Everyone's eyes converged on him.
He looked nothing like the withered, listless old Daoist he had been before entering seclusion.
Now, Guhongzi's white hair had turned black again.
Every wrinkle on his face had smoothed away.
He looked decades younger, transformed into a middle-aged man.
His Daoist robes swayed gently in the wind, his back ramrod straight.
From head to toe, he radiated the vigor of a man reborn.
The Grand Elder strode forward to greet him.
Smiling, he congratulated Guhongzi. "Fellow Daoist Guhongzi, congratulations on forging the foundation of your divine mansion and attaining the divine mansion realm. From this day forward, the great path to eternal life lies within your reach."
The others also offered Guhongzi their congratulations.
After all.
Now that he had entered the divine mansion realm.
Guhongzi's standing was worlds apart from what it had been.
Guhongzi did not speak immediately.
He raised his head and looked at the sky.
Then he lowered it and looked at the earth.
His eyes reddened a little.
Hundreds of years.
Born into poverty, he had stumbled onto the path of cultivation through a chance encounter.
With his exceptional talent and intellect, he had attained innately great perfection.
Unfortunately, the resources needed to establish a divine mansion were all monopolized by the great immortal clans.
To establish his divine mansion, he had spent over a hundred years serving those great immortal clans as their dog, only to end up with nothing.
Just when he thought this was all his life would ever amount to.
It had been the Li Family.
It had been that impossibly young King of Chu who had shown him one last glimmer of hope.
And he had seized it.
Today.
He had succeeded.
His divine mansion was complete.
Guhongzi drew a deep breath.
Then he