Chapter 468: Arriving at the Imperial City for the First Time

The Great Xia Imperial Palace.

The Emperor of Xia and the masters of the four great immortal sects sat in restless disquiet, unable to find comfort either sitting or standing; through all their countless assemblies, never had they encountered such a state of affairs.

Lu Yang occupied the seat reserved for the Sect Master of the Gathering of Clouds Sect, while Yun Zhi stood behind him, bearing the posture of a mere subordinate.

If even Yun Zhi remained standing, who would dare to sit?

The Immortal Fairy dared.

After all, it was the Acting Sect Master of the Gathering of Clouds Sect who had been invited to this assembly, and she was the true Acting Sect Master.

As the head of the five ancient immortals, what was wrong with her sitting here?

In truth, it would not have been out of place even had she seated herself upon the imperial throne.

Lu Yang, lingering within the spiritual realm, possessed a heart far less grand than that of the Immortal Fairy.

The Imperial Capital, as the grandest and most prosperous city of the Central Continent, the very pivot of power, had ever been a place that drew countless cultivators like moths to a flame.

Lu Yang was no exception; he had long held the Imperial Capital in his thoughts, yearning to wander through its streets and behold a different landscape of cultivation.

Yet he had not anticipated his arrival would be so sudden.

Originally, he had envisioned entering the Imperial Capital in a low-key manner, where some unwitting action would draw him passively into a grand conspiracy; upon resolving the plot, he would find himself in the vortex of political strife, contending for power and the throne itself, maneuvering skillfully to protect himself through wisdom, until his deeds finally startled the Emperor of Xia.

He would then attend the imperial court to meet the sovereign, while his enemies spoke ceaselessly, accusing him of rebellion and defaming his character; the Emperor of Xia would merely wave his hand, cast a meaningful glance at the adversary, and declare that as a disciple of the Silent Daoist, rebellion was an absolute impossibility, leaving the enemy, the ministers, and the cultivators of the capital utterly astounded.

Thus would his fame be established as a matter of course.

That was the proper sequence of events.

He had not expected to bypass the entire process and find himself directly in the palace, face to face with the Emperor of Xia.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, please take a seat," the Emperor of Xia said with a placating smile.

Yun Zhi shook her head in refusal: "I am now merely an ordinary disciple of the Gathering of Clouds Sect; how could I be qualified to sit? This Sect Master Lu is the true Acting Sect Master of our sect."

The Emperor of Xia: "..."

What an exceptional ordinary disciple of the Gathering of Clouds Sect.

"Is this Sect Master Lu the very Lu Yang mentioned in the assembly half a month ago?" The Emperor of Xia asked, though he already knew the answer; it had been stated then that the Heavenly Court Sect was established by one named Lu Yang, a most outstanding and talented youth.

He had not foreseen that after a mere half-month, this talented youth would rise to a position of equal standing with himself.

Lu Yang secretly observed the Emperor of Xia from within the spiritual realm; this ruler of the mortal world and leader of the righteous path did not possess the aura of slaughter and decisive execution spoken of in rumors, nor did he bear the pedantic air of a scholar; his temples were streaked with gray, and his cheeks were slightly hollowed, signs of depleted vitality and exhausted energy.

Were his identity unknown, none would discern that this Emperor of Xia was hailed as an emperor of eternal renown.

Perhaps the previous Emperor of Xia had combined both the aura of slaughter and the grace of a scholar, but now, having suffered a deficit in his lifespan, he no longer retained his former glory.

"You already know the Emperor of Xia, and you are also acquainted with Sect Master Qiu," the Eldest Senior Sister introduced to Lu Yang before the meeting commenced, and by the way, to the Immortal Fairy as well.

"This is Fellow Daoist Luo Hongxia, the Palace Master of the Laurel Immortal Palace and the master of Lan Ting; she previously brought Lan Ting to our gates to propose a marriage."

The corner of Luo Hongxia’s eye twitched; she truly had not gone to propose a marriage that time.

She looked upon Lu Yang, noting his fair and clean appearance; so this boy was the Lu Yang whom Lan Ting constantly held in her thoughts, yet his looks were not quite as splendid as Lan Ting had described.

At the thought of Lan Ting returning from the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony, describing with animated gestures how formidable Lu Yang was, a surge of irritation rose within her.

