Assembly of Immortals, First Glimpse of Brilliance

Above the East Sea, ten thousand leagues of azure waves stretched endlessly, mist and rosy clouds churning.

The ancestral vein of the Three Islands and Ten Continents—Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou—hung like colossal emeralds suspended amidst the vast, hazy billows, bathed in immortal light and auspicious vapors, with spirit cranes flocking and soaring.

Today, Penglai Immortal Island was especially lively. Auspicious clouds paved the paths, ethereal music echoed in waves, and countless streaks of light flew in from all corners of the Primordial World, descending into the grand immortal palace complex shrouded in seven-colored celestial glow—

This was the "Purple Mansion Isle" where East King Duke resided, also the venue for this "Assembly of Immortals."

The streaks of light formed by Daoist Jieyin, Daoist Zhunti, and Ming Xin landed at the edge of Penglai Immortal Island.

The moment they set foot, they felt a surge of dense primordial spiritual energy, utterly unlike the barrenness of the West, rushing toward them, mingled with the exotic fragrances of various immortal fruits and rare treasures.

On the island, layered green peaks rose, waterfalls cascaded, and jade flowers and immortal grasses covered the ground. Immortal cranes carried lingzhi in their beaks, auspicious beasts roamed—truly a paradise on earth.

Yet within this paradise, an invisible aura of killing intent and scrutiny pervaded.

Countless divine thoughts—some overbearing, some sinister, some curious—swept over the newly arrived trio from the West like intangible spiderwebs.

They lingered especially long on Ming Xin, whose aura was steady and restrained yet faintly revealed an extraordinary Dao resonance.

"Hmph! The barren lands of the West can produce such a figure? A twelve-petal bloom? The Dao Ancestor himself praised him as having a Sage's Demeanor? Let's see if he lives up to the name!"

"Walking behind Jieyin and Zhunti, that must be their newly accepted chief disciple, Ming Xin? His aura is steady enough, but he's only at the early Golden Immortal of the Origin stage..."

"The White Bone Life-Death Sword... personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor... a legacy from a Chaos Demon God... what great fortune!"

"Come, let's go see what this 'Sage's Demeanor' that the Dao Ancestor values so highly is really capable of!"

Whispers and divine thought exchanges stirred in the shadows.

Clearly, the Dao Ancestor's gift and appraisal in the Purple Cloud Palace, along with the extraordinary phenomenon of Ming Xin's twelve-petal bloom tribulation, had already spread through the Primordial World's top circles.

At this immortal gathering, many great powers had come not so much to honor East King Duke as to witness with their own eyes this suddenly rising Western Sect's Chief Disciple!

Jieyin and Zhunti acted as if they noticed nothing. Daoist Jieyin still wore his expression of inherent sorrow, his steps steady.

Daoist Zhunti bore a compassionate smile, his horsetail whisk swaying lightly, the invisible majesty of a Golden Immortal of the Origin causing the more reckless divine thoughts to retreat discreetly.

As for Ming Xin, he kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, his expression calm and unruffled. He merely followed half a step behind his two masters, his gait unhurried.

His gray robes were plain, yet he carried an aura of mountain-like stability and peak-like composure. The innate coldness between his brows, tempered by the stillness forged through countless tribulations, made him stand out distinctly among this gathering of immortals.

The three walked on, ignoring the overt and covert glances and murmurs around them, heading straight for the core area of Purple Mansion Isle—

A magnificent palace suspended above a sea of clouds, built entirely of purple jade, radiating ten thousand beams of light: the Hall of Immortals!

The square before the hall was already packed with immortals. There were ancient immortals with celestial bearing, demon overlords with monstrous auras soaring to the heavens, ethereal and otherworldly female immortals, and figures from the Witch Clan exuding dense Sha Qi.

The Three Pure Ones sat on specially elevated cloud platforms at the forefront, their auras profound and unfathomable. Empress Nuwa occupied a seat alone, the aura of creation flowing around her.

Di Jun and Tai Yi perched loftily on one side, Emperor's Aura and True Sun Fire interweaving, with rolling demon clouds behind them and Demon Saints standing in array—their presence the most imposing!

Fu Xi, Hong Yun, Zhen Yuan Zi, and other great powers each occupied their own positions.

When the Western master and two disciples stepped into the square, the previously noisy scene fell silent.

Countless gazes, like tangible searchlights, focused on them in unison! Curiosity, scrutiny, jealousy, wariness, disdain... all kinds of emotions intertwined.

"Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti of the Western Teachings, accompanied by their Founding Disciple Ming Xin, come to attend the assembly! We congratulate Fellow Daoist East King Duke on his ascension to Head of Male Immortals!"

Daoist Zhunti's voice was clear, carrying a compassionate smile, and rang out distinctly across the entire venue, announcing their names and clarifying their intent.

