The Immortal Ascension Assembly (II)

On the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the 439th year of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, it was a day of divine intervention, suitable for both examination and sacrifice.

"Little Ring Mountain is just ahead," Xiu Ming turned to look at the two younger members of the Xiu Household behind him, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. It was a pity that he had attained enlightenment too early, and the blessing of the Xiu Household returning to the Double Brightness lineage could only fall on these two younger members.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da was a kind-hearted person. It was only because of the rules he set for the Chongming Sect's Immortal Ascension Assembly that Xiu Ming could no longer join the Chongming Sect.

However, Xiu Ming's contribution of offering the Formation-Breaking Pearl at Old Ox Mountain was genuine, and Kang Dabao could not possibly turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to it.

The Formation-Breaking Pearl had been in the Xiu Household's possession for nearly two hundred years. It was passed down from the generation of their founding ancestor, the eldest disciple of the founding master of the Chongming Sect, Patriarch Zhang. It was a genuine family heirloom.

If Kang Dabao really dared not show any reaction, even though Uncle Xiu's cultivation level was low, he still had the guts to run up to the Chongming Sect's archway and curse the Sect Leader Kang Da for three days and three nights.

Therefore, after the battle of Old Ox Mountain, Xiu Ming was introduced by Kang Dabao to the sect of Mo Wen, True Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment in Ingenious Craftsman Fort.

After all, in Kang Dabao's view, Xiu Ming was indeed talented in the art of puppet making. If he could be guided by a famous master, his future achievements might not be much worse than those of joining the Chongming Sect.

After accepting amnesty after the Battle of Little Wu Mountain, Iron Horn Mountain Ingenious Craftsman Fort was split into two branches.

The branch that lived in Pingrong County was under the command of Mo Wen and controlled by the Pingrong County Magistrate; the other branch moved to Cloth Bag Mountain in Guo County and was under the command of the original fortress master of Ingenious Craftsman Fort, who was the only Foundation Establishment True Cultivator besides Mo Wen.

As the saying goes, even in drought, skilled craftsmen will not starve. With their puppetry skills, which were well-known throughout the Shannan Circuit, both branches of Ingenious Craftsman Fort were thriving.

But his good fortune didn't last long. Half a year ago, when the master of Ingenious Craftsman Fort was refining a high-level puppet, a sudden burst of fire and lightning struck him. The aftershocks of the explosion shattered his meridians, rendering him unable to circulate qi. He spent countless resources afterward, but it was difficult to cure him. Many Alchemist said that his lifespan was uncertain.

Therefore, Mo Wen's burden naturally became heavier.

Just a month ago, Mo Wen was promoted to the position of deputy fortress lord, and it seems that he will be the one to lead the entire Ingenious Craftsman Fort in the future, without any other choice. In other words, given time, Xiu Ming Xiu Ming become the fortress lord's disciple and a direct disciple of the Foundation Establishment stage. It can't be said that the Sect Leader Kang Da's arrangement of his future is bad.

However, Xiu Ming could not hide the envy in his eyes when Xiu Ming looked at his two fellow clansmen. Although Ingenious Craftsman Fort could be called a great sect that had been around for many years, it had suffered repeated blows and was showing signs of decline.

But Chongming Sect was different; he was at the height of his power and influence.

Just look at the families and clans that attended the Chongming Sect's Immortal Ascension Assembly to know that not only were small households flocking to it, but even direct disciples from major Foundation Establishment clans in other states came.

Today, at least a hundred households have gathered outside the Six Star Gang Flame Formation of the Chongming Sect. Each household has brought at least one promising immortal seedling, and there are even disciples with Triple Spirit Root among them.

Such a grand occasion was rare even when the Book and Sword Gate, which dominated Guo County, recruited disciples.

Among them were small clans like the Lu Household and Kuai Household who were attached to the Chongming Sect; Shan Household and Ming Household who were related to the Chongming Sect by marriage; and families who wanted to curry favor with the Fei Household's son-in-law and the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an's favorite.

But the vast majority of the remaining people were drawn by the reputation of Sect Leader Kang Da's benevolence.

Over the years, the changes in Ping and Jin counties have been obvious. It is impossible to say that Magistrate Kang has governed the two counties into peaceful places where no one picks up lost items and doors are left unlocked at night. But this good or bad is never absolute, but relative.

Although Ping and Jin counties can only be described as peaceful and tranquil, they can be considered a paradise in this world when compared with other counties where Evil Cultivator run rampant.

Kang Dabao's earlier heartfelt confession to the Earl of Nan'an seemed to have gone completely unnoticed by the high-ranking officials of the prefecture.

The important figures like Prefectural Governor Zhu, Sima Fei, and Commander Tie focused most of their energy on the major issue of the conflict between the local people and the Hakka.

