Accompanied by the clear and melodious cry of a phoenix, a piercing sword light shot up into the sky.
Miaoyu, the Holy Maiden, had come prepared for trouble, so she was ready for Xuebing Xuan and the others to turn hostile. As the sword light was about to strike, a piece of jade pendant at her waist suddenly emitted a clear chime. Petal-sized flower shadows emerged lightly, forming a thick light barrier in front of the sword qi.
However, she had underestimated Qi Yalan's strength. This strike was an all-out effort without reservation. The protective light barrier only blocked the sword qi for a fraction of a breath before being slashed open and torn apart. The sword qi continued its relentless path towards Miaoyu, the Holy Maiden.
Miaoyu's face changed slightly, and a jade bracelet on her wrist flew out rapidly, turning into a swath of pink brilliance that blocked the sword qi. Her body quickly retreated, and in the blink of an eye, she was already ten miles away.
"Hehe, the sisters from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace sure are fiery!"
A sweet and coquettish voice sounded as three equally graceful and alluring figures appeared beside Miaoyu, the Holy Maiden. Ribbons fluttering and a shower of pink light danced around them, collectively blocking Qi Yalan's offensive.
Qing Muling glanced over and recognized them as the three Holy Maidens who had been brought to Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace by Yuli Immortal Venerable last time to compete with Xuebing Xuan. They had suffered a great loss then, but now it seemed their injuries had healed.
With four Holy Maidens from Huaqing Divine Palace gathered together, their confidence surged. However, upon seeing the cultivation levels of the women opposite them, their momentum faltered.
Xuebing Xuan spoke indifferently, "There are only four of you, while we have five. If it really comes to a life-and-death struggle, you are no match for us. Are you sure you want to fight to the death?"
Luo Wanqing mocked, "After all, Huaqing Divine Palace has plenty of Holy Maidens. A few more or a few less doesn't make much of a difference. Even if all of you died, it wouldn't matter much."
"…"
Miaoyu's face changed slightly. The five opponents were all in the Elemental Immortal realm, while her three junior sisters were only at the peak of Ascending to Immortality realm. She herself had just broken through to Elemental Immortal, and her cultivation was not yet stable. Facing Xuebing Xuan, a mid-stage Elemental Immortal, she was indeed at a disadvantage.
If they continued to be stubborn, they were bound to suffer a loss today, and they would have nowhere to seek justice afterward.
However, the Dao Court's grand assembly of immortals had not yet begun, and showing weakness under the watchful eyes of the public would undoubtedly cause Huaqing Divine Palace to lose face. For some time to come, it would be difficult for them to stand tall and speak in front of the many Supreme Dao Lineages.
From different areas of space, the divine senses of countless cultivators converged, and various spying divine abilities were cast. Hundreds of Dao Lineage powers were keenly observing the situation here.
Just as they were caught in a dilemma, dozens of golden light beams approached rapidly from afar, transforming into a group of imposing men and women Daoists with tall crowns and wide belts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a critical location of the Dao Court. The Emperor has issued a strict order that no one from any Dao Lineage sect may engage in private conflicts here. Those who dare to defy this will not be let off lightly!"
The leader, a red-robed immortal with a cold voice, reprimanded. His aura was chilling and severe, a true cultivation of a True Immortal, and his entourage's cultivation ranged from Feather Transformation Realm to Elemental Immortal, forming a formidable lineup.
An elder from the higher-ups of Huaqing Divine Palace finally appeared, speaking warmly, "It's just a squabble among the younger generation, nothing serious. We apologize for causing a scene in front of the Dao Court's members."
Yueyi Heavenly Lord appeared on a heavenly boat, speaking coolly, "Our two factions have never had any relationship. You bunch of troublemakers better stay away from us in the future, or I can't guarantee that nothing unpleasant will happen."
"Hmph, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace is in the limelight recently. There's no need to argue with you. Let's wait and see, and I hope your juniors won't disappoint at the grand assembly of immortals."
The strikingly beautiful elder gave Yueyi Heavenly Lord a sideways glance, swept her sleeves, and left with the four Holy Maidens, breaking through the sky.
Under the deterrence of Dao Court's martial power, even the most unruly and lawless forces dared not cause trouble.
Thus, the commotion came to an end, and the surrounding multitude of onlooking cultivators let out sighs of disappointment, chattering and continuing on their way.
***
The journey that followed was smooth sailing, with no more foolish forces coming to provoke them. Three days later, the fleet of heavenly boats smoothly arrived at the Dao Court's palace deep within the Mirrored Immortal Realm.
In the void, boundless purple clouds supported the grand and magnificent palace complexes, with dazzling radiance and auspicious mists. The palatial buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, with golden light enveloping the vast sky and auspicious light shining for miles. In Qing Muling's spiritual perception, an extremely rich purple aura of heavenly merits continuously gathered from the vast expanse of the void.
"Indeed extraordinary, truly deserving of being recognized as the number one immortal sanctuary in the Great Void!" Qing Muling exclaimed softly. The richness of the Dao Rhyme here was clearly stronger than other Supreme Dao Lineages. Cultivators living and practicing here year-round would not only absorb spiritual energy more efficiently but would also find it easier to break through their realms.
This was thanks to the continuous and relentless transformation of the surrounding environment by the Dao Court's higher-ups. The floating lands in the void were numerous, and the surfaces of these lands showed no signs of dead zones, with each being a spiritually abundant and picturesque blessed land.
No wonder more and more lone cultivators and grassroots geniuses from large sects, who had not achieved recognition, were willing to join the Dao Court. Here, one's background was irrelevant; as long as one had exceptional innate talent, they would receive attention and cultivation from the Dao Court's higher-ups.
"It's quite nice, but the Dao Court's current conditions are still far from enough to unify the entire Great Void," Yueyi Heavenly Lord commented indifferently.
Qing Muling nodded. Without discussing other conditions, the foundation of all organizations is force. For the Dao Court to accomplish such a grand feat, having only three Emperors in charge was not enough. They would need a genuine Primordial Holy Person, along with a dozen or so Quasi Holy Emperors, to ensure actual control over the vast Great Void.
Of course, this was not a concern for the current Qing Muling. Focusing on cultivation and improving his own cultivation level was the right path.
In the void, hundreds of slender white flying boats sped towards them. These were the welcoming envoys sent by the Dao Court, each boat responsible for guiding a Dao Lineage's team and escorting them to different floating lands to settle down until all the forces attending the grand assembly of immortals had arrived.
Each Dao Lineage's dwelling was different, and the distances between them were not close. This arrangement was to prevent conflicts from arising between factions with existing feuds, which could escalate into unmanageable situations.
The team from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was guided to a floating land spanning tens of millions of miles. The palaces had been prepared in advance, offering an excellent environment with a spiritual energy concentration comparable to the Main Altar of the Sect. Tens of thousands of servants and maids awaited them, with Dao Court's experts guarding the perimeter.
"My Healing Game"
Xuebing Xuan began to exercise her rights as the Senior Sister, assigning all the sisters to different palaces, courtyards, and abodes, and the elders' secluded residences were also arranged properly. As for Qing Muling's dwelling, there was no need for a separate arrangement; naturally, he would live and eat with her.
But not long after settling down, a group of brightly dressed envoys arrived, followed by a large group of expert guards.
"…I am here on the orders of Dragon Ritual Princess, inviting Qing Muling to join us for tea and discussion."
The leading female official gracefully presented a calling card.
"…"
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan