The sects: Could you please stay?

With the Alchemy Room spreading the word.

Before long, the news spread like wildfire among the disciples and elders of the Tianyuan Holy Land.

"Hey! Have you heard? The young lord comprehended a Longevity Pill Recipe! Even the lowest grade can add decades to your life, and a pill vein-grade pill can add over a thousand years!"

"One pill can add over a thousand years? Wouldn't ten give you ten thousand?"

"Don't even think about it. There must be a restriction. Each person can only take it once."

"No, no, no. The Alchemists at the Alchemy Room have already explained that. The lifespan gained from these pills can stack without limit."

"Stack without limit! Doesn't that mean immortality?"

"Immortality! Looks like we can't keep lazing around like this. It's time us old fellows made some contributions to the sect!"

The elders of both the Inner Court and the Outer Court were instantly fired up.

Even the elders reacted like this, let alone the disciples.

"Immortality? Can we take part too?"

"Yes. The people from the Alchemy Room said there are no restrictions. Anyone from the Tianyuan Holy Land can participate."

"Thank you to all the elders of the Alchemy Room!"

"The one you should really thank is the young lord. He was the one who comprehended this recipe!"

"What? The young lord comprehended this recipe? He actually... he actually agreed to bring it out and share it with everyone? If it were me, I probably... couldn't bear to."

"All I can say is that the young lord sees farther than any of us. He loves this land more than any of us do."

"Brothers, enough talk! I'm clearing ten floors of the Trial Tower today! I won't let the young lord's gift go to waste! I want immortality!"

For a time, everyone throughout the Tianyuan Holy Land threw themselves into their efforts, their blood running hot.

The allure of immortality was simply impossible to resist.

Chen Mu's standing and influence in everyone's hearts skyrocketed!

Even if Chen Mu were to succeed as Holy Lord of the Tianyuan Holy Land right now, everyone would support him without hesitation.

For most of them had embarked upon the great path of cultivation precisely to pursue immortality and escape death and reincarnation.

Although Chen Juexin had not ordered the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to spread the news this time.

Word of the Lifespan Pills still sprouted legs of its own, spreading at astonishing speed!

It shook the entire Great Wu Dynasty and the Great Cang World!

The Great Wu Dynasty.

Inside the Imperial Study.

"What! Are you serious? Pills that can increase lifespan without limit have appeared in the Tianyuan Holy Land?!"

Upon hearing the news from the black-clad spy, Song Ao was so shocked that his brush fell to the floor. He slammed the desk and sprang to his feet.

"Your Majesty, as far as this humble servant knows, low-grade pills can add ten to thirty years, middle-grade pills can add a hundred years, high-grade pills can add two hundred years, and top-grade pills can add five hundred years. Pill vein-grade pills can even add a thousand years!"

"..." After hearing the spy's report, Song Ao felt utterly powerless and slumped back into his chair.

"Your Majesty?!"

"I'm fine." Seeing the worry on the spy's face, Song Ao waved him away.

"Yes. This humble servant takes his leave." The spy vanished from the Imperial Study in an instant, without so much as the sound of a door opening.

He had come in haste and left just as swiftly.

"Lifespan Pills... without limit? Isn't that a little too outrageous?"

Previously, Song Ao had believed the Tianyuan Holy Land had rejected the marriage alliance, while his precious daughter, Song Wanjun, had voluntarily stayed there. He had harbored some grievances over this, but now those thoughts vanished entirely.

Like a mute swallowing bitter herbs, he had bitterness he could not voice.

He dared neither rage nor speak.

One immortal was frightening enough, let alone an entire group who had mastered the means of immortality.

With such resources and methods at their disposal, Song Ao could not imagine how much territory—not just in the Great Wu Dynasty, but across the entire Great Cang World—would bear the name Tianyuan a hundred years from now.

Submission through force, willing allegiance for the sake of immortality...

Song Ao could envision many outcomes.

But every one of those outcomes ultimately pointed to the Tianyuan Holy Land flourishing eternally!

Flourishing eternally in the truest sense!

His five fingers tightened around the dragon-head armrest as he gave a self-mocking smile. "I wonder how much longer I can sit on this imperial throne."

Other than cherish the time he had left, Song Ao could do nothing.

He thought that perhaps, if he governed the Great Wu Dynasty dutifully and stayed out of trouble, they might still be willing to keep him around as a puppet emperor when the time came.

"Alas..." At that thought, he could not help letting out one long sigh after another.

"The Tianyuan Holy Land truly has produced an unrivaled, monstrous young lord, the likes of whom might not appear in ten thousand years."

At the same time.

At the Dragon Martial Sect, one of the Great Wu Dynasty's ten strongest sects.

"Elder Ye!"

"What is it?"

"Could you please stay?" Zhao Changshou, the sect master of the Dragon Martial Sect, wore a deeply earnest expression as he tried to persuade the supreme elder, whose luggage was already packed, to remain.

"Stay? Will you give me immortality?" Elder Ye asked in return.

"I will!" Zhao Changshou promised. "I'll definitely find a way to obtain a method of immortality for you!"

"Make sure you can live through this year first, you little fool." Elder Ye glanced at Zhao Changshou's graying hair, eyebrows, and beard, then turned away with a helpless smile.

Such scenes were far from rare.

The younger generation in the lineages and sects might still be able to hold out.

But the older generation, especially those old fellows nearing the end of their lives who could no longer increase their lifespans by advancing their cultivation, shouldered their packs and hurried to pledge allegiance to the Tianyuan Holy Land.

All for the sake of obtaining Lifespan Pills to prolong their lives.

And these people happened to be the strongest of the lot.

With countless experts flooding into the Tianyuan Holy Land together, how could it not cause an upheaval?

Many prodigies from sects unaffiliated with the Tianyuan Holy Land even began considering leaving their sects.

That included the Eastern Pole Holy Land.

Only after the elders pleaded with them and offered all manner of improved benefits did they manage to keep them in place.

Of course, some refused to bow to the situation and bluntly snapped back:

"Do you think the Tianyuan Holy Land is a rubbish bin? That they'll take just anyone?"

"Search your conscience. What do you have that would make them want to accept you?"

"You might count as a prodigy in this sect, but in the Tianyuan Holy Land, who knows whether you'd even qualify as a nominal disciple?"

"Even if you really became a nominal disciple, what would you use to compete with everyone else for a chance at immortality? You'd be better off staying here and strengthening yourself before discussing anything else."

After a round of lectures and promises of pies in the sky, they finally persuaded them to stay.

But on closer reflection, it was rather heartbreaking.

They knew full well that these people were only staying to pave the way for joining the Tianyuan Holy Land later, yet they had no choice but to help cultivate talent for someone else.

Bitter. It was too damn bitter!

Tears swirled in their eyes, yet they had to lift their heads and force them back.

They did not want anyone to see their vulnerable side.

With a long sigh, they said, "Why don't we just submit to the Tianyuan Holy Land outright?"

The Eastern Pole Holy Land.

As Holy Lord, Zhao Guizhen felt as though his head had swollen to twice its size.

Notices of affiliated sects withdrawing from the holy land covered the space before him.

Although they had not explicitly said so, he could figure out even with his toes that they intended to submit to the Tianyuan Holy Land.

Even when beating a dog, one had to consider its master. How could Zhao Guizhen dare hold them accountable?

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue. "Why doesn't our Eastern Pole Holy Land have a young lord like that?"

"You may not have a young lord like that, but you could have a son-in-law like that." A voice sounded beside his ear.