After the divine light fell into the ancestral grounds.
In an instant, a voice like a great bell rang out across the horizon.
"You barged into my Returning Origin Holy Land like this. Do you hold my Returning Origin Holy Land in such contempt?"
Every sound around them immediately fell silent.
The sect leaders' hearts shook violently as well. Could that voice belong to him?
"Such a terrifying aura. Could it be..."
"It's the ancestor! Our Returning Origin Holy Land's ancestor is here!"
Crack!
Just then, the void across a stretch of heaven and earth shattered like a mirror.
A Bronze Lotus emerged amid the chaos, with a figure seated cross-legged upon it, his beard, hair, and eyebrows white.
On closer inspection, he was an old man with an immortal's bearing, his aura unfathomable.
Though his face was weathered and his body withered, his aura made the power of the laws around him rumble incessantly.
Merely lowering his eyes toward those below, he cast immense pressure over everyone's minds!
The sect leaders all turned pale, not daring even to breathe heavily.
This man had once been a ruthless figure of his generation.
During the first Human-Demon War, he had single-handedly held off four Demon Race ancestors at the Holy Master Realm, killing three while one escaped.
He had slaughtered the demon army until they abandoned their helmets and armor, and the people of the Returning Origin Holy Land later honored him as Ancestor Po Jun!
"We pay our respects to you, Ancestor!"
Everyone from the Returning Origin Holy Land cupped their hands in unison, respect on their faces.
Within the Returning Origin Holy Land, this ancestor was the fiercest. At the slightest disagreement, he would immediately come to blows, and his cultivation was incomparably powerful.
None of them had expected this young man's talent to awaken even him!
"Zhao Wu, you've been Holy Master for so many years. Is your courage worth less than a dog's?"
"They've barged right into the holy land, and you're still sniveling like this?"
Ancestor Po Jun unleashed a torrent of abuse.
Zhao Wu was the Holy Master's name, and only Ancestor Po Jun could call him by name and then berate him.
Zhao Wu felt somewhat wronged too. He knew this was the ancestor's strategy.
After all, their holy land's strength could not yet be exposed to the world, so they could only divert everyone's attention this way.
Still, he felt wronged. Being Holy Master was hard!
He had originally been merely an ancestor's youngest disciple, yet they had insisted on making him Holy Master. It was far too stifling!
As though sensing the Returning Origin Holy Master's grievance, Ancestor Po Jun glared fiercely at him. "Don't give me that!"
Then he turned his gaze toward Su Changge and instantly became a kindly, benevolent elder.
Everyone was stunned by this maneuver. The speed at which his expression changed was simply unbelievable!
"Little fellow, you should know who I am by now. I am an ancestor of the Returning Origin Holy Land."
"If you join my Returning Origin Holy Land, you may freely use all our cultivation resources, and our holy land will do everything in its power to protect your path."
He paused, divine light shining in his eyes as he swept his gaze around and declared, "As long as you agree, you will henceforth be our holy land's Divine Son, equal in standing to me within the holy land. Your will shall be the holy land's will!"
Those words instantly stunned everyone, leaving the surroundings deathly silent.
Divine Son?
As far as they knew, the Returning Origin Holy Land had never had a Divine Son!
As he had just said, the Divine Son's will would be the holy land's will. A mere Holy Son could not compare at all-not even the Returning Origin Holy Master could!
"Ancestor... isn't this... somewhat inappropriate?"
The Returning Origin Holy Master forced himself to speak. A disciple who had only just joined would be riding over his head?
If that disciple pissed and shat on his head in the future, he would even have to smile along!
Ancestor Po Jun raised his eyebrows. "It seems you have objections?"
"What? Do the words of us old fellows no longer carry any weight?"
The Returning Origin Holy Master trembled. "Old fellows? Then that means those others..."
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he hastily shook his head.
If he still refused, they might replace the Holy Master tomorrow!
After hearing that exchange, several holy land elders who had been about to speak immediately swallowed their words and remained silent.
This was a decision reached by several ancestors. If they still failed to appreciate the favor, they would simply be courting death.
"Heh... Ancestor Po Jun certainly has boldness."
"But can the Returning Origin Holy Land's resources alone afford to nurture an Innate Saintly Body Dao Embryo?"
The Returning Unity Sect's Sect Leader said snidely, "Don't end up wasting such a Saintly Body for nothing. Can you bear that responsibility?"
"The moment our young friend Changge joins my holy land, he will become the Divine Son. Given his position as Divine Son, shouldn't our Returning Origin Holy Land devote all its resources to him?"
"Besides, our holy land is willing to give him every resource we have."
"Can you give him everything?"
Ancestor Po Jun mocked them without restraint.
The Returning Unity Sect's Sect Leader fell silent.
If Su Changge joined the Returning Unity Sect, their sect also had many exceptionally talented disciples. They would not dare give everything to Su Changge.
Doing so could spark conflict within the sect and harm its long-term development.
"Hmph! As far as I know, the Returning Origin Holy Land has never had a Divine Son throughout its countless years."
"Making such a unilateral decision, aren't you afraid the other Holy Sons will grow dissatisfied, Ancestor Po Jun?"
Someone chimed in, "The Divine Son's will shall be the Returning Origin Holy Land's will? Aren't you afraid this will throw the Returning Origin Holy Land into chaos?"
