Chapter 145: The Strongest of the Five Great Immortal Sects

Meng Jingzhou slapped Lu Yang on the shoulder and said, "You have finally become outstanding enough for someone to come to your door and propose marriage."

Lu Yang stared at Meng Jingzhou. "Finally?"

Meng Jingzhou declared with pride, "Ever since I was a child, members of the royal family, powerful ministers, and leaders of orthodox sects have come to my house to propose marriage. It was as if their daughters weren't even their own, the way they tried to force them into becoming my fiancée. My parents and clan elders disagreed, holding an exceptionally firm stance. Otherwise, how could I now be..."

Lu Yang cut in. "How could you now be suffering from kidney deficiency?"

Meng Jingzhou snapped in anger, "How could I now be anything less than a dashing, romantic young master!"

The two grappled with each other, both unleashing the Tiger Fist. Roars echoed from the clouds above. Yun Zhi focused entirely on flying, paying them no mind.

Lu Yang transformed into a tiger demon, pinning Meng Jingzhou down with a single claw and beating him until he could only beg for mercy.

In the end, Meng Jingzhou's Tiger Fist was no match for Lu Yang's true tiger form.

After the brawl, Lu Yang still could not fathom it. Had the outstanding qualities he displayed in Yanjiang County truly reached the level of prompting someone to come to his door and propose marriage?

Moreover, "proposing at the door," "the woman breaking the engagement," and "a powerful soul dwelling within the body"—why did these elements sound so incredibly familiar?

...

The Great Xia Dynasty, the Imperial City, the Imperial Palace.

Above the grand hall, a majestic man clad in black robes embroidered with gold patterns sat upon the high throne, his face devoid of smiles. Below the dais, the assembled ministers cried out 'Long live Your Majesty,' their voices filling the air with a solemn and grave atmosphere.

"Rise, my ministers."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Emperor of Xia surveyed his ministers and produced a memorial he had just received. "I have just received a report from the Governor of Qingzhou. It states that five ancient Integration Stage cultivators have awakened in a place called Buyi Town, forming a domain. The Sect Master of the Wendao Sect happened to pass by and, taking his second disciple with him, slew three of them."

Hearing this, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. The awakening of five Integration Stage cultivators was no small matter. It was fortunate that Daoist Buyu had crossed paths with them; had it been any other Integration Stage cultivator, they would have fallen right there in Buyi Town.

Although Daoist Buyu did not have the best reputation—having swindled almost everyone present in their youth—his strength was beyond question. He was at the absolute pinnacle of the Integration Stage.

"However, two of them managed to escape, and both are at the peak of the Integration Stage," the Emperor of Xia reminded his ministers, pointing out the true crux of the matter.

The Emperor of Xia had no expectation that they would abide by the rules. Ancient cultivation methods were brutal and harsh, treating human lives like grass. This revived group had awakened solely to contest the fortunes of this great era, and they would use any means necessary to achieve that end. The Great Xia Dynasty had already learned bitter lessons regarding this in the past.

The ministers discussed the matter in hushed tones. If those two Integration Stage cultivators showed themselves openly, there would naturally be nothing to fear, as many within the court could deal with them. The true dread lay in them hiding away, plotting in the shadows. If they were to collude with the Demonic Sects, it would become far more troublesome.

"These ancient Integration Stage cultivators!" The Emperor of Xia felt a massive headache coming on. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was becoming increasingly active, and more and more ancient cultivators were awakening.

This group of Integration Stage cultivators posed a major threat. If left unchecked, they could cause cataclysmic disasters, resulting in countless civilian casualties.

The only silver lining was that no Tribulation Transmutation Stage cultivators had awakened just yet.

According to the intelligence gathered so far, those who awakened early were all at the early Integration Stage. The later a cultivator awakened, the higher their cultivation level would be. Those who awakened in Buyi Town consisted of four peak Integration Stage cultivators and one late Integration Stage cultivator.

It was highly predictable that Tribulation Transmutation Stage cultivators would awaken very soon. When that happened, the troubles from the Eastern Ocean, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, the Southern Demon Realm, the Extreme North, and the Four Great Demonic Sects would erupt simultaneously. The rule of the Great Xia Dynasty would inevitably totter, and the rumor that every dynasty lasted only one hundred thousand years might very well come true.