Whether the Earl could marry the eldest daughter of the Yue Household as his principal wife, or even a concubine, was, in their eyes, far more important than the life or death of the ignorant commoners and petty officials in the state.

Countless ordinary people are like crops that breathe, and even those Qi Refinement are like pigs and dogs fattened up by the crops. The hearts of these great figures are already too full of the magnificent world, making it difficult for them to make room for these people.

Although the current Sect Leader Kang Da is not considered a big figure in Cloud Horn Prefecture, he has distanced himself from words like pigs, dogs, and crops.

What's even more remarkable is that he treats people like human beings, which greatly wins the favor of ordinary families.

Over the years, Kang Dabao has done many "stupid things" in the eyes of powerful figures, exchanging his current situation for the ridicule and mockery of those in power. It's hard to say whether he has gained or lost.

This is because people's hearts and reputation are things that cannot be seen or touched, but they do have a subtle and pervasive power.

Today, Ping and Jin counties are no longer the places where no one knew who their county magistrate was.

For many families of minor surnames in the two counties, the kindness shown to them by Magistrate Kang was almost akin to being given a second chance at life, and they could not help but feel deeply grateful.

Even after the reputation of Sect Leader Kang Da as "good at bullying women" spread further throughout the states, this point remained unchanged in their minds.

As a descendant of Double Brightness's disciples, Xiu Ming had witnessed the changes that had taken place in Ping and Jin counties and felt proud of them.

With the token given to him by Jin Shilun when he passed through Chongming City, Xiu Ming did not need to squeeze into the crowded throng and compete with other people who had no connections for priority. Instead, he walked in through the shortcut guarded by Mo Ku and Zhang Le.

The families below, though envious, dared not utter a single word of dissent, for the Chongming Sect had more than just a good reputation to attract people.

There are very few major sects in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture that do not charge disciples tuition fees but provide their disciples with annual stipends.

If one were to jeopardize one's future by acting impulsively, it would be a great loss, and no one would do such an unwise thing.

Xiu Ming took a shortcut and arrived at the newly built training ground of the Chongming Sect. At this time, many promising young immortals sent by various families had gathered here, as well as three or four promising young immortals who had been selected in advance from the Chongming City by Duan Anle and others.

The population of Chongming City has grown rapidly in recent years, partly due to the fact that the great-nephew of the Sect Leader Kang Da has done far better than his grandfather; the assistance of Jin Shilun, who is well-versed in worldly affairs and comes from a background as the young master of a large stronghold, has also been instrumental.

By gathering vagrants, organizing local militias, expelling Evil Cultivator, and guarding against Demon Beast, and by implementing these systems effectively, how could the population not be prosperous?!

In the past, the Chongming Sect accepted all the immortal seedlings it discovered within its base of Chongming City, regardless of their origin.

But this time there were exceptions.

A cultivator with Four Spirit Roots from the Jiang Household was rejected by the Chongming Sect because of his poor aptitude and temperament. He was left with only one path: to become Rogue Cultivator in Chongming City and protect the descendants of mortals.

In other words, the Immortal Ascension Assembly held by the Chongming Sect has now further shifted from an inclusive approach to one that prioritizes quality over quantity.

The seedlings Xiu Ming can be considered the elite selected by the Chongming Sect. They only need to pass the final test before they can be officially admitted to the Double Brightness Sect.

The Xiu Ming was able to bring two members of his clan here smoothly means that they have already stepped one foot into the threshold of this Foundation Establishment sect.

After all, Kang Dabao would have a hard time repaying his Uncle Xiu's favor of the Formation-Breaking Pearl simply by introducing Xiu Ming to Mo Wen's sect. Therefore, as long as the two promising talents recommended by the Xiu Household this time are not too bad, Sect Leader Kang Da will definitely not refuse them.

After Xiu Ming entered and greeted Duan Anle, who was in charge of the final selection, the latter counted the number of people on a yellow silk scroll. After confirming the number, he said to Wei Gu, who was waiting nearby, "Senior Brother Wei, let's begin."

Duan Anle's prestige among the Chongming Sect disciples was clearly not low. Although he spoke politely, Wei Gu dared not be negligent in the slightest.

After Double Brightness, the array master, responded in a low voice, he made a hand seal, and a green array plate in the center of the training ground suddenly trembled and emitted a bright light. Immediately afterwards, eight array flags as thick as large bowls around the training ground lit up one after another, emitting eight kinds of mysterious light: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, indigo, and violet, which shone brightly in the field.

A six-petaled blue lotus rune array gradually appeared in the center of the training ground. A few beads of sweat appeared on Wei Gu's forehead as he softly called out, "The Heart-Questioning Formation is activated. You two, three, go in quickly."

