Dazzling with rosy light, the splendidly decorated pavilion shone as Dragon Ritual Princess slightly lifted her head, her gaze fixed on the vast sky outside the window. The starship carrying Qing Muling traced a bright streak across the horizon, speeding away into the distance.
With a soft sigh, Dragon Ritual Princess spoke in a melancholic tone, "Aunt Su, have I made a mistake?"
A gentle and thoughtful voice came from behind the screen, "Your Highness, if you have concerns, it's not too late to make adjustments. The assembly of immortals doesn't start until tomorrow, and he will remain at the Dao Court for quite some time. You have plenty of ways to draw him over."
Dragon Ritual Princess pursed her lips, lost in thought.
A beautiful woman in deep blue robes, her eyes calm, stepped forward, tenderly watching the young girl she had raised herself. As a confidant of the Qinghuan Emperor, her ability to read people was second to none. She had long noticed the princess's regret, but due to her usual pride and stubbornness, she was reluctant to change her mind so easily.
As the only daughter of an Emperor, her status was prestigious, and she had always gotten whatever she wanted, whether it was the wind or the rain. The things she desired but couldn't have were few and far between.
Remembering the Emperor's instructions, the beautiful woman decided to give another push, gently suggesting, "Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace is one of the Dao Lineages' powers that the Emperor is determined to support, and he is likely to be the next Sect Master. You will have plenty of interactions with him in the future, both publicly and privately. Getting closer to him will only benefit the Emperor's grand plans."
The reason was impeccable, beyond reproach. Increased interactions between men and women naturally lay the foundation for deeper feelings.
Dragon Ritual Princess relaxed, "Aunt Su's words are wise, let's do that! Oh, and make sure to keep an eye on things. If some ignorant fools try to stir up trouble using this as an excuse, show them what we're made of!"
The beautiful woman smiled, "I understand, there won't be any problems."
Some second-generation elites, with their impressive backgrounds and arrogant attitudes, were still infatuated with the princess. If they learned that Qing Muling had been summoned alone, their jealousy might lead them to underhanded tactics. Aunt Su had seen such things many times and naturally prepared in advance to prevent those fools from causing trouble at Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's residence.
Dragon Ritual Princess then said, "My true self is still in closed-door cultivation. Since I plan to… would it be more appropriate to meet him in person when the time comes? Otherwise, he might feel displeased."
Aunt Su pondered for a moment before responding, "Your Highness, your true self has been in seclusion for years, absorbing and refining the blood of the Ancient Phoenix. You're close to a breakthrough, and leaving early could hinder your cultivation. Why not wait a bit longer? I'll find an opportunity to explain to him privately, he won't mind."
"That sounds good, I'll leave it to Aunt Su's arrangement."
Dragon Ritual Princess said, her true self already at the pinnacle of the Xuan Immortal realm before seclusion. After emerging, she would surely advance further, breaking through the shackles and attaining the Golden Immortal Dao fruit.
A Golden Immortal was a figure of high standing in the entire Great Void, and for weaker Supreme Dao Lineages' powers, such cultivation was enough to take on the role of Sect Master.
Aunt Su mulled over the timing of the next invitation to Qing Muling, considering what kind of program to arrange. As someone valued by the Emperor, he couldn't be treated like an ordinary guest.
Elsewhere, after half an hour of rapid travel, the starship landed back at Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's temporary residence.
The Senior Sisters came out to greet him, and upon seeing Qing Muling disembark safely, Xuebing Xuan and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had been genuinely worried that the Emperor's daughter might do something reckless, and had been anxious the whole time.
"How was it? Did she give you a hard time?"
Back inside the palace, Qi Yalan couldn't wait to ask.
"It was nothing, just a brief meeting and chat."
Qing Muling briefly recounted the encounter, and the Senior Sisters were reassured. With Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord and Yueyi Heavenly Lord watching, Dragon Ritual Princess couldn't have done anything too outrageous.
"Alright, let's discuss the assembly of immortals."
