Chapter 144: 116, Gathering the morning glow in the Purple Magpie Valley, the eternal evergreen Daoist law of the door (1)
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When they were about a thousand miles from the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, the Celestial Messenger Shui Hongyao commanded the azure luan demonic beast to land in a deserted mountain range. She then handed Xu Xing a jade slip containing the location of the Sect before soaring away alone, leaving Xu Xing by himself.
"Following the Sect’s practice, releasing you at the foot of the Sect’s mountain wouldn’t fool the watchful eyes of those Aristocratic Families..."
"After you enter the Immortal Path, someone will arrange your identity. On the surface, you’ll be an Outer Sect Disciple, but your identity Token will identify you as a reserve True lineage of the Sect."
"The Immortal Journey is long and arduous. Take care, my Daoist friend..."
Before leaving, Shui Hongyao gave Xu Xing a few more reminders.
As he watched the azure luan’s figure gradually disappearing into the horizon, Xu Xing’s heart filled with a sense of loss and emptiness. Although affiliating with powerful figures might have a bad reputation, it could save him many years of detours.
His previous experience of relying solely on himself, lacking connections, and ending up imprisoned served as clear proof.
Immortal Fate... I already possess the Tenth Heaven Immortal Destiny [Descending Dragon Heavenly Child]; Immortal Fate is Immortal Luck. Logically, it shouldn’t be worse than starting in the mortal world.
Soon, Xu Xing strengthened his conviction.
He took out the jade slip Shui Hongyao had handed him and, after carefully discerning the direction, stirred his Innate True Qi, heading all-out towards the Immortal Palace’s location.
A good steed could travel a thousand miles in a day.
Innate Realm Warriors, when giving their all, surpassed even good steeds.
By around noon, Xu Xing arrived at the Flying Feather Immortal Palace. Standing at the foot of the Sect’s mountain, he gazed upon the white jade Immortal Path winding upwards to the Immortal Palace suspended in mid-air. He saw the Sect’s immortal vistas, like colossal, waterfall-like waves of cloud that seemed to hang from the heavens as if exhaled by a giant serpent. Witnessing such scenery, he felt the vastness of heaven and earth, and his own insignificance, like that of an ant...
Shaking his head, he suppressed these thoughts and began climbing the Immortal Path.
This Immortal Path was winding, yet no complex prohibitions were set upon it. According to Shui Hongyao, the jade bricks paving the path were Xuan Yuan Array Bricks, which could help low-level cultivators refine their Magic Power. This path was especially beneficial for Innate Martial Artists like him, as walking it would greatly help in tempering their foundations.
The long and arduous Immortal Path stretched for over a thousand zhang.
When Xu Xing reached the end, his Innate True Essence had indeed condensed by more than five percent.
He already possessed the Realm of the Immortal Base; once attained, it was eternally proven. All that was lacking was to reforge an Immortal Base in Reality. That was why his Innate True Essence was more solid than that of other Warriors at the Same Stage.
If an ordinary Innate Martial Artist had walked this path, it was likely their Innate True Essence would condense by more than fifty percent.
Just as he was about to enter the main gates of the Immortal Palace and register his name at the Lu Shi Pavilion, suddenly, a clear cry from a luan bird resounded.
A young man dressed in a flowing Profound Robe leaped down from the luan bird. He had a clean-shaven chin, a handsome face, and his Hair bun was secured with a purple jade hairpin, giving him the air of a refined Young Master.
The Celestial Messenger on the luan bird took out a Jade Gui from her sleeve and announced the young man’s background: "Zhou Mingcang from Xianglin County of Lanyue Country has the Sea Moon Body, was Innate from birth, and is qualified to be in the reserve of the True lineage."
In no time, over a hundred Escaping Lights surged out from inside the mountain gate.
"The renowned Chen Family of Baoxiang is willing to offer their Third Branch’s legitimate daughter in marriage to Junior Brother Zhou. With the Red Thread Tying Feet, they shall join in matrimony and ascend the Immortal Path together. The Chen Family is willing to bear the full cost of Junior Brother Zhou’s cultivation resources up to the Returning Core Realm."
"The He Family of Nine Lakes is willing to offer their Eldest Branch’s daughter by a concubine to Junior Brother Zhou..."
"The renowned Zhao Family of Anyi is willing to offer their Seventh Branch’s legitimate daughter to Junior Brother Zhou..."
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One by one, the stewards of the prominent clans loudly announced to Zhou Mingcang the terms offered by their families.
The bustling scene in front of the Immortal Palace’s gates attracted many disciples of the Immortal Sect.
They discussed which aristocratic family had offered the best terms and which had offered less.
"Among them, the one offering the most is the He Family of Nine Lakes."
"The Eldest Branch’s daughter by a concubine should hold a higher status than the legitimate daughters of other branches. The Eldest Branch is that of the Clan Leader. However, since Daoist Lord Chong Yuan fell 700 years ago, the clan has had no Daoist Lords to watch over it. If not for their inclusion in the Aristocratic Families’ Gold Volume, which grants them another thousand years of standing..."
An Immortal Sect disciple spoke to this point, but upon seeing the displeased expression of the He Family’s steward, he wisely shut his mouth and said no more.
Although the He Family of Nine Lakes was declining, it wasn’t someone an Inner Sect Disciple like him could offend. Saying a few words was harmless, but if he continued to speak carelessly and affected the He Family’s important affairs, he would make an enemy of them.
Every Palace Choosing A Son-in-law event was a grand occasion for the Aristocratic Families. These families would only offer the conditions previously written on the marriage agreements they brought. They would not increase their offers on the spot, to avoid offending other Aristocratic Families or depleting their own family’s strength, which could allow outsiders to gain an advantage.
Therefore, if Zhou Mingcang wasn’t too discerning, there was a significant chance he might choose the He Family of Nine Lakes. However, this was also uncertain.
While the He Family of Nine Lakes might not be as strong as other prominent clans, they currently faced a shortage of geniuses. Furthermore, they risked losing their Family Line in another 300 years, their name being erased from the Gold Volume. Consequently, they might be willing to invest more heavily in cultivating their sons-in-law, desperately hoping that one could reach the Nascent Soul Daoist Lord Realm and restore the glory of the He Family of Nine Lakes...
Then, a few more Immortal Sect disciples whispered, "I only see the Thirty-six Prominent Clans coming forward, but not the Five Temple Surnames or the Nine Mountain Great Halls..."
"It seems that Zhou Mingcang’s Sea Moon Body is only mediocre."
The Aristocratic Families within the Sect also had a hierarchy. The highest tier consisted of the Five Temple Surnames. These five families had existed since the founding of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace and wielded great power over the Sect’s five great halls. Each of these five halls was equivalent in importance to one of the Three Departments in the mortal world’s governance system, all being institutions of immense authority...