Seated on the main dais, clad in a magnificent purple-gold imperial robe, holding a Dragon Head Crutch, and wearing a restrained smile, East King Duke let his gaze fall on the three.

It lingered on Ming Xin for a moment, and deep in his eyes flashed a trace of barely perceptible complexity... and a hint of barely concealed gloom.

The Dao Ancestor personally appraised him as having a "Sage's Demeanor"... If this child were in the East, he would be the most powerful aid and symbol of glory for this Head of Male Immortals. What a pity... he ended up in the West!

His smile unchanged, he announced in a clear voice, "So it is Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti who have arrived! And this... young friend Ming Xin!

The three of you have come from afar, bringing luster to my humble abode! Please, take your seats!"

He raised his hand in gesture, indicating three seats placed close to the Three Pure Ones and Empress Nuwa, yet slightly lower than the seats of Di Jun and Tai Yi's demon court.

This arrangement of seats gave face to the Two Sages of the West while subtly placing Western power below the Demon Race, silently showcasing East King Duke's positioning of forces in the Primordial World.

Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions remained unchanged, as if they cared nothing for it. They led Ming Xin to their seats calmly.

Ming Xin kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, ignoring the countless burning gazes, sitting quietly half a step behind his two masters.

The immortal banquet soon formally began. Jade nectar and immortal wine, dragon liver and phoenix marrow, and all kinds of rare fruits and exotic treasures rarely seen in the Primordial World were served in an endless stream.

Immortal maidens danced gracefully, divine music drifted through the air—a scene of perfect harmony and splendor. East King Duke, flushed with pride and satisfaction, raised his cup repeatedly, accepting congratulations and flattery from all directions, acting as if he were the orthodox leader of the Primordial World.

Yet beneath this surface harmony, undercurrents surged. After three rounds of wine, as the atmosphere grew heated, someone finally could no longer hold back.

"I have long heard that the Western Teachings' newly accepted chief disciple, Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, possesses peerless talent, blooming with twelve petals—unprecedented since antiquity!

Moreover, he received a Chaos Demon God's legacy treasure personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, who appraised him as having a 'Sage's Demeanor'! Truly a genius unseen in the Primordial World for billions of years!"

A somewhat shrill voice rang out, laced with deliberately exaggerated flattery, yet the provocation within was hard to conceal.

The speaker was a middle-aged Daoist seated not far below East King Duke, wearing a gossamer immortal robe of the Eight Trigrams, with a gaunt face and somewhat flickering eyes.

This man was a trusted confidant of East King Duke, known as "Xuanji Zi," most skilled at reading expressions and gauging intentions.

Seeing his master's faint displeasure toward Ming Xin and the low-key demeanor of the Western trio, he decided to stir up trouble, test the waters, and vent his master's frustration.

As his words fell, the entire hall's gaze once again focused on Ming Xin. Many great beings wore amused expressions, waiting to watch the drama unfold.

Xuanji Zi, seeing Ming Xin still seated with eyes closed as if he hadn't heard, grew even more indignant.

He raised his voice: "Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, with such bearing, at today's grand gathering of immortals, why not show us a glimpse and let us broaden our horizons?

Let us witness what the foundation of 'Twelve-Petal Three Flowers' truly means, and what the Dao Ancestor's personally appointed 'Sage's Demeanor' entails.

Could it be... that the Western lands are barren, and though your roots are deep, you lack a worthy teacher, leaving your divine abilities... somewhat lacking?"

These words were a blatant provocation and belittlement of the Western Sect!

As soon as he spoke, the entire hall fell silent! Even the celestial music stopped!

Daoist Jieyin's gaunt face remained sorrowful, but a faint glimmer of Nirvana Buddha Light flickered deep in his eyes. Daoist Zhunti's compassionate smile faded slightly, and the whisk in his hand stirred without wind.

On the high platform, East King Duke held his wine cup, a half-smile on his face, making no move to stop it. Di Jun and Tai Yi wore cold sneers.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Primordial Lord of Heaven was expressionless, Laozi sat with eyes closed in meditation, while Lord of the Heavens watched Ming Xin with keen interest. Empress Nuwa's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing that the Two Sages of the West hadn't immediately reacted and Ming Xin remained utterly unresponsive, Xuanji Zi's courage swelled. Believing they were cowed, he prepared to fan the flames further.

Just then, Ming Xin, who had been sitting with eyes closed, slowly opened them!

No earth-shattering aura erupted, no furious glare of killing intent.

He simply opened his eyes, calm and composed.

In his left eye, a faint Nirvana Buddha Flame flickered; in his right, a deep vortex like the Demon Abyss.

Yet, when that calm, almost indifferent gaze fell upon the eloquent Xuanji Zi—

Xuanji Zi, mid-sentence with spittle flying, felt his words choked off as if by an invisible giant hand, cut off instantly!

The smugness and provocation on his face froze, transforming into sheer terror! As if stared down by the most fearsome Ancient Fierce Beast!

