Having smelled danger, they naturally could not charge at the very front.
When news of the Xuanhuang Emperor's Tomb's emergence was delivered by the Blood Demon Ancestor, Xuan He and Xuan Cheng, both nearly a thousand years old, revealed shocked expressions and lost their usual composure.
After receiving the news, Hua Yunfei immediately returned to his Cave Abode and cast Dao arts to reinforce the concealment formation there.
Looking at Huang Xuan, he was utterly certain that the Xuanhuang Emperor's Tomb had appeared because Huang Xuan had repaired the origin of the Profound Yellow Undying Body!
Perhaps this had been a method left behind by the Profound Yellow Great Emperor long ago.
Whether cultivation technique, divine ability, or physique, everything related to Profound Yellow was incomplete.
The Profound Yellow Great Emperor must have foreseen this and deliberately left behind a contingency.
And that contingency might have been the Xuanhuang Emperor's Tomb!
Within it, there might be something Huang Xuan needed, something that could make up for his own shortcomings!
If that was the case, perhaps even Top-Grade Saint Talent could break through to the Emperor Grade!
Huang Xuan was still soaking in Celestial Pool Water and cultivating. He had yet to awaken, so everything would have to wait until he woke up.
Three months later, the Emperor's Might of the imperial tomb still filled the air without weakening in the slightest.
Yet more and more cultivators rushed toward Cerulean Province, merely to witness the grandeur of the imperial tomb.
The enormous disturbance in the Eastern Region naturally caught the attention of Central Province, the Northern Region, and the Southern Region, all of which bordered the Eastern Region.
Powerful factions from all three had secretly arrived, yet none appeared before the masses of the Eastern Region.
After all, the Eastern Region was the territory of the Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Church.
And the Xuanhuang Emperor's Tomb had emerged within the Eastern Region.
With the Emperor's Might still present, it was unsuitable for them to show themselves. Otherwise, they would certainly draw the hostility of the Eastern Region's two great holy lands.
But once the Emperor's Might of the imperial tomb faded, whether they would show themselves or not was another matter.
It was worth mentioning that although the Emperor's Might had yet to dissipate and the Profound Yellow Energy in the air was difficult to capture, more and more cultivators gradually sat cross-legged around the imperial tomb, comprehending the Emperor Dao Laws. Some even drew Profound Yellow Energy into their bodies. Though it would leak back out, they could still gradually grasp the mysteries within it!
Some broke through to the Spirit Infant Realm because of this, while others even advanced into the Celestial Realm.
As for breakthroughs through the minor stages of each realm, their number was simply beyond counting.
There were already dozens of cultivators who had broken through to the Approaching Dao Realm!
The strongest among them was a mysterious old man. It was said that he already had one foot across the threshold of the Saint Realm. A month ago, aided by his comprehension of the Emperor's Might, his cultivation seemed to have advanced another step, and he was on the verge of stepping into the Saint level!
Once this news spread, even more ancient existences came rushing over.
Most were people with one foot in the grave. Though they were powerful experts at the Approaching Dao Realm, they had little lifespan left. If they could not break through, they would not be long for this world before they passed away in meditation.
They had come to try their luck!
Sure enough, an old immortal broke through his realm, gaining a little more lifespan and coming back to life, temporarily casting off the threat of death.
"I heard that the Jade Pool Holy Land and Celestial Pivot Holy Land of Central Province have already arrived and are hiding in the shadows!"
"Ten Thousand Caves Mountain from the Southern Region seems to have arrived as well. Someone caught the scent of poisonous miasma so terrifying it made their scalp go numb!"
"The one from the Northern Region seems to be the most mysterious Kunlun Divine Palace. Rumor has it that their ancestors came from another starfield!"
Powerful experts whispered quietly. After three months of changes, undercurrents were already surging around the imperial tomb.
Although the Emperor's Might had not vanished, certain Ultimate Sacred Grounds had long since made their preparations!
The Sect's Guiding Principle Was One Word: Hide
Just as everyone in the Eastern Region was immersed in the shocking news of the Xuanhuang Emperor's Tomb's emergence,
an equally explosive piece of news spread from the Eastern Region's two great Ultimate Sacred Grounds!
The Immortal Ranking!
The battle for Immortal Seats would begin once more!
The titles of the Eastern Region's current Nine Great Immortal Sects would be revoked!
The Nine Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Region would be selected anew. This time, the Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Church had broadly invited the ancient aristocratic clans and reclusive great sects that had only recently emerged to participate.
In the struggle for the Immortal Ranking, the title of one of the Eastern Region's Nine Great Immortal Sects meant having a voice across the lands of the Eastern Region.
Since those ancient clans and reclusive sects had chosen to emerge into the world, they certainly would not miss such a major event.
Moreover, they would do everything in their power to seize one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects' positions!
Of course, the current titles of the Nine Great Immortal Sects were not something the two holy lands could revoke merely because they said so.
