Xiaoqian's Presence... Disappeared
"Kid, do a good job. The First Ancestor and all of us old bones are watching you."
Having said that, True Lord Qingxiao did not linger any longer. His figure transformed into a long blue rainbow and disappeared back into the sea of clouds in the Nine Heavens.
The oppressive feeling in the square only gradually subsided after the blue light completely dissipated.
Daoist Chen Yuan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and raised his right hand high.
"The auspicious time has arrived!"
"Pass on the Golden Seal of the Sect Master, and appoint the next Sect Master!"
The powerful sound of the bell rang nine times in succession among the peaks of the Mount Shu.
Nine rings are the highest honor bestowed by a sect.
Two Supreme Elders of the Discipline Hall, carrying trays, strode up to the Heavenly Dao Platform.
The tray was covered with bright yellow brocade, on which were placed two precious treasures.
The ancient seal radiating purple Thunder Light is none other than the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal, representing the highest authority of Mount Shu.
Beside it was an ancient, sheathed longsword, entirely jet black, a relic passed down through generations of the Mount Shu sect— the Heavenly Mystery Sword.
Daoist Chen Yuan, with a solemn expression, reached out and unveiled the brocade.
"Chen Changqing, accept the seal and the sword!"
Chen Changqing stepped forward, his movements steady.
He reached out and grasped the Purple Firmament Thunder Seal, Nine Great Red-Gold Primordial Spirits within his body trembled slightly.
The moment the palm print touched his hand, the Mountain Protection Array covering the entire Mount Shu, spanning tens of thousands of miles, seemed to resonate faintly with him.
The flow of Spirit Vein in the mountains and rivers, and the nodes where Spiritual Qi was absorbed and released, all appeared in his perception.
Then, Chen Changqing gripped the hilt of the Heavenly Mystery Sword with his other hand.
Clang!
The longsword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, and a clear, ringing sound soared into the sky.
Invincible Sword Intent, domineering and fierce, erupted from his body, and a pillar of Sword Qi, interwoven with black and white, shot into the sky, shattering the flowing clouds.
Tens of thousands of disciples around the square felt their souls tremble, and the circulation of their True Essence within their bodies became slightly sluggish.
"Greetings, Young Sect Master!"
Jian Zhenzi took the lead and knelt on one knee, his voice resounding through the sky.
"Greetings, Young Sect Master!"
The disciples of Evergreen Peak shouted in response.
Immediately afterwards, tens of thousands of Mount Shu disciples, Outer Sect deacons, and Main Peak elders bowed in unison.
The roar of worship echoed through the mountains like a tsunami.
On a side seat below the Heavenly Dao Platform, Ran Hua's father, Ran Tianxiong, was trembling with excitement, clutching his son's sleeve tightly.
"Okay... okay!"
"What merit or ability does my Ran Family possess to have boarded the ship of the next Sect Master!"
Ran Hua straightened his chest, looking at the white-robed figure on the stage who was the center of attention, his heart filled with pride.
After the ceremony...
Daoist Chen Yuan stepped back half a step, giving up the central position on the Heavenly Dao Platform.
Chen Changqing held the Heavenly Mystery Sword, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of people below.
"Thanks to the Ancestor's favor and the Master's trust, Changqing accepts this seal today."
"Three months from now, the Void Emperor Secret Realm will host the Righteous-Demon Two Dao Conference."
"Changqing will personally lead the team to this conference."
Chen Changqing's voice amplified through his Law Power, each word as firm as iron.
"We, the disciples of Mount Shu, do not provoke trouble, but we are absolutely not afraid of trouble."
"In the Secret Realm, if you encounter any Demon Sects, show no mercy; slaughter them all."
"If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility for it!"
His domineering words instantly ignited the passion of all the young disciples.
In previous conferences, the sect's higher-ups always reminded their disciples to value harmony and not to escalate the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths into a full-scale war.
When have I ever heard such inspiring words?
"I will obey the Young Sect Master's decree!"
"Slay Demon Sects! Unleash the Mountain God!"