Qing Muling handed a jade talisman to the Senior Sister, which contained the Dao Court's arrangements for the assembly.
Xuebing Xuan's expression turned serious as she read through the contents of the talisman. She activated the palace's array and tapped the talisman, causing a burst of splendid light to form a large magical projection mirror in mid-air, displaying dense characters and images to all the sisters present.
"Seems there are some differences from previous assemblies?"
Su Yunmo glanced at it, "The rewards are quite generous, even Postnatal Spirit Treasures are on offer? Plus heavenly-grade pills, cultivation techniques, and various treasures for refining the Dao foundation. The Dao Court is really splurging."
Luo Wanqing snorted, "All that's fine, but the key is the ancient Mysterious Dao Venerable's secret realm. The value of the opportunities inside… the Dao Court's higher-ups are really generous!"
The exact level of Mysterious Dao Venerable's cultivation is no longer verifiable, but the legacy of any Quasi Holy Emperor is invaluable, let alone one from ancient times. The treasures within the secret realm are surely beyond imagination.
Yet the Dao Court's higher-ups have opened it up and announced it widely, allowing any cultivator who ventures inside to keep any fortune they find, without the Dao Court taking a cut.
Yu Lingzhou said indifferently, "Since the Dao Court aspires to be the supreme ruler of the Great Void, they naturally need to invest. Those attending the assembly are elites from various Supreme Dao Lineages' powers, who have seen all sorts of treasures. If they only offered mediocre incentives, it would be looked down upon and people would lose interest in attending."
"That makes sense."
Qing Muling agreed. The greatest opportunities must fall into the right hands to be of value. Otherwise, they're just collecting dust in a storeroom. The Dao Court's higher-ups indeed have great vision and generosity. Any ordinary Supreme Dao Lineage's power wouldn't be so magnanimous.
Xuebing Xuan nodded, "Alright, let's work out a detailed plan to secure as many benefits as possible for our sect."
The first day of the assembly was tomorrow, and the new generation of elites from all powers, including those talented individuals from humble backgrounds, could attend the celestial banquet at the Dao Palace. The Dao Court's higher-ups treated everyone equally, without favoritism.
Next would be the inevitable sword-fighting contests. The prodigies could represent their sects or families, while grassroots talents participated individually. Anyone who made it into the top hundred would be listed on the Dao Court's prodigy roster and receive generous rewards according to their ranking.
Those who chose to join the Dao Court afterward would receive preferential treatment, and regardless of past transgressions or powerful enemies, the Dao Court would accept them and offer strong protection.
The only restrictions were that participants must be under a thousand years old and couldn't use weapons, talismans, Dao weapon puppets, or pills that temporarily boosted strength beyond a certain level.
This meant that cultivators had to rely on their own abilities, not the resources of their powerful backgrounds, which was especially valuable for talents from humble origins.
The benefits for the top ten prodigies were so enticing that even Qing Muling was envious, especially for the first place, which included two custom-made Postnatal Spirit Treasures, a bottle of twelve heavenly-grade pills, a choice of three cultivation techniques from the Dao Court's secret vault, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bathe in the blood of an ancient true dragon to forge a perfect body.
If the top ten winners were willing to join the Dao Court, they could choose an Emperor as their Master, receive the Dao Court's full support, be granted important positions, and wield great power.
Such conditions were incredibly attractive to those geniuses without background or history. Hence, the Dao Court always gained new blood at the assembly, steadily increasing its influence.
Even though many Supreme Dao Lineages' powers were jealous, they couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't offer the same generous conditions, or even if they could, they wouldn't give them to outsiders, preferring to prioritize their own direct descendants. This was the fundamental reason for the Dao Court's growing strength.
"…Junior Brother absolutely cannot participate in this sword-fighting contest."
Yu Lingzhou spoke with a grave expression, "The responsibility of competing for rankings falls on you girls. I doubt anyone can outmatch you."
