A Gathering of Worthies
Qingwang Sect Mountain Inner Gate.
Upon receiving Yuxu Zi's notification, the Spokesperson the various immortal sects who were waiting at the mountain gate immediately set off for the mountain.
Because it was already late, the streaks of light were particularly eye-catching.
Upon closer inspection, one would discover that these auras were at least those of Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Even with Lu Bai in charge, the Qingwang Sect disciples within the mountain gate could not help but tremble with fear.
The square in front of the palace.
A large amount of rainbow light fell onto the square, revealing an extraordinary figure among them.
Some wore towering crowns and walked with the stride of dragons and tigers, while others wore Daoist robes with yin-yang patterns, exuding a profound aura...
To be honest, the overall strength of this group is far greater than that of the allied forces of the Qingwang Sect last time.
Only because they were unable to resist Lu Bai's strength did they gradually restrain their aura and make their stance clear.
It's worth mentioning that while these Spokesperson of the immortal sects were waiting outside the mountain gate, they weren't idle either. As the day passed, they secretly made connections with many of them, agreeing to stick together and support each other should any unforeseen circumstances arise.
It is clear that these leaders of the immortal Spokesperson have formed several distinct groups.
Those scattered cultivators, either alone or in small groups, were actually in the minority.
But they all had one thing in common: they were both observing Lu Bai, who was sitting cross-legged on the Dao Seeking Stone, without making a sound.
These Sect Master and Holy Lord dared not speak to Lu Bai rashly, so they chose to first try to build a relationship with Yuxu Zi, who was in charge of maintaining order.
Regardless of whether high-level cultivators possess the power to move mountains and cross rivers, or to boil seas and burn rivers, they are still human, not immortals.
Seeing that various senior figures who used to look down on him were now speaking to him in gentle voices, even Yuxu Zi, the Sect Master of the Qingwang Sect, couldn't help but feel a little smug.
"Fellow Daoist Yuxu, it's been a century. How have you been?"
Yuxu Zi couldn't suppress his smile, "Xuanzhou is peaceful; life is pretty good."
"Fellow Daoist Yuxu, I have long admired your name. I have heard that you have considerable expertise in the field of formations. Why don't we sit down and discuss this further another day?"
"Lingzhen Sect Master Arrays, you flatter me. My meager skills are hardly worthy of being mentioned."
"It's alright, it's alright. We can verify each other's work, and we'll surely gain something from it."
Sensing the pleasant atmosphere, someone lowered their voice and asked, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Yuxu, what is the purpose of your sect's Grand Master Lü's summons to us?"
These words immediately quieted the scene, and it was clear that many powerful figures had turned their attention to Yuxu Zi.
Yuxu Zi lowered his eyes. He wasn't stupid; of course he knew why these fellow Daoists were so enthusiastic towards him.
"Rest assured, everyone. Elder Lu of our sect is not a bloodthirsty demon. As long as you follow Elder Lu's rules, there will be no bloodshed."
The high-ranking members of the immortal sects present were not reassured by this.
After all, in many situations, one's own life has to come second.
Fortunately, Lu Bai didn't keep them worried for long. After everyone had arrived, he looked around.
His gaze swept across the hundreds of cultivators at the Nascent Soul, Integration, and Mahayana stages in the plaza. Apart from a few who had fled or stubbornly refused to come, they basically encompassed all the immortal sects in Xuanzhou.
Lu Bai stood up, chuckled, and spoke softly, his voice low but Mana enough to reach everyone present.
"I am Lu Bai. You may not have met me, but you should have heard of my deeds."
So everyone can rest assured, I invited you all here not so that I could easily wipe you all out in one go."
At this point, a slight commotion arose in the square.
Everyone here is intelligent, so they could naturally understand the subtext in Lu Bai.
Lu Bai showed no intention of resolving the discipline issue and continued speaking.
"I'm just dissatisfied with the current situation. This so-called 'immortal path values competition' is terrible, as everyone knows. Looking across the entire Xuanzhou, lower-level cultivators struggle to survive, pursuing only that faint hope of becoming immortals. Mortals without spiritual roots toil like oxen and horses their whole lives, barely making ends meet, and have to pray they don't encounter any cultivators fighting, otherwise they won't even know how they died. And high-level cultivators are no different..."
Only when one's cultivation reaches the Mahayana stage can one barely be considered truly carefree. However, heavenly tribulations still hang overhead, preventing one from completely relaxing. Ask yourselves honestly, is this really a good thing?
"... Therefore, I have come, and the heavens are now clear. I will establish laws, and everything will be done according to the rules, hoping that the Cultivation World of Xuanzhou can unite as one, and that all people under heaven can have a moment's respite."
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Such remarks drew scorn from the high-ranking members of the immortal sects present, yet they dared not show it.
The reason is simple: it is said that the blessings of a virtuous person end after five generations. Even within the same family, people beyond five degrees of kinship are no different from strangers. The power of time is indeed immense.
They are all ancient monsters who have lived for at least several hundred years, with indifferent minds. How could they possibly believe in the fairness and friendship that Lu Bai talks about?
I just felt that Lu Bai's words were full of high-sounding platitudes.
Rather than making them believe that Lu Bai intends to change the world, it would be easier to get them to accept it by coercing and enticing them to annex the major immortal sects.
However, faced with an existence that they could not defeat even with their best efforts, the leaders of these immortal Spokesperson could only mutter complaints in their hearts for a while, and dared not show it out loud.
"Senior Lü's noble character is truly a model for Xuanzhou."
The Golden Scale Holy Lord's face flushed, looking incredibly moved and excited by the words. He raised his right hand and declared, "Our Golden Scale Holy Land is willing to follow Senior Lü and will follow your lead without question."
Since the Sect Master the Taishi Sect has now become a member of the Inspection Team, the representative sent by the Taishi Sect has been replaced by a Grand Elder.
He was a gaunt old man, seemingly on his last legs, who might pass away at any moment.
But this gaunt old man also spoke up right after the Golden Scale Holy Lord, loudly echoing, "I have lived for ten thousand years, but today, thanks to Senior Lü's teachings, I have come to know the preciousness of truth, goodness, and beauty. How could my Taishi Sect not support this?"
The old senior's swift kneeling motion left several sect Sect Master dumbfounded, prompting them to speak up in unison, fearing that being a step too late would incur Lu Bai's wrath.
The scene suddenly became incredibly lively. To someone unfamiliar with the place, it would probably look like a scene from a traditional Chinese story, where wise men and righteous officials gathered in a grand court.
Of course, there were still some senior and powerful figures among them, standing silently in the crowd with gloomy expressions.
Unfortunately, given the current situation, even if people have opinions, they don't dare to voice them at all.
Lu Bai watched the scene in the square with a half-smile.
He knew these monks weren't sincere, but he didn't mind; it was just a large-scale social experiment anyway.
"Indeed, you are all loyal ministers, there are no treacherous ministers among you."