"Ancestor Po Jun, don't deceive our young friend Changge. Making such grand claims may earn you everyone's contempt in the future!"
The various top sects spoke up in mockery. They did not want the Returning Origin Holy Land to gain him so easily.
An Innate Saintly Body Dao Embryo was a rare sight even in ten thousand years. Now that they had finally encountered one, they would not give up so easily!
Faced with all their doubts and ridicule, Ancestor Po Jun remained composed.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he displayed an air of righteousness and declared, "The position of Divine Son was decided upon jointly by several ancestors of our holy land!"
"The Divine Son shall stand equal to us. His will shall be the holy land's will. All the holy land's resources shall be his to use freely, and the holy land shall spare no effort in protecting his path!"
Then he pointed at the sky.
"With the Great Dao as witness, I am willing to swear a Great Dao Oath upon my Dao heart."
"If even half a word of this is false, may my soul scatter and perish, never to be reborn for all eternity!"
Rumble!
A bolt of white lightning exploded, and the aura of the Great Dao began spreading through the sky, signifying that the oath had been established.
Everyone around them fell utterly silent. A Great Dao Oath was the strictest oath in the world, overseen by the Heavenly Dao.
Any violation meant the scattering and destruction of one's soul!
"I have sworn a Great Dao Oath. You can also swear Great Dao Oaths to demonstrate your resolve. That would let our young friend see for himself, wouldn't it?" Ancestor Po Jun said mildly, looking at everyone.
The surroundings grew even quieter. Some did not even dare breathe heavily.
Was a Great Dao Oath something one could swear so casually?
If anything went wrong, wouldn't they die outright, their cultivation extinguished?
"So everything you said before was just painting grand feasts for our young friend to feast his eyes on?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! With so little courage, you dare call yourselves sect leaders?" Ancestor Po Jun mocked them again. "It seems you juniors really are growing more useless by the day."
These juniors had actually looked down on him earlier?
After that exchange, Ancestor Po Jun finally felt he had thoroughly vented his pent-up anger.
Looking toward Su Changge beside him, Ancestor Po Jun asked with a solemn expression, "Well? Are you willing to join my holy land, young friend?"
A hint of enticement entered Ancestor Po Jun's voice. "This is an opportunity rarely seen through the ages. Young friend Changge, you must consider it carefully."
As his words fell, every gaze around them turned toward Su Changge.
[Ding! New mission detected. Option one: join the Returning Origin Holy Land. Reward: Yin Yang Sword Qi. Option two: refuse and join another faction. Reward: Thunder Flash Swordplay.]
Yin Yang Sword Qi?
Su Changge pondered inwardly.
Setting that aside.
Judging by the boldness this ancestor had just shown, every word he said was undoubtedly true. As for the others, Su Changge kept feeling they were merely painting grand feasts for him.
With a powerful backer and abundant resources, he would have firmly established himself in this world!
Combined with his status as Divine Son, which allowed him to use all kinds of resources freely, his cultivation would advance ten thousand miles a day!
"Disciple Su Changge is willing to join the Returning Origin Holy Land!" Su Changge cupped his hands and bowed.
"Good! From this moment onward, Su Changge shall be our holy land's Divine Son! The Divine Son's will shall be our holy land's will!"
Ancestor Po Jun was overjoyed, his bell-like voice carrying throughout the Returning Origin Holy Land.
For some reason, Ancestor Po Jun had a powerful feeling.
It seemed like a glimpse of the future: the prodigies were merely stars, while Su Changge was a blazing sun, capable of dominating an entire era alone!
The plan their holy land had been preparing would finally begin to move!
Why had an ancestor like him come in person?
Because the ancient beings deep within the Returning Origin Holy Land had already sensed that Su Changge was more than merely an Innate Saintly Body Dao Embryo!
He might very well be connected to the mythical Destiny Void...
"Everyone, matters here are settled. Are you still not leaving?"
Ancestor Po Jun looked coldly at those around him. Clearly, he had already ordered his guests to leave.
The leaders of the various factions looked displeased. They had come for Su Changge, and this outcome meant their trip had been for nothing.
Most importantly, they had lost face before a group of juniors!
Ancestor Po Jun had sworn a Heavenly Dao Oath, while every one of them had appeared timid and hesitant. What did that make them? People deliberately deceiving juniors?
If word of this spread, it would inevitably give people grounds for gossip.
"Hmph!"
The leaders of the many factions snorted coldly. Although the Returning Origin Holy Land appeared to be in decline, no one knew its true strength.
They left no threats either. Feeling that matters had reached this point and there was indeed no reason to remain, they tore open the void and turned to leave.
Some looked regretful as they left, while others looked sinister...
In their eyes, if they could not obtain a disciple with such talent, they had to destroy him!
"Changge, you must grow strong as quickly as possible. You must possess strength that stands above every prodigy."
"These old foxes have filthy minds. In the future, you will become the target of every arrow," Ancestor Po Jun said earnestly.
Su Changge nodded slightly. The cultivation world had always been this way.
Overwhelming talent would inevitably attract others' jealousy and hatred.
The weak would be torn apart by these "wolf packs."
Thus, he had to become strong enough to dominate everything.
Otherwise, he would only meet a miserable end.
The Saintly Body emerged, and the Divine Son was appointed!
Before you continue