Xiu Ming had been in Ingenious Craftsman Fort for several years, but he had never seen such a scene. Without thinking too much, he urged Ming Zhe and Ye Pingshui and the others to lead his two fellow immortal seedlings into the magic array.

Until the last immortal seedling entered the formation, Wei Gu consulted Duan Anle with his eyes, then changed his spell, and an eight-trigram light screen appeared in the center of the formation, enveloping all the immortal seedlings within it.

Pei Que kept a close eye on the various immortal talents within the formation. With his exceptional pupil technique, the most outstanding among his peers, he became one of the few outside the formation who could discern some of the secrets.

Although the immortal seedlings from the Lineage are much more experienced and mature than those from mortal backgrounds, most of them are still just children who haven't cultivated yet, and their minds haven't fully developed. With such a sudden and drastic change happening around them, how many people in the formation could remain completely unafraid?

Just a few breaths later, Pei Que recorded the performance of each of the immortal seedlings.

At this moment, the Heart-Questioning Formation was finally activated. Sect Leader Kang Da spent a lot of resources to invite the Fei Household array master to lead Wei Gu to build this First-Tier Supreme-Grade trial array. Its purpose was to test the character and aptitude of these immortal seedlings.

Even if Kang Dabao has a good reputation, the current Chongming Sect is still no match for those major sects that have fake alchemists and Golden Core cultivators in charge.

Even if various families are willing to be close to the Chongming Sect, once a true genius with Dual Spirit Root or Single Spirit Root appears, they will send them to families like the Two Instruments Sect and Hongyi Sect without hesitation.

Therefore, Sect Leader Kang Da could only settle for second best, and under the condition that the Spirit Root and aptitudes were roughly equal, he tried his best to select some immortal seedlings with firm minds to take into his sect for cultivation.

This Heart-Questioning Formation was a simplified version of the Third-Tier Middle-Grade the Fei Household Ying Prefecture Fei Household's array masters. That array was used by the Fei Household to assess Golden Core seeds and determine the ownership of Golden Core spiritual objects based on the assessment results.

The Heart-Questioning Formation set up by the Fei Household array masters for the Chongming Sect is not even a fraction as effective as the original, but it is more than enough to test some nascent immortal talents who have not yet entered the Dao.

According to the Fei Household's array master, being able to hold the array for five breaths is considered qualified, holding it for ten breaths is considered good, and holding it for twenty breaths is worth paying close attention to.

As the Fei Household's formation master had predicted, most of the thirty young seedlings in the formation fainted within five or six breaths.

Four people even succumbed within three breaths, one of whom was a celestial seedling sent by the Jade Moon Shan Household this year. Pei Que carefully recorded their details, but whether or not to record them was a serious matter and needed to be decided by his master.

However, to the slight surprise of the Double Brightness disciples present, the last immortal seedling still standing in the formation was a short, thin girl in tattered clothes.

"Junior Brother Ye, this child is one we brought from Chongming City, right?" Duan Anle asked Ye Pingshui with surprise in his eyes.

The number of promising young immortals summoned by Chongming City this time was not large, and Ye Pingshui already knew everyone's information by heart. Without even looking at the roster, he answered fluently, "What Senior Brother said is correct. This is indeed a promising young immortal we selected from Chongming City. His aptitude is also very good, and he even has Triple Spirit Root. However, this child was just transferred here and is not a local."

"Oh?"

Seeing that Duan Anle had taken an interest in the girl, Ye Pingshui continued, "This child was sold to Chongming City by a caravan of ordinary people from the Willow Grove Wu Household. I heard she's from Tall Wood Cave."

She was orphaned and mute after being harmed by a group of Evil Cultivator who occupied that place. Her solitary nature also contributed to her suffering. It was the kind-hearted owner of a silk shop in Chongming City who took pity on her and bought her to raise. He even brought her to this Immortal Ascension Assembly.

"Nineteen, twenty, two one two eight!" The girl with the best temperament finally fainted. Wei Gu, who was in charge of the formation, dispersed his hand seals, and the fluorescent light of the eight formation flags dissipated. The light screen of the Heart-Questioning Formation gradually dispersed.

A handful of colorful grass seeds appeared in Kang Rongquan's hand. A flash of spiritual light appeared in the lines of his palm, and the colorful grass seeds transformed into emerald-green spiritual liquid. Kang Rongquan then blew on the spiritual liquid, and it vaporized, drifting down with the wind to the air above the thirty unconscious immortal seedlings.

In just a few breaths, all the immortal seedlings awoke, which put the waiting protectors at ease.

Duan Anle's gaze remained fixed on the raggedly dressed little girl, and he asked softly, "What's this child's name?" Without hesitation, Ye Pingshui replied, "The owner of the silk shop said that although this child cannot speak, she can write the character 'ke,' so they call her Keke."