The Yaoguang Holy Land and Sun Moon Divine Church each sent important figures to the various Immortal Sects to explain the situation.
The Eastern Region was no longer peaceful. Ancient Races, ancient aristocratic clans, and reclusive sects had emerged one after another, and their strength and foundations were exceptionally formidable.
Some even possessed the qualifications to call themselves holy lands. What they lacked might only be an Emperor Armament.
Thus, the important figures from the holy lands responsible for persuasion presented the upper echelons of the current Nine Great Immortal Sects with a very practical problem.
Their foundations and sect strength were no longer enough to hold their ground. At the very least, some were no longer worthy of standing among the Nine Great Immortal Sects.
If they stubbornly occupied those positions, they would certainly be regarded as thorns in the eyes and flesh of the ancient clans and reclusive sects in the future, and those factions would not let them off.
When strength and status did not match, it was best not to stand in the open.
Otherwise, they would be the first to die!
Naturally, the current Nine Great Immortal Sects were unwilling to accept this. Their ancestors had fought bitterly to secure these titles when the previous Immortal Ranking opened thousands of years ago.
And now they were supposed to hand them over just like that.
It was truly hard to swallow this insult.
But...
Reason told them that the two holy lands were asking them to surrender the titles of the Nine Great Immortal Sects for their own good.
Otherwise, they might face the calamity of sect annihilation someday!
Of course, those among the current Nine Great Immortal Sects who believed themselves strong enough could still participate in this Immortal Ranking contest.
If they were strong enough, they could still become one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects.
But aside from the Yaoguang Holy Land and the Sun Moon Divine Church, who could claim they were capable of contending with ancient clans and reclusive sects that had been passed down for at least millions of years?
Naturally, the news of the Immortal Ranking reopening was also sent back to the Backer Sect.
Xuanhe Daoren personally emerged from the Ancestral Land and descended upon the Backer Sect, summoning all elders and chief seats of the Seven Peaks for discussion!
The main hall of Backer Peak was packed to the brim. Nearly every elder still within the Backer Sect had come. Most of those absent had important matters to attend to and had departed long ago.
Looking around, there were more than one hundred and thirty elders from the Backer Sect's Seven Peaks, the weakest of whom were at the early Spirit Infant Realm.
There were considerably more of them than when the Nether Ghost Palace attacked the Backer Sect several months ago.
Sect Leader Yun Tian Zhenren and Xuanhe Daoren sat at the very front, while the chief seats of the six peaks sat to either side. The elders of the Seven Peaks sat below them.
They quietly watched Yun Tian Zhenren and Xuanhe Daoren.
The revocation of the Nine Great Immortal Sects' titles was a major matter. Not long ago, the important figure from the Yaoguang Holy Land responsible for persuasion had just departed.
Xuanhe Daoren had then stepped out of the Ancestral Land and convened this meeting!
Yun Tian Zhenren swept his gaze across the crowd, his expression calm. "The title of the Nine Great Immortal Sects has been revoked. The efforts of the Backer Sect's ancestors from thousands of years ago have been reduced to nothing. What are your thoughts?"
At those words, several elders were filled with righteous indignation and dissatisfaction toward the actions of the two holy lands.
With just a few words, they had stripped away the fruits of their ancestors' labor. To be selected as one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, their ancestors had shed no small amount of blood!
"Sect Leader, I believe that the Nine Great Immortal Sects exist in name only. Having the title revoked is a good thing."
Gou Yuan Zhenren was not anxious in the least. Shaking his head with a faint smile, he spoke.
"Oh?"
Yun Tian Zhenren smiled as he looked at Gou Yuan Zhenren. "Chief Seat Gou Yuan, what do you mean by that?"
Gou Yuan Zhenren said, "Though our Backer Sect has deep foundations and fears no trouble, the Backer Ancestor above established a guiding principle of one word: hide. Though we fear nothing, we must still avoid it."
"If we insist on retaining the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, then once this Immortal Ranking opens, our sect will certainly become a thorn in the eyes and flesh of those ancient clans and great sects that have emerged."
"Then, in order to protect ourselves, the sect will inevitably have to expose its strength and display its foundations to intimidate them."
"Would that not go against the sect's guiding principle? If we bring all our foundations into the open for the world to see, how could we continue hiding in the future?"
"Even if we do not need to use our full strength."
Xiaxuan Zhenren picked up the thread, nodding as he said, "Indeed. Senior Brother Gou Yuan's words make sense. The title of the Nine Great Immortal Sects is certainly important."
"Over these thousands of years, the title of an Immortal Sect has indeed made the sect's affairs much easier. Whenever many sects heard that we were the Backer Sect, one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, they immediately cooperated and obeyed."
"But if we must continue exposing our foundations and fight those ancient aristocratic clans and reclusive sects to the bitter end merely for the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, I do not believe it is worth it."
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