He saw an indescribable sight that froze his very soul!

In the depths of Ming Xin's calm eyes, he clearly "saw" himself! But not just one—countless versions of "himself"!

A "himself" who had framed fellow daoists to steal elixirs, a "himself" who had slandered others to curry favor with East King Duke, a "himself" who had cultivated vile forbidden arts only to be backlashed...

Countless blood-red Threads of Karma, representing his "evil deeds," "causes of death," and "karmic debts," stretched out from those versions of himself like countless venomous serpents.

They densely coiled around his Primordial Spirit at this very moment! Each thread reeked of blood and ill omen!

Even more terrifying, he saw in the depths of Ming Xin's indifferent pupils two intangible, formless blades, sharp enough to sever the River of Fate itself.

They were slowly rising, locking onto the thickest, most blood-red karmic death threads entwined around his Primordial Spirit!

A death omen from the deepest part of his soul, irresistible, swept through Xuanji Zi's entire being like a wind from the Nine Nether Abyss!

He felt his Life Force, his very existence, everything he was, placed beneath an icy blade, ready to be utterly ended with a single thought from the other! He wouldn't even know how he died!

"Uh... uh..." Strange gurgling sounds escaped Xuanji Zi's throat. His face turned deathly pale, cold sweat streaming down his forehead like a river, and his entire body trembled violently like a sieve!

He wanted to scream, to flee, to beg his master for help, but immense terror, like ten-thousand-year-old ice, froze him from flesh to Primordial Spirit!

He could only stand rigid like a frog stared down by a snake, his eyes filled with utter despair and pleading!

The entire Hall of Immortals fell into deathly silence!

So quiet you could hear a pin drop!

Every great being clearly sensed the sudden eruption of extreme despair from Xuanji Zi, a despair born of life's instinct!

It was the despair of having Death's scythe at one's throat! And all of it stemmed from the Western Sect's Chief Disciple simply casting a calm glance at him!

What had happened?!

What had Ming Xin done?!

How could a peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, East King Duke's trusted subordinate, be so terrified by a mere look, as if facing a natural enemy?!

On the high platform, East King Duke's smile froze completely, a flicker of shock and uncertainty in his eyes!

Di Jun and Tai Yi's pupils contracted, their imperial pressure faintly emerging! The Three Pure Ones, Empress Nuwa, and other top-tier beings turned their gazes profoundly solemn!

Though they hadn't "seen" the karmic death threads like Xuanji Zi, they all clearly sensed that, in the instant Ming Xin opened his eyes and looked at him, an extremely subtle, extremely dangerous icy power, as if acting directly on the essence of fate, flashed by!

It was that power that had plunged Xuanji Zi into boundless hell!

Daoist Zhunti's eyes blazed with wisdom, then his compassionate smile bloomed anew, even brighter than before.

He gently flicked his whisk, and a warm, gentle clear light brushed imperceptibly over Xuanji Zi.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanji, could it be you can't hold your liquor? It seems this East Sea Fine Wine has quite a kick." Zhunti's voice carried a smile, breaking the dead silence.

As the clear light passed, Xuanji Zi, like a drowning man pulled ashore, gasped sharply, coughed violently, and collapsed limply.

His gaze at Ming Xin was like looking at the most terrifying demon, filled with the fear of a narrow escape from death. He dared not utter a single word!

Only then did Daoist Jieyin speak slowly, his voice low and sorrowful, as if nothing had happened: "My disciple's cultivation is shallow and his words clumsy. Please forgive him, fellow daoists."

His gaunt face remained sorrowful, but the unspoken protectiveness and veiled warning in his words sent a chill through every great being present!

Words clumsy? Words clumsy could reduce a peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal to a quivering wreck?!

The Western Sect's Chief Disciple, Ming Xin, possessed methods so bizarre and unfathomable, a mind so deep and inscrutable, that they far exceeded their imagination!

After that silent yet breathtaking scene, the atmosphere in the entire Hall of Immortals shifted completely.

The overt and covert gazes of scrutiny, provocation, and disdain that had filled the hall moments before instantly receded by more than half! In their place came deep wariness, solemnity, and curiosity.

The Dao Ancestor himself had personally praised him with "Sage's Demeanor"... a twelve-petal bloom... truly no stroke of luck!

What divine ability was that single glance? To strike directly at the Dao heart and stir up the deepest fears?!

With this child in their ranks... the future of the Western Teachings might well be...

Under the weight of countless complex and unreadable gazes, Ming Xin slowly lowered his eyelids, once again resuming that serene, closed-eyed, seated posture, as still as an ancient well.

As if the one who had cast that fleeting glance and shaken the entire hall was not him. Only the fist clenched within his sleeve, feeling the icy touch of the White Bone Life-Death Sword, and the silent recitation in his heart:

"Killing to protect life... severing karma, not severing men... cause and effect, life and death... this is my Dao."