She gave a cold snort, offering Lu Yang no pleasant countenance.

"Her expression is so grim, could it be she ate something amiss?"

"This is the Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect, Yang Ding."

"Greetings," Yang Ding spoke, harboring no hostility toward Lu Yang.

Though Lu Yang was the disciple of the Silent Daoist, he was also the junior brother of Yun Zhi; the positive and negative canceled each other out, leaving no room for enmity.

"This is Master Jie Sha of the Hanging Temple, who is currently practicing the Zen of Silence," the Eldest Senior Sister introduced the sole Tribulation Transgression stage cultivator present.

Master Jie Sha’s body was withered, and the cassock passed down through generations of the Hanging Temple hung loosely upon his frame; his eyelids drooped, his fingers moved along Buddhist beads, and he nodded without a word.

The Immortal Fairy felt a slight touch of surprise; it was her first time meeting a high monk of the Buddhist sect, and she had not expected that the Buddhist path fabricated by the five ancient immortals would actually allow descendants to cultivate genuine insights, and even innovate upon that foundation.

The wisdom of later generations was truly not to be underestimated; it was nearly equal to her own.

The Immortal Fairy frowned slightly.

"What is it?" Lu Yang inquired.

"Someone is spying on this place, likely the master of the power of national destiny." The Immortal Fairy possessed a keen sense for counter-surveillance, being, after all, one capable of tracking the five ancient immortals.

Lu Yang understood; it was likely an immortal of the imperial court observing the scene, which was entirely natural.

Just as the Emperor of Xia was about to speak, the Eldest Senior Sister preempted him, saying: "After returning to the sect, I visited several seniors, and one of profound erudition pointed out a method to break through the limitations of lifespan and prolong life."

"What method is it?" The others had returned to their respective sects but had found no solution to aid the Emperor of Xia in his predicament.

"In ancient times, there existed a spiritual root of heaven and earth, a peach tree; consuming its peaches could extend one's life. However, this spiritual root is capable of flight, and its current whereabouts are unknown."

"Could there truly be such a thing?!" The others were visibly moved; none had ever heard of this spiritual root of heaven and earth, proving that the foundation of the Gathering of Clouds Sect was indeed terrifying.

"I shall dispatch men to search for it," the Emperor of Xia spoke, being the first to compose himself; urgency would avail nothing in this matter, and success would depend entirely on fate.

He then turned to another matter of gravity: "The designs of the Great Yu cultivators in Jizhou have been thwarted. Your sect’s Silent Daoist was the first to discover the plot; to rescue the common people, he entered the fray himself, cleaving the heavens with a single sword to break the rules of the Great Yu Tribulation Transgression cultivator. He engaged the opponent in a battle of wits and courage, sent out a signal to endure until Palace Master Chen Tao and the immortal sects arrived, and finally assisted Palace Master Chen Tao in capturing the Great Yu cultivator."

"This deed has drawn widespread acclaim. Palace Master Chen Tao and the elders of the immortal sects have praised the actions of the Silent Daoist most highly, admiring him to the utmost and intending to commend him publicly. Yet the Silent Daoist left behind both merit and fame, retiring after his success, and despite several searches, none have been able to find him."

Those seated exchanged peculiar glances; they had all received reports from their elders regarding the events at Dingxin City in Jizhou, and this seemed to differ somewhat from what had been reported.

"Who penned this report?" Qiu Jin'an asked in perplexity, wondering if a spy from the Gathering of Clouds Sect had infiltrated the imperial court.

This had praised the Silent Daoist to the heavens.

The Emperor of Xia replied with a darkened countenance: "The popular storytelling chronicle, 'Tales of the Gathering of Clouds Sect'."

Qiu Jin'an: "..."

Everyone turned their gaze in unison toward Lu Yang and Yun Zhi, their meaning unmistakable: the Silent Daoist is one of yours, fabricating rumors and causing trouble daily; what do you intend to do about it?

How clever the Immortal Fairy was; faced with this situation, she brought forth the rhetoric of Yun Zhi: "My position as Acting Sect Master was appointed by the Sect Master himself; I have no authority over him."

"And so?"

"And so, I can write a letter suggesting the Sect Master abdicate and yield his position to the worthy, allowing me to become the true Sect Master, so that I may govern him."

The second update will be at eleven o'clock.