Xuebing Xuan and the other five Senior Sisters weren't surprised and nodded in agreement. Qi Shuyu, Su Yunmo, and the others looked at Qing Muling thoughtfully but said nothing.
"Alright, then I won't compete." Qing Muling had no objections to this arrangement. His situation was too special; not because he was too old, but too young, and he wasn't sure he could fool the Dao Court's detection methods. If his secret became widely known, not just the Dao Lineages' powers but even the three Emperors wouldn't let him go without a thorough examination.
Moreover, his True One Realm cultivation wasn't an advantage against those well-known monstrous geniuses. Most of them were already at the Feather Transformation or Ascending to Immortality realms, with a few having reached the Elemental Immortal realm. Qing Muling wouldn't stand a chance against them unless he revealed all his cards, which would be a loss.
Besides, even if Qing Muling didn't participate, Xuebing Xuan and Qi Yalan, with their mid-stage Elemental Immortal cultivation, could easily claim first place, and it wouldn't be difficult for Luo Huan, Cheng Yulan, and Luo Wanqing to secure a spot in the top ten. Their gains were no different from his own.
As for the subsequent tests of pill refining, weapon forging, spiritual herb cultivation, and Heavenly Secret Art proficiency, Qing Muling didn't need to try.
Only the venture into Mysterious Dao Venerable's secret realm was allowed for Qing Muling. With his extraordinary fortune, he was likely to impress within, without revealing his secrets.
***
The next day, at the Dao Palace's main hall.
Thousands of starships, like a migrating school of deep-sea fish, converged from all directions, landing on the plaza in front of the grand hall, delivering guests from various Supreme Dao Lineages, super clans, and ancient tribes.
As Qing Muling and the Senior Sisters descended from their starship, they were momentarily awestruck by the towering, majestic Dao Palace. The splendid nebula spread across the sky above, showering the area with a myriad of colorful starlight, enveloping the vast plaza in a hazy glow. The ethereal and profound Dao Rhyme permeated the air, reminiscent of the dawn of creation, offering him an unprecedented, wondrous experience.
"Fellow Daoists from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, this way please!"
A large group of greeters had been waiting, and as each starship landed, a team would come forward to guide them up the thousands of jade steps to the magnificent main hall at the end.
A cold snort came from afar. Qing Muling turned to see that the Bright Moon Sword Sect's group had also just landed a few hundred steps away. The young master Lin Shengqing's face was livid as he glared fiercely at the Senior Sisters beside Qing Muling, his eyes nearly spitting fire.
"Mere rabble!"
Qing Muling chuckled and turned away, taking Qi Yalan's arm to leave. That fellow was still only at the Ascending to Immortality realm, no match for the Senior Sisters who were already in the Elemental Immortal realm.
"Why should Brother Lin be concerned?"
A gentle voice sounded, and Lin Shengqing turned to see the Armillary Sphere Star Palace's group approaching, with Yanling Ji, the chief disciple of Sect Master Yan Qinyang, walking towards him.
"It's Brother Yan, long time no see!"
Lin Shengqing forced a smile, familiar with Yanling Ji due to the alliance between their Dao Lineages.
Yanling Ji patted his shoulder, "Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has been in the limelight recently, and it seems those girls have come across some extraordinary opportunities, hence their rapid advancement. But no matter, if we join forces and plan carefully, we can surely teach them an unforgettable lesson in the ancient Mysterious Dao Venerable's secret realm!"
Lin Shengqing pondered, "It's difficult, their cultivation is indeed formidable…"
"What does it matter?"
Yanling Ji smiled, "Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace doesn't have many disciples, and those girls aren't strong enough to influence the overall situation. We have an absolute advantage in numbers, and I've invited several powerful allies this time. I'll introduce you to them, and together, we'll be unstoppable!"
He too had long been displeased with Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. The old scores from the Misty Illusion Secret Realm were unsettled, and now with this opportunity, why not take revenge?
"Excellent, let's advance and retreat together this time!"
Lin Shengqing agreed with a grim face.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan