Seeing Wang Heng Again
At 3:45 AM, a disciple from the Immortal Alliance knocked on the door of the separate courtyard.
Li Yunjing was already fully dressed. His black sect leader's robe was neatly pressed, and the jade seal of the Luozhen Sect's leader hung at his waist. His long hair was tied up with a jade crown, and his face was calm.
"Sect Leader Li, the Alliance Leader has ordered that the Council Meeting be convened immediately. Please follow me." The messenger bowed respectfully.
"Lead the way."
Li Yunjing stepped out the door.
Following the messenger disciple through layers of corridors and palaces, the deeper they went into the Immortal Alliance, the heavier the oppressive aura in the air became.
Along the long path paved with white jade, every ten steps stood a silver-armored immortal guard, each with a deep and dignified aura, all possessing cultivation levels above the Nascent Soul stage.
The palaces along the way were magnificent, with upturned eaves that seemed to disappear into the clouds. Formation Dao auras emanated from the depths of the buildings, clearly indicating that the entire Heaven-Soaring City was shrouded in a supreme array, making it as solid as a rock.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, an extremely magnificent hall appeared at the end of the road.
The main hall is built against the mountain and is made entirely of warm white jade. The roof is covered with gilded glazed tiles, which shimmer with countless lusters under the glow of the colorful sunset.
A plaque hangs high above the palace gate, bearing the five ancient characters "Lingxiao Council Hall." The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, faintly revealing Sword Intent; it is actually a Spirit Treasure.
The temple doors were wide open, and cultivators dressed in various colored robes entered one after another. Each of them possessed a profound aura, the weakest being at the Late Spirit Transformation, and most of them being powerful beings at the Dao Integration Realm.
Looking around, almost all the reputable sects of the Five Provinces were present.
"Sect Leader Li, please come in. Most of the sect leaders have already arrived." The messenger disciple stopped in front of the hall and bowed in greeting.
Li Yunjing nodded slightly and climbed the steps.
The moment I stepped through the palace gate, an invisible Daoist aura rushed towards me, suppressing my divine sense by thirty percent.
He felt a slight chill, knowing that this was the hall's protective barrier, preventing anyone from using their divine senses to spy or secretly transmit messages; its confidentiality was extremely high.
The interior space of the hall is extremely spacious, divided into two levels.
The upper level has nine golden chairs, with the central one being the largest and the seat of the alliance leader. Eight chairs are arranged on either side, which are the seats of the eight elders of the Immortal Alliance.
The lower level is arranged according to the sect's rank, with the position of the leader of the seven core sects at the front, followed by the first-class sects and the second-class sects.
According to the current classification, since there are no Void Refinement cultivators in charge, the Luozhen Sect is ranked as a second-rate sect, and its seat is located in the back of the hall.
However, due to his relatively strong position among second-rate sects, Li Yunjing's ranking among second-rate sects is also relatively high, placing him third.
Li Yunjing's gaze swept across the entire room, silently weighing the situation in his mind.
Ahead, Zhou Ziyang, the Purple Yang Sect, was dressed in a purple robe and was resting with his eyes closed. His aura was as deep as the ocean, indicating that he was a cultivator at the Void Refinement Realm.
The Heavenly Sword Sect Master, dressed in pristine white robes, toyed with a sword talisman between his fingers, his Sword Intent restrained, revealing him to be a top-tier expert as well.
The leaders of the seven core sects, including Pill Cauldron Sect, Wentian Sect, and Heavenly Evolution Sect, were all present, each a renowned figure in their respective regions.
Later, the leaders and elders of various sects gathered together, numbering at least a hundred.
There are thirty or forty True Lord at the Dao Integration Realm, and countless others at the Spirit Transformation Stage.
This lineup, which brings together more than half of the righteous path's top combat power, demonstrates the importance the Immortal Alliance attaches to this matter of the Dao Fruit.
Li Yunjing walked to his seat and sat down, where he could take in the entire situation in the hall.
Many eyes turned to them from the surroundings, some curious, some scrutinizing, and some indifferent.
The Luozhen Sect is located in the Great Wilderness, but it has a considerable reputation.
