In the sixty-fifth year of Incense Accumulation, Li Ling underwent his tribulation and refined Dust-Transcending Incense.
Over the following years, he used this incense to establish ties with great cultivators from various quarters, win their support, and take control of the North Sea.
At the time, he had entered into a secret agreement with Goldsource Island. Li Ling would provide the island with Dust-Transcending Incense to avert tribulations and calamities. In return, Goldsource Island would spare no expense in nurturing a Core Formation cultivator for him.
This also meant securing the General Association's support for the Incense Accumulation Sect to hold sway over the North Sea indefinitely and always retain a place there.
A Core Formation cultivator supported by the General Association would inevitably enjoy good relations with its various factions, especially close ties with Elder Pei's faction, with whom Li Ling had signed the agreement. With assistance from many of its elders, the Incense Accumulation Sect's foundations here would henceforth be secure.
But all of this still depended on whether Chi Yingting could prove himself.
If he failed to distinguish himself and spent centuries without reaching Core Formation, his potential would be exhausted. Others would lose confidence in him and turn to supporting other outstanding young talents.
It was now the one hundred and second year of Incense Accumulation. In less than forty years, Chi Yingting had proven through his achievements that he deserved their support and trust, and was fully capable of shouldering the responsibility of perpetuating the sect and its Dao lineage.
Li Ling immediately summoned Nie Yingzhi and instructed him, "Send word to the leaders of every branch. Have them return to the sect for a gathering."
Then he said with feeling to Mu Qingsi, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, "It hasn't been