Chapter 601: Newcomer of the Heavenly Court Sect

For five grueling days, Third Senior Sister piloted the beast-hide artifact until the founding site of the Demon State finally loomed on the horizon.

What had once been an endless, undulating chain of mountains had been completely leveled into a vast plain by the sheer might of the Demon Alliance, upon which a towering imperial citadel now thrust toward the heavens.

This fortress, cast entirely from molten metal, stood out with striking prominence against the savage and untamed landscape of the Demon Territory.

Great peaks pierced the sky and surrounding ridges encircled the land, yet the colossal metallic city remained exceptionally conspicuous amidst its mountainous cradle.

The entire fortress was pitched in a suffocating, ink-black hue, casting a heavy, oppressive shadow that commanded absolute dread.

With the founding ceremony drawing near, invitations had been extended to every faction possessing a Body Integration stage cultivator, and most had already arrived, blending with the stationed legions of the Demon Alliance to fill the metallic city with roaring life.

The Great Xia Dynasty, the East Sea, the Demon State, and rogue cultivators from all walks of life had converged, bringing the various powers of the entire cultivation world together to bear witness.

Lu Yang had previously familiarized himself with all the major sects of Great Xia while organizing the Daoist Sect’s anniversary celebration, yet this gathering brought forth a multitude of formidable, unfamiliar factions.

After all, the Demon Territory had been plagued by chaos for three hundred thousand years, and the sudden announcement of a unified state naturally drew everyone who wished to glimpse this historic moment.

The founder of this nation was even more extraordinary—Zhu Tian of the ancient Dijiang Clan, a half-immortal who had survived since antiquity!

Anyone who had ever peered into the history of the ancient era knew the terrifying renown of this figure.

"The Demon City?"

Suspended high above the city gates were two grand characters—Demon City.

Upon laying eyes on these characters, a vast and desolate aura crashed over them, carrying the scent of ancient dust stirred from the depths of history.

"Little Lu, Little Meng, over here, over here." As Lu Yang’s group descended near the gates of the Demon City, the First Elder’s voice transmission echoed in their ears.

"Look to your left."

The two turned their heads to find the First Elder and the Third Elder squatting casually by the roadside.

The duo was incredibly conspicuous; passing demons glared at them with fierce malice, but constrained by the laws of the Demon City, they could only stalk inside with indignant frustration.

With the founding ceremony imminent, causing a brawl near the Demon City would be a direct slap to the face of the Dijiang Clan, and even those with deep grudges against the Daoist Sect dared not seek vengeance at such a time.

It was precisely for this reason that the First Elder and the Third Elder dared to show their true faces.

The Demon City had four gates in total, and the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Elders had been guarding the other three; upon learning that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had been found at the eastern gate, the three elders quickly converged.

"Elders, you actually managed to escape?"

Meng Jingzhou recalled that when they were pursuing the five elders, the furious demons looked ready to burn their very essence blood; how could they have escaped under such conditions?

The First Elder stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "Since the five of us dared to venture into the Demon Territory, we naturally came fully prepared. If they wish to catch us, they had best wait until they reach the Tribulation Transmutation stage!"

"Elders, it has been a long time," Third Senior Sister greeted them politely.

"Ah, Gantian, it has been nearly a hundred years since we last met. It seems your journey through the Demon Territory has yielded rich rewards. Among your peers, your cultivation is likely the highest, already at the peak of the Soul Essence stage, soon to catch up to Little Dai," the First Elder said with a chuckle. Gan Tian was a diligent and inquisitive girl who had often delighted them during her training at the Daoist Sect, a complete contrast to the infuriating Ye Zigin.

They were both disciples of the Silent Daoist, so how could the difference between them be so vast?

"Peak of the Soul Essence stage?" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou both wore expressions of utter shock, having always assumed Third Senior Sister was at the Body Integration stage.

Wasn't it said that cultivation fluctuated wildly during the Soul Essence stage? Why had they seen no trace of this in her?

