Chapter 602: I Am the Ancient Ancestor of the Feng Clan You Speak Of

"I do indeed have a bit of a problem regarding my cultivation. I have been trapped in a certain realm for quite some time, unable to break through."

The Seventh Elder nodded. "Ah, a bottleneck period then. That is common enough. I possess pills that can aid you in overcoming it."

"It is not a bottleneck. It is simply that someone walks ahead of me, and thus, I cannot break through."

Enlightenment dawned upon the Seventh Elder; it seemed this newcomer had cultivated a rather peculiar technique.

These specialized methods were common during the Great Qian and Great Yu eras, characterized chiefly by the way advanced cultivators would absorb those who followed the same path—a winner-take-all scenario. By the time of the Great Xia, such methods had fallen out of favor and were abandoned by cultivators, deemed far too cruel when alternative paths were readily available.

"What of changing your allegiance and cultivating anew?"

"It likely wouldn't work. If I were to start over, I could not guarantee reaching my current realm again."

"Is that so? Well, if it truly comes to that, tell me who walks ahead of you, and I shall make him start his cultivation anew!"

Jiang Lianyi expressed a touch of concern. "But that person is exceedingly strong."

"A Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator?"

"Not quite."

Hearing that it was not the Tribulation Transcendence stage, the Seventh Elder's mind was set at ease. He thumped his chest in reassurance. "As long as they aren't in the Tribulation Transcendence stage, I can handle them easily."

After all, which of the Nine Disciples of the Dao Sect was not renowned for their combat prowess?

"This is no place for such talk. Let us enter the city first," the Grand Elder interjected. It was unseemly to discuss such matters at the city gates; even with silencing spells, it wasn't entirely safe. What if a passing Tribulation Transcendence cultivator chanced to overhear?

The Demon Alliance had prepared thoroughly, arranging accommodations for every faction. For a premier power like the Dao Sect, one of the five great immortal sects, an entire floor of an inn had been reserved.

The interior of the demon city was grander still, teeming with countless cultivators of every stripe and color.

Aside from the local cultivators of the Demon Domain, there were those bearing piscine features from the Eastern Sea, smooth-pated, simply clad monks from the Golden Buddhist Kingdom, and heavily bearded rogue cultivators from the Far North...

Jiang Lianyi’s gaze lingered for a moment upon the Buddhist monks. Lu Yang suddenly recalled that Buddhism had been concocted by the five ancient immortals; in the ancient era, no Buddhist cultivators existed.

Lu Yang sent a divine transmission to Jiang Lianyi, outlining the current state of Buddhism, though his own knowledge was superficial at best.

"So that is how it is. To think a story concocted back then would become so widespread in the cultivation world."

Jiang Lianyi was mildly surprised. She had been present when the four ancient immortals spun that tale, occasionally chiming in herself. By that measure, she could be considered a founder of Buddhism.

Lu Yang turned his palms upward. "After all, so much time has passed. The tales of the ancient era have all turned to legend, making it difficult to discern truth from falsehood."

Well, one couldn't exactly call it false; it had merely undergone a series of artistic embellishments, selectively chronicling the ancient past.

Upon arriving at the inn, the Seventh Elder continued his ceaseless boasting. It was a rare occasion to encounter a newcomer to the Heavenly Court Cult, and he was determined to indulge his desire to act the venerable mentor.

"I do not boast when I say that my alchemy stands unrivaled in the modern cultivation world. Should you have any need for medicinal pills, you need only ask me."

Unwilling to let the Seventh Elder steal all the glory, the Fifth Elder chimed in. "My skill in artifact forging is a supreme art; it would not be an exaggeration to call it the best in the cultivation world. Seeing as you are a newcomer to our cult, if you ever lack a magic treasure, I shall forge one for you!"

A faint smile graced the corner of Jiang Lianyi's lips. The Fifth Elder's words brought a certain old acquaintance to mind. "An artifact forger? What a coincidence. I, too, knew an artifact forger who claimed to be the foremost master in the world."

The Fifth Elder raised an eyebrow. "Such arrogance. When I meet him in the future, I shall certainly let him know who the true master of artifact forging is."