Several recent events have significantly increased the reputation of the Luozhen Sect across the Five Provinces.
Li Yunjing's rapid rise to power, in particular, greatly enhanced the reputation of the Luozhen Sect.
Li Yunjing sat upright in his chair, his expression calm. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the jade cup, but in reality, his divine sense had already quietly spread out, sensing the aura of everyone in the hall and secretly memorizing the faces of those unfamiliar True Lord.
A cultivation level of Dao Union Perfection is already top-tier in second-rate sects, but it's nothing special in the Lingxiao Council Hall.
The leaders of the seven core sects alone are all at the Void Refinement, not to mention the eight elders of the Immortal Alliance, each of whom has been immersed in the Tribulation Transcendence for hundreds of years.
"It seems this mess is deeper than I expected," Li Yunjing thought to himself.
Just then, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the palace.
An elderly man in a gray robe walked in slowly. His hair and beard were all white, his face was thin, and he was leaning on a cane with a dragon design. He walked slowly, but he exuded a heavy and dignified aura.
Wherever he went, the monks on both sides rose to their feet and bowed respectfully.
"It's the Third Elder Wang Heng!" someone whispered.
Li Yunjing's pupils contracted slightly.
Wang Heng Daojun, ranked third among the eight elders of the Immortal Alliance, is in charge of criminal law. He is impartial and incorruptible, and his cultivation is unfathomable. His Tribulation Transcendence realm has been stable for nearly a thousand years.
This man also had another identity: he was his master's wife's biological father.
It's been several years since we last met.
Li Yunjing immediately stood up, straightened his Daoist robe, and walked towards Wang Heng, bowing respectfully. "Junior Li Yunjing greets the Third Elder."
Wang Heng paused, looked up at him, a glint of light flashing in his aged eyes, and nodded slightly. "It's Yunjing. I didn't expect you to come too. How has Qianxue been lately?"
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a subtle hint of concern.
Many eyes in the hall turned towards them, some with surprise.
Everyone knows that the Third Elder Wang Heng, is cold and unyielding, rarely smiling. It's difficult for even the leaders of ordinary sects to get an audience with him. Why would he be so amiable to the leader of a second-rate sect?
Some people even recognized Li Yunjing as the Luozhen Sect, and secretly wondered: When did the Luozhen Sect get on the good side of the Third Elder?
Li Yunjing replied respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant, "Reporting to the Third Elder, my master's wife is well and her cultivation is stable, but she often worries about you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Heng's tense lips softened slightly, and he gave a soft "Mmm": "Since you're so concerned, why not come back and visit? Is there some kind of magic in the Great Wilderness?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Yunjing, and nodded slightly. "Dao Union Perfection, not bad. Your master's judgment in taking you as a disciple back then was quite good."
The last time we met, you were only at the Nascent Soul stage. In just a few years, you've already reached the Dao Union Perfection. It seems you're destined for future ascension."
"You flatter me, senior. I still have a long way to go," Li Yunjing said humbly.
The two then walked side by side to a pillar, avoiding the gaze of the crowd.
Wang Heng tapped his cane lightly on the ground and lowered his voice. "Today's meeting is of utmost importance. You're new to Central Divine Province, so I'll give you a heads-up beforehand, so you don't misbehave later."
Li Yunjing's heart tightened, and he said solemnly, "This junior is all ears."
"The location of the Dao Fruit has been basically determined." Wang Heng said in a low voice, "After several days of joint deductions with the Alliance Leader and several elders, and with guidance from two Loose Immortal Ancestors, we have finally confirmed that the place where the Primordial Dao Fruit is conceived is in the Chaos Abyss, at the border of Celebration Dragon Prefecture and Northern Spirit Province."
"The Chaos Abyss?" Li Yunjing frowned slightly.
He had heard of this place.
That was the main battlefield of the High Antiquity war between good and evil, where millions of cultivators were buried. The Sha Qi had accumulated for 100,000 years without dissipating, spatial rifts were everywhere, and innate restrictions were rampant.
Ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator who go in rarely come out, and even Dao Integration Realm dare not venture deep into it, which has always been regarded as one of the forbidden areas of the Five Provinces.