At that moment, Ju Hua couldn't help feeling a flood of emotions.
The clan leader's attitude was clearly much friendlier than before, and the evening banquet was probably being held for his sake as well. The reason for inviting the two Loose Immortal retainers went without saying!
After all, under normal circumstances, Zhuanshui Qing, as the Zhuanshui Clan's leader, had no need to concern himself with two Loose Immortals from other clans.
The change was probably because Zhuanshui Qing thought he had a chance of becoming a million-year Loose Immortal, right? A million-year Loose Immortal could rival an ordinary Celestial Immortal in strength, so their status was naturally different!
There should be beings like that within the Zhuanshui Clan, but they were completely beyond Zhuanshui Qing's authority. Even ordinary Celestial Immortal ancestors couldn't casually order such figures around.
And in truth, Ju Hua could absolutely become a million-year Loose Immortal!
Setting aside his somewhat unusual talent, just the potential he had shown so far gave him a great chance of becoming one. Those who lived for a hundred thousand years were usually top Loose Immortals. At his current strength, Ju Hua could easily live another four or five hundred thousand years. If he made another major breakthrough, he might completely cross the threshold of top Loose Immortals and reach the level of a million-year Loose Immortal!
It was hard to say whether an ordinary Loose Immortal could make a major breakthrough, but in Zhuanshui Qing's eyes, Ju Hua was a genius who had reached such strength after only three hundred years of cultivation. It wouldn't be strange at all if he made another breakthrough someday!
Zhuanshui Qing probably wasn't the only one who thought so. Zhuanshui Pingqiu, who had admitted defeat and left, and the two Loose Immortal retainers flying over were likely thinking the same thing!
At Zhuanshui Qing's invitation, the few Loose Immortals on Jueshui Platform soon flew away together, while the Zhuanshui Clan members gathered around the platform quickly dispersed on their own.
For some, the battle had been far beyond their reach; they had only come to watch the spectacle. But in the eyes of certain people, the fight had been far more than it seemed!
"Zhuanshui Juhua and Zhuanshui Pingqiu fought on Jueshui Platform and neither could best the other, yet Zhuanshui Pingqiu voluntarily conceded. There must be more to it. We must report this to the clan as soon as possible." Quite a few spies from families hostile to the Zhuanshui Clan found the same thought rising in their minds.
Zhuanshui Qing was, after all, the leader of the Zhuanshui Clan, and the banquet he had prepared was lavish. The fine wine and delicious food were one thing, but the beautiful women who came in one group after another to perform left Ju Hua dazzled.
Before his tribulation, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Dao. His clan had wanted him to focus on surviving the tribulation, so no one had dared disturb him. He truly hadn't seen many scenes like this.
As the banquet neared its end, Zhuanshui Qing smiled and said, "These are beauties offered by some minor tribes. I have no use for them! Younger cousin, and you two fellow Daoists, if any catch your eye, take them with you."
"Since the clan leader is so generous, I won't stand on ceremony!" Daoist Duohe, who looked like an old man, swept out a hand. In an instant, a woman in a purple dress landed in his arms.
Ju Hua saw no sign of dejection on the woman's face. Instead, she looked delighted, as if she'd just won a prize!
Perhaps, to her, following a Loose Immortal was far more appealing than staying here with Zhuanshui Qing as a dancing girl.
After Daoist Duohe made his choice, Daoist Changjing didn't hold back either. With a wave of his hand, he chose a young woman in white.
"And you, younger cousin?" Zhuanshui Qing turned to ask.
"Thank you for your kindness, elder cousin!" Ju Hua clasped his hands. "But I'm devoted to the Dao, and I fear there's no place in my heart where these women could find happiness."
"Why give it so much thought? They're nothing more than playthings." Zhuanshui Qing shook his head with a laugh.
"..."
Ju Hua furrowed his brow and said nothing more.
"Haha, since you're unwilling, younger cousin, I won't force you!" Zhuanshui Qing waved his hand, sending all the remaining beauties away.
Zhuanshui Qing didn't take the matter to heart. In his view, Ju Hua had only just become a Loose Immortal and hadn't yet come to terms with reality. A few tens of thousands of years would probably be enough!
He had been the same when he first failed his tribulation. It was only later that—
Zhuanshui Qing didn't dwell on it. Soon, he was laughing and drinking with the other Loose Immortals again!
After the banquet ended, Ju Hua bade farewell to Zhuanshui Qing and the other two Loose Immortals, then hurried straight back to his lodgings without pause.
When Ju Hua returned, his little sister, Zhuanshui Qiu, was sitting on the doorstep waiting for him.
"Big brother, you're finally back!" The moment she saw Ju Hua, Zhuanshui Qiu hurried over.
"Little sister, how old are you now? Why are you still so jumpy?" Ju Hua smiled and ruffled Zhuanshui Qiu's hair.
"I was worried about you!" Zhuanshui Qiu said, pouting. "I heard you fought Immortal Pingqiu on Jueshui Platform today. Were you hurt?"
"Of course not!" Ju Hua said with a smile. "How could I possibly get hurt?"
"Why couldn't you?" Zhuanshui Qiu retorted. "You only just woke up from a coma!"
"..."
Ju Hua was speechless. He had no answer to that.
"Nothing to say, huh?" Zhuanshui Qiu made a face, then continued, "Big brother, would you like something to eat? I made you lots of food!"
Without waiting for Ju Hua to answer, Zhuanshui Qiu took him by the hand and led him into the courtyard.
Ju Hua had no choice but to follow. But as he watched his little sister's back, he couldn't help thinking of the many women from other minor tribes he'd seen at the clan leader Zhuanshui Qing's place that day.
Those minor tribes were weak and could only depend on the Zhuanshui Clan. The women in their clans could only obediently be sent over for others' amusement.
He and his little sister were both fortunate to have been born into a great clan like the Zhuanshui Clan. But the Zhuanshui Clan was renowned throughout the Great Xia World. What about within the Three Realms?
I cultivate the Dao, and until now, I've only done it to attain immortality and the Dao! Now I understand: is my purpose in cultivating really as simple as attaining immortality?
But Ju Hua didn't notice that, quietly and without a sound, his newly awakened Heartforce had begun to slowly grow.
After eating the food his little sister had prepared and chatting with her for a while, Ju Hua returned to his room.
Once inside, Ju Hua did nothing else. He sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
Since he couldn't become a Celestial Immortal, the Qi Refinement Path had reached its end for him. Naturally, Ju Hua wasn't refining qi now. He was cultivating the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens!
When an Earth Immortal underwent tribulation and realized he couldn't survive it, he could flee in time and save his life. Some Earth Immortals were more reckless and would rather die than run. Others had no wish to fight to the death; once the heavenly tribulation destroyed their bodies, they immediately fled with their souls. And a very small number of Earth Immortals managed to preserve their bodies.
Ju Hua was one of the latter. When he realized he couldn't survive this tribulation, he had begun making plans for the future.
If his body remained intact, he could still take the God-Fiend Path and undergo tribulation to become a Celestial God. If his body were destroyed, the God-Fiend Path would become nothing but an illusion! At the time, he had thought that with the help of the Immortal Abode left behind by Daoist Sanshou, he still had a chance of becoming a Celestial God. So he had fought desperately to preserve his body!
With his body intact, he could, of course, continue along the God-Fiend Path!