak could have severe consequences.
Yu Lingzhou reassured with a smile, "Rest assured, the Sect Master has already had individual talks with them, and Xinyu Emperor has placed powerful restrictions in their Divine Souls. If they dare reveal a single word, they will immediately perish, beyond saving. The restriction lasts for a thousand years."
Qin Muling was relieved. An Emperor's methods were not easily broken, and even if there were spies among these female cultivators, they couldn't do much.
"There's one more thing,"
Yu Lingzhou continued, "The Dao Court's higher-ups have issued a notice to all powers, stating that to respond to the great calamity, this round of the Grand Assembly of Immortals will be held ahead of schedule. They will open a batch of special blessed lands and secret realms previously unavailable, allowing outstanding descendants from various Dao Lineages to enter and seek fortunes. Whatever they gain inside can be kept or sold to the Dao Court at a reasonable price, ensuring they won't suffer a loss."
Qin Muling's heart raced. As the first immortal sanctuary in the Great Void, with the largest territory and influence, the Dao Court's secret resources were indeed incomparable to ordinary Supreme Dao Lineages.
Hence, the Grand Assembly of Immortals was always crowded with attendees, including rarely seen prodigies from Supreme Dao Lineages, who would appear on such occasions to compete for special opportunities.
"Can I participate?"
Qin Muling asked directly.
"Of course, but there's still more than half a year until the assembly, so you have the chance to further improve your cultivation. More importantly, you need to oversee another batch of Disciples and Elders crossing the tribulation."
Yu Lingzhou smiled, "Not just you, but your Senior Sisters will also need to attend. Such an assembly only happens once every five hundred years, so it's a rare opportunity. Those Supreme Dao Lineages are probably preparing already."
Opportunities to openly take advantage of the Dao Court's resources were rare, so even powers like Calamity Fate Palace took it seriously, as did the powerful intelligent species. It could be said that all well-known prodigious talents in the Great Void would not miss the event.
Beside him, Qi Yalan frowned, "I'm just worried that some might harm Junior Brother. What if they try to poach him or even forcibly take him away?"
Yu Lingzhou shook her head, "That won't happen. The Grand Assembly of Immortals has the backing of three Emperors from the Dao Court. Even the most lawless powers wouldn't dare cause trouble at such an event. There have never been accidents in past assemblies, so Junior Brother's safety is guaranteed. Besides, we will also send a powerful force to accompany and protect you and Junior Brother."
"That's reassuring."
Qin Muling said no more. He was no longer a powerless newcomer and needn't fear his contemporaries.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan