Twenty springs and autumns, gone in the blink of an eye.
The Xuanying Continent was in turmoil. Several great events were shaking the world.
The first was that Ji Wuque, that powerhouse of the Immortal Venerate realm who had once stirred up chaos, had quietly fallen. He had intended to restore the Great Zhou and sought to rule the lower realms.
And the one who killed him was none other than Lin Wan. She was an elder of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land and the most beautiful woman under heaven!
When the news spread, the world was in an uproar.
No one would foolishly believe that Lin Wan had used any kind of "honey trap." A battle between two Immortal Venerate realm powerhouses - any frivolous speculation would be an insult to their strength.
The specific details of that battle remained unknown. But it was said that afterward, Lin Wan returned, her white clothes stained with blood, stepping under the moonlight. Ji Wuque's lineage collapsed overnight.
The Great Zhou Dynasty disintegrated in an instant. The sects that had once attached themselves to it quickly switched allegiances. Meanwhile, the prestige of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land reached unprecedented heights.
The second major event followed closely on the heels of the first.
Three years after Ji Wuque's fall, Xiao Chen, the leader of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, announced the formation of the "Celestial Alliance."
"The Lord of the Celestial Alliance commands the entire alliance!"
These words sent shockwaves throughout the world.
The various sects and schools initially vehemently opposed. There was already an Immortal Venerate in the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, and now they were forming a Celestial Alliance. What difference was there from Ji Wuque's "Great Zhou"?
However, Xiao Chen's subsequent announcement left everyone speechless:
"Lin Wan, elder of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, and Chen Chang'an, the Grand Ancestor, will not participate in the affairs of the Celestial Alliance."
"The Lord of the Celestial Alliance will be elected once every thousand years through a great competition."
"Xiao is merely acting as the interim lord. Twenty years from now, the first Celestial Alliance Grand Competition will be held, and the victor shall be the first official Lord!"
Even more shocking was that while Xiao Chen was the leader of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, he only possessed peak Longevity cultivation. Several of the sect leaders who had opposed him most fiercely were all at the peak of the Heavenly Human realm!
Yet Xiao Chen showed no fear, openly challenging them:
"If any of you are not convinced, we shall settle it twenty years from now at the Celestial Alliance Grand Competition!"
This boldness earned the secret admiration of countless sects.
Twenty years passed, and the Celestial Alliance was no longer the fledgling organization it once was.
Its power spanned five continents. It had over a hundred sects under its command and millions of cultivators.
Wherever the Celestial Alliance's decree went, none dared to disobey!
In Yunzhou, at Dianmang Sect.
The majestic sect hall stood atop the mountain peaks, wreathed in mist and clouds. On the grayish-blue stone pillars, ancient coiled dragon totems were carved. The dragon's eyes were inlaid with spirit jades, gleaming with a cold luster under the sunlight.
Inside the hall, Dianmang Sect's leader, Lu Dingtian, sat in the main seat, his face grim. In his hand, he held a golden jade slip - the renowned "Celestial Alliance Decree" that shook all of Xuanying.
The jade slip was merely three inches long, completely transparent like glazed glass. Dense runes floated on its surface, and the words "Celestial Alliance" could faintly be seen swirling within.
At the end of the slip was stamped a star pattern - the mark of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land. Lu Dingtian's fingers unconsciously caressed the edge of the jade slip with such force that he nearly left fingerprints on it.
"Ancestor, the Tian Alliance envoy will arrive in three days. Please make your decision soon."
Grand Elder Lu Mingyang spoke in a deep voice. He was the younger brother of Lu Dingtian, dressed in a gray robe with a solemn expression. His face bore a seven-point resemblance to the Ancestor, though his gaze was more steady.
"A decision? What decision?!"
Second Elder Lu Hong slammed his hand on the table, his beard and bristling hair standing on end: "Dianmang Sect has stood for three thousand years. When have we ever bowed to anyone? What damn Tian Alliance, just a rabble! If you ask me, we might as well go all the way - "
"The last sect that said that," Fourth Elder Lu Yue interrupted coolly, "has weeds growing over ten feet tall on their graves."
The hall fell silent instantly.
Everyone unconsciously thought of "Xuanyin Sect," which had been flattened by the Tian Alliance three years ago. That too was a major sect with a long heritage, and its Ancestor was a mid-Tianren realm expert.
Just for openly defying the Tian Alliance's decree, their mountain gate was shattered and their lineage extinguished overnight. And the one who acted was merely an obscure patrol envoy of the Tian Alliance.
Lu Hong's face flushed red, but he couldn't refute.
"The Tian Alliance's power is too great; we cannot fight them head-on." Fifth Elder Lu Jing, the only woman in the hall, spoke in a soft voice yet every word was like a blade. "But if we submit directly, Dianmang Sect's ten thousand years of prestige..."
She didn't finish, but everyone understood. Dianmang Sect had dominated Yunzhou for centuries, with over ten thousand disciples and dozens of smaller sects attached to it. If they were to submit to the Tian Alliance now, what face would they have?
Lu Dingtian finally spoke: "What the Tian Alliance wants is merely nominal submission." He slowly unfurled a jade slip, where runes flowed and revealed lines of text. "No interference in the sect's internal affairs, no demand for resources. We only need to follow their command on major matters and allow Tian Alliance patrol envoys to conduct regular inspections."
"And you call that no interference?" Lu Hong sneered.
Lu Mingyang shook his head: "Compared to other annexed sects, these terms are already extremely lenient. It's said this rule was personally established by that Ancestor of the Xianling Sacred Land."
At the mention of the "Xianling Sacred Land Ancestor," everyone's expressions varied. That mysterious existence was said to have long transcended the Xianzun realm but rarely appeared.
And his disciple, Xiao Chen, founded the Tian Alliance with a Changsheng realm cultivation. He swept across most of the Xuanying Continent in just twenty years - his methods were earth-shattering.
Just as the debate raged on, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.
"Report - "
A disciple rushed into the main hall in a panic, kneeling on one knee: "Reporting to the Ancestor, the, the Tian Alliance envoy has already arrived at the mountain gate!"
"What?" Lu Dingtian stood up abruptly. "Didn't you say they would come in three days?"
The disciple wiped sweat from his forehead: "The envoy said... they said they were afraid you'd be too well-prepared, so they came early."
The sarcasm in those words made several elders' faces instantly darken.
Lu Dingtian took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "How many came?"
"Th-three," the disciple swallowed hard. "The leader said he's a Tian Alliance patrol envoy, his surname is Han..."
"Han Yu!"
Lu Mingyang exclaimed in alarm. The hall fell completely silent.
Han Yu was the leader of the Tian Alliance's five patrol envoys, a direct disciple of the Xianling Sacred Land. Though only at the Changsheng realm, he was said to have once killed a Tianren realm expert by transcending a level.
What was more terrifying was that he was a direct disciple of that person from the Xianling Sacred Land. Behind him stood not just the Tian Alliance, but an Xianzun!
The strongest power on the Xuanying Continent.
Lu Dingtian's hand trembled slightly. He never expected the Tian Alliance to value Dianmang Sect so much as to send this terrifying figure personally.
"Open the main gate," he gritted his teeth. "I will welcome them myself."
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