"It is all for the sake of becoming an immortal!" A cold gleam flashed in the eyes of the Emperor of Xia. He was privy to many secrets; all this chaos was being orchestrated by someone pulling the strings in the shadows, someone who wished for more Immortal Dao Fruits to manifest.

The Emperor of Xia suspected it was the work of the Anonymous One from ancient times—one of the five ancient immortals.

"Is becoming an immortal truly that important!" The Emperor of Xia burned with inner rage, though he did not let it show on his face.

If the mastermind behind this truly believed the Great Xia Dynasty was merely a chess piece to be manipulated at will, they were gravely mistaken.

The Emperor of Xia forced his mind away from the ancient Anonymous One, redirecting his attention toward the two escaped Integration Stage cultivators.

At that moment, the Chief Eunuch received a memorial. Upon seeing its origin, he hurriedly presented it to the Emperor of Xia.

After reading it, a look of great joy washed over the dragon countenance of the Emperor. "Excellent! Marvelous!"

The ministers were bewildered, unsure of what was written in the memorial to make His Majesty so profoundly happy.

"There is no need to worry about those two Integration Stage cultivators any longer! Yun Zhi of the Wendao Sect has already captured them alive!"

"Yun Zhi?" An under-informed minister muttered in confusion, unfamiliar with the name. Among the Eight Elders of the Wendao Sect, there did not seem to be one named Yun Zhi.

However, the well-informed elder ministers knew exactly who Yun Zhi was and the terror she commanded. They knew that capturing two Integration Stage cultivators alive was no difficult feat for her.

"The Demon Realm has dispatched an envoy..." The Emperor of Xia and his ministers transitioned to discussing other state affairs.

After the imperial court dismissed, the Emperor of Xia returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to review new memorials.

"Your Majesty, Duke Qin, Jing Yansong, requests an audience," the Chief Eunuch reported in a low voice.

The Emperor of Xia did not even raise his head. "Enter."

Upon entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Duke Qin saw that the Emperor of Xia was fully occupied with reviewing memorials. He remained silent, standing respectfully aside. He only spoke once the Emperor had finished processing the most critical documents.

"What matter does Duke Qin wish to bring forth?" The Emperor of Xia looked at him with a solemn expression, his gaze so intense that a lesser man would not dare lock eyes with him.

"Your Majesty, this minister believes that we must guard against the Wendao Sect. Yun Zhi of the Wendao Sect once defeated the masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects while holding the status of a mere disciple, establishing an unprecedented record. Since then, she has kept a low profile and rarely makes a move. Yet every time she does, she leaves everyone struck with horror. Over these past centuries, her cultivation must have reached a terrifying level."

"This minister worries that her existence will shake the very foundations of the dynasty. After all, the Wendao Sect was established during the Great Yu era. Having survived the 'Division of the World' and the 'Founding of the Great Xia,' they might very well harbor intentions to replace us."

"This is not merely this minister's solitary opinion. On my way to court, I even heard a tavern boy singing, 'When Wendao rises, the world finds peace.'"

The Emperor of Xia frowned. Seeing this, Duke Qin knew the Emperor had begun to harbor suspicions toward the Wendao Sect, so he said no more, took his leave, and departed.

The Emperor of Xia summoned the Chief Eunuch. "Go investigate who Duke Qin has met with recently. Focus heavily on his dealings with the Demon Realm."

"Understood."

The Emperor of Xia sneered inwardly. It appeared that not everyone within this imperial court stood on the side of Great Xia.

"Trying to drive a wedge between me and the Wendao Sect. Quite a clever plan."

After ascending the throne, the Emperor of Xia had visited the Five Great Immortal Sects one by one. During his visit to the Wendao Sect, he had encountered Yun Zhi and found her utterly extraordinary. He sensed she was deep and unfathomable. He had sent people to investigate her, yet he still could not grasp her depths. Ultimately, he had gone directly to the forbidden grounds of the imperial palace to ask the Ancestor if he knew of a female cultivator named Yun Zhi from the Wendao Sect.

The Ancestor had remained silent for a very long time before returning a single sentence: "The strongest among the Five Great Immortal Sects."

Refusing to give up, the Emperor of Xia had pressed further, "And compared to you, Ancestor?"

"Ask no more."

The Emperor of Xia had been kicked out by the Ancestor, leaving him feeling rather humiliated and irritated.