The young disciples raised their arms and shouted, creating an extremely enthusiastic atmosphere.
The Sect Master Succession Ceremony slowly came to a close amidst great excitement.
After returning to Evergreen Peak.
Chen Changqing dismissed the various forces that came to offer their congratulations and went directly into the main hall's secluded meditation chamber.
The stone door to the secret chamber closed tightly, and the Array Patterns lit up, completely isolating it from all outside noise.
Chen Changqing sat cross-legged on the jade platform, closing his eyes and looking inward.
On the system panel in his mind, the golden progress bar had reached its end.
"Ding! The first stage of Idle Cultivation of the Myriad Transformations Starry Skies Art is complete."
"Having successfully deduced and integrated the profound mysteries of the Cultivation Method, the host can condense Star Primordial Spirit at any time."
The moment the notification sound rang, endless starlight erupted from the depths of Chen Changqing 'Sea of Consciousness.
The Nine Great Red-Gold Primordial Spirits sat upright in the center of the Sea of Consciousness, simultaneously performing hand Method Formula.
The immense stellar power originally stored within his body began to compress violently.
Boom!
Above the Sea of Consciousness, projections of countless stars appeared.
The first dazzling silver-blue light slowly condensed and took shape, transforming into a Primordial Spirit Faxiang with a face exactly like Chen Changqing's.
The tenth Primordial Spirit!
Immediately afterwards, the second and third clusters of starlight exploded one after another.
The eleventh!
The twelfth!
Twelve Primordial Spirits floated side by side in the void of the Sea of Consciousness.
Nine crimson gold statues and three silver-blue statues are interconnected, forming a mysterious and unfathomable Circumference of Heaven Star-Dipper Array.
Chen Changqing's aura began to rise steadily.
The cultivation barrier of the Middle True Lord Stage was easily torn apart like paper under the powerful impact of the Twelve Primordial Spirits.
Late True Lord Stage!
The raging Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi poured into the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head, surging like a river through the meridians.
The Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art was activated to its limit, a faint golden light appeared on the surface of the skin, and the bones emitted a series of crisp sounds like firecrackers.
It took a full day and night of meditation for the turbulent Qi and Blood in my body to finally calm down.
Chen Changqing slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
With the Great Accomplishment the twelve Primordial Spirits, his cultivation level broke through to the Late True Lord Stage.
With his current strength, if he were to encounter a powerhouse at the Early Heavenly Monarch Stage again, he wouldn't even need to use the Immortal Execution Sword; he could suppress them head-on simply by relying on his own Law Power and Invincible Sword Domain.
The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the secluded meditation chamber gradually returned to normal.
Chen Changqing stretched his limbs, feeling the surging power brought by the simultaneous operation of the Twelve Primordial Spirits within his body, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
With his Late True Lord Stage cultivation combined with his twelve Primordial Spirits, he now has a clearer understanding of his own combat strength.
The Early Heavenly Monarch Stage is no longer enough for him to warm up.
Just as Chen Changqing was about to turn his attention to the system panel and plan his cultivation for the next three months, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the secret room.
The footsteps were heavy; one could even faintly hear the sound of boots crushing the stone steps.
The person who came ran very fast.
Chen Changqing's brows furrowed, and he reached out to open the stone door to the secret chamber.
Standing outside the door was Liu Mu.
The head steward of Evergreen Peak looked anxious, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and his usually meticulously combed hair was crooked on one side.
The moment Liu Mu saw Chen Changqing, her eyes reddened slightly, and she opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat.
"Elder Liu, what's wrong?" Chen Changqing asked calmly. "Tell me slowly."
Liu Mu took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Young Sect Master, something terrible has happened!"
Xiaoqian's presence... has vanished.
Chen Changqing paused slightly.
Xiaoqian.
That was the female ghost he personally brought back to Mount Shu. While others avoided ghosts like the plague, he took her in and carefully protected her. Over the years, Xiaoqian has been cultivating diligently on Mount Shu, and her talent is extremely high. She has already broken through to the Ghost Emperor level and is considered a force to be reckoned with in Evergreen Peak.