"Of course she is at the peak of the Soul Essence stage," the Immortal Goddess said lazily. "Did you two fail to notice that from beginning to end, this little girl never once fought with her own hands, relying entirely on magical treasures instead?"

With this reminder, realization suddenly dawned on Lu Yang; throughout their journey, Third Senior Sister had used either the ancient zither, the beast hide, or invisibility talismans, never once employing an actual spell or technique.

"This girl takes advantage of the moments when her cultivation fluctuates up to the Body Integration stage to infuse her magic power into her treasures, storing it in advance so that when her cultivation drops, the treasures can still be used normally."

Lu Yang remembered that when he and Old Meng took the sect entrance exam, Old Meng had brought along several treasures pre-charged with magic power, all provided by his clan.

"When you reach the Soul Essence stage, you can try using this method to protect yourself."

Even so, Lu Yang felt that Third Senior Sister was incredibly bold; most cultivators in the Soul Essence stage chose seclusion, isolation, living as mortals, taking imperial exams, or even staying in prisons... essentially doing whatever was safest.

Unlike Third Senior Sister, who leaped about vibrantly in the perilous Demon Territory and still had the spare energy to take the two of them tomb-robbing for archaeology.

Lu Yang had learned a bit about the Soul Essence stage, hearing that the Silent Daoist frequently spent his weakened periods inside prison cells.

Among the elders, only a few honestly stayed within the sect without wandering out.

Many of their senior brothers and sisters chose to disguise themselves as ordinary people, eating and living alongside mortals, only revealing their true cultivation to strike a grand pose when danger struck.

Their methods varied wildly.

"Goddess, how did you pass your Soul Essence stage?"

Lu Yang was curious, finding it hard to imagine someone of the Immortal Goddess's personality choosing seclusion or isolation.

The situation during the ancient era was chaotic, meaning that staying in prison or posing as a mortal probably wouldn't work.

"Simple, I refined clones. Since my cultivation fluctuated unpredictably, the cultivation of my clones did the same. Statistically speaking, my clones and I couldn't all hit a low point at the exact same time; at least one of us would always be at a higher level."

Lu Yang considered the details thoroughly: "What if it just so happened that both you and your clones hit a low point simultaneously?"

The Immortal Goddess felt Lu Yang's question was incredibly foolish and replied as if it were a matter of course.

"Then obviously, you just refine a few more clones."

"...That makes sense."

"And this is..." The First Elder had noticed the black-robed figure following behind Lu Yang long ago, but caught up in reminiscing, he hadn't found the chance to ask.

From beneath the black robe came a cold and crisp voice, answering without a shred of hesitation: "Lu Yang is my Senior Brother..."

Lu Yang was quick of speech and deft of tongue, cutting in instantly: "This is a newcomer to our Heavenly Court Sect."

The concept of the Heavenly Court was a notion fabricated by the five ancient immortals to deceive later generations, so Jiang Lianyi had naturally heard of the term.

Furthermore, with the Immortal Goddess serving as the Lord of the Heavenly Court, she had readily agreed when Lu Yang invited her to join the sect.

As for the title of "Senior Brother," the Immortal Goddess insisted that Lu Yang was an inner disciple while Jiang Lianyi was merely an unregistered disciple, making Lu Yang her senior. Jiang Lianyi insisted on calling Lu Yang her senior brother, while Lu Yang maintained that Jiang Lianyi was a senior figure.

It could only be said that each held firmly to their own perspective.

"A newcomer has arrived?" The Seventh Elder grinned, having full confidence in Lu Yang's judgment; anyone he recruited into the Heavenly Court Sect was bound to be trustworthy.

Hands clasped behind his back, the Seventh Elder paced forward with a grandfatherly air, saying, "Old me joined the Heavenly Court Sect earlier than you, so I count as your senior. If you encounter anything you do not understand, feel free to ask me."

"The same goes for matters of cultivation. Old me possesses a fair amount of insight regarding training."

Meng Jingzhou: "..."

Third Senior Sister: "..."

"Very well."