"By the way, I have yet to ask—what is your name?"

"Jiang Lianyi."

"That name sounds familiar," the Third Elder muttered, scratching his head.

The Fourth Elder, a scholar well-versed in Confucian lore, possessed vast erudition. "It is the very same name as the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race."

As a veteran of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Seventh Elder adopted an air of grand sophistication, offering his praise. "An excellent name. According to the doctrines of destiny, bearing the same name as the Ancient Ancestor allows you to share in her providence, which will greatly aid your cultivation. Breaking through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage in the future is by no means impossible."

Jiang Lianyi hesitated for a brief moment. Reflecting on how both Sister Immortal and Senior Brother Lu Yang had solemnly vowed along the way that the people of the Dao Sect were entirely trustworthy, she lowered her hood, revealing her peerlessly beautiful countenance.

"The Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race!!!"

The Grand Elder’s eyes widened abruptly as a violent shiver ran through him. Unable to contain his voice, he cried out in sheer disbelief, stumbling back three paces.

In his youth, he had stealthily visited the ancestral tombs of the Phoenix Race and gazed upon the statue of their Ancient Ancestor.

The Grand Elder’s imparted experiences and maps had played no small part in allowing the Third Senior Sister to wander at will through the ancient tombs of various clans.

The Seventh Elder turned to look at the Grand Elder with dissatisfaction. "Of course I know she shares a name with the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race."

"She *is* the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race! I have seen her statue in the Phoenix Clan!"

The Seventh Elder burst into loud, dismissive laughter. "Eldest, your sense of humor is truly..."

Promptly, his eyes rolled back, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the floor, fainting clean away from fright.

What had he just said? He had asked the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race to seek him out if she encountered problems in her cultivation?

A few seconds later, the Seventh Elder regained consciousness, his face still a mask of sheer incredulity. Suspecting he was trapped in a dream, he dealt himself two sharp slaps across the face.

"Is it that the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race has reincarnated to cultivate anew?" the Grand Elder inquired with utmost caution, scarcely daring to breathe.

The existence of Li Haoran had made him familiar with the concept of reincarnation.

"I know nothing of any reincarnation. I am the very Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race you speak of. I have been slumbering within a secret realm until a few days ago, when Senior Brother Lu Yang awakened me, allowing me to rise from the ashes and return to the mortal realm."

The Grand Elder drew a sharp breath. The Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Race—a figure of mythic proportions. From what corner of the world had Lu Yang managed to unearth such a monolithic presence?

And he had even managed to swindle her into joining the Heavenly Court Cult.

You are far more formidable than your master.

The Ninth Elder spends every day out in the world cozening and deceiving, yet his trickery pales in comparison to yours.

Upon our return, I shall make the Ninth Elder take you as his master.

"Hold on, what did you just address Lu Yang as?"

Lu Yang swiftly stepped between them, cutting off any further discussion on the matter. "It is nothing, nothing at all. Senior Lianyi merely misspoke."

The Seventh Elder looked at Jiang Lianyi with trembling limbs. So when you said you had reached a bottleneck earlier, you meant the bottleneck of a Half-Immortal?

"The person you spoke of earlier, the one who walks ahead of you and prevents your breakthrough—who might that be?"

"The Qilin Immortal. In modern terms, perhaps he is called the Demon Immortal."

The Seventh Elder was utterly speechless.

Had he not just boasted that as long as they weren't in the Tribulation Transcendence stage, he could handle them easily?

The Fifth Elder looked scarcely better than the Seventh; he, too, had uttered no shortage of grand words just moments ago.

"And the one you mentioned earlier, the one who also claimed to be the foremost master of artifact forging...?"

"The Ying Tian Immortal."

The Fifth Elder nearly choked on his own breath.

The Third and Fourth Elders remained resolutely silent, profoundly grateful that they had held their tongues.

"Then, what is your status within the Heavenly Court?"

"One of the Four Emperors of the Heavenly Court, the Great Emperor of the Antarctic Nirvana."

All five elders sucked in a cold breath simultaneously.

They had attended the founding ceremony of the Demon Empire with the intention of broadening their horizons, but they had never anticipated that their horizons would be expanded so thoroughly, and so soon.