"Keke? Not a bad name, just add a surname." Duan Anle felt a surge of appreciation for her talent, then instructed, "Junior Brother Lao Ye, you and Junior Brother Jin should write a letter, telling the silk shop owner who sheltered Keke that Chongming City, so don't neglect him."

Duan Anle would also buy horse bones.

"Junior Brother Duan, Uncle Sun sent a message saying that the selection of cultivators from various families outside also needs to begin and cannot be delayed any longer," Wei Gu said, leaning close to Duan Anle.

"Understood, I'll go right away." After Duan Anle finished speaking, he gave Kang Rongquan some instructions, telling him to take good care of the immortal seedlings in the arena. As he got up, he asked Wei Gu, "Senior Brother Wei, did Uncle Sun say what kind of Spirit Root Brother Yi has?!"

Duan Anle's question immediately drew the attention of all the fellow disciples to Wei Gu's long face. Wei Gu, beaming with joy, replied, "Uncle-Master Sun says, Brother Yi is..."

----Master's Courtyard

"Haha, my son is truly remarkable. In the two hundred years since the founding of your Chongming Sect, besides the sect's founder Patriarch Zhang, who else could you name a second cultivator with Dual Spirit Root?!"

Fei Shuhe laughed heartily, hugging and kissing the chubby Kang Changyi repeatedly. Huo Ying, who was standing nearby, was also overjoyed and cried tears of happiness. She even dared to come closer to Fei Shuhe and stroke her child for a while.

But faced with this warm hospitality, the eldest son of the sect leader was somewhat impatient. "Mother, little mother, stop kissing me, you're drooling."

Nanny Sun frowned at the sight, but Fei Shuhe didn't seem to care. Instead, she gestured to stop the dowry maid from moving. After graciously letting Kang Changyi pass Huo Ying, the sect leader's wife got up and sat opposite the Sect Leader Kang Da at the chess table, tilting her head to look at him.

In high spirits, the noblewoman of the Fei Household seemed to have lost some of her dignified demeanor as a matriarch, but gained a touch of girlish innocence, giving her a unique charm.

"Actually, even my Martial Uncle Lian is a second-rate master in my family..." Kang Dabao stopped mid-sentence when he saw his wife's expression.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say goes." Just as Sect Leader Kang Da was about to grumble inwardly, Fei Shuhe's expression brightened, and she excitedly exclaimed:

"That's good now. I was worried that you, as a father, were not fortunate enough to have any Spirit Root, which would have prevented my son from having any. Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the Dao Ancestor, my son actually has Dual Spirit Root."

"When I return home to visit my family in a few days, I will speak with my aunt to see if we can arrange for my son to marry a legitimate daughter of the Han Household, Jade Kun."

Upon hearing this, Huo Ying's pupils widened, her excitement beyond words. She knelt down with a thud, bowing deeply and saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam! I am deeply grateful and will never forget it!"

Fei Shuhe smiled and helped her up, saying softly, "Brother Yi is both your flesh and blood and my son, so why are you being so polite with me? Don't cry, this is a joyous occasion."

Quickly put away that shabby air you picked up from someone, or outsiders will laugh at you. She's just a daughter-in-law of the Yukun Han Household, what's the big deal? Once Brother Yi reaches the Core Formation Soul stage, you'll have plenty of good fortune to enjoy."

For a moment, Huo Ying was both crying and laughing, Fei Shuhe smiles, and Kang Changyi would wipe away his mother's tears one moment and then angrily wipe away her breath the next, creating a scene of maternal love and filial piety.

The Sect Leader Kang Da didn't feel out of place, but he felt that he was somewhat dispensable as the head of the family.

To avoid disrupting the warm atmosphere, Kang Dabao watched from the sidelines as Fei Shuhe promises to the Huo Ying without exposing her true intentions. What kind of family was the Yukun Han Household? They were a True Person family in the capital region with living members, and they were even betrothing their eldest daughter. Fei Shuhe could only bully the naive Huo Ying.

As he watched, even Sect Leader Kang Da himself started to laugh. His laughter deepened, replaced by a hint of pride. "Mine is just the best!"

With his son occupied by his beautiful wife and concubines, and unable to hold him himself, he decided to go ahead and attend to some important matters first.

When Kang Dabao arrived at the foot of Little Ring Mountain, the Immortal Ascension Assembly was nearing its end. Duan Anle and the other disciples were organizing the roster, and when they saw the Sect Leader Kang Da arrive, they immediately handed it over.

The younger generation has grown up and is capable of taking on more responsibility, which has made Kang Dabao feel much more relaxed. He happily accepted the ledger and began to tally up this year's harvest.

Thank you all for reading, subscribing, voting, and commenting!