Chapter 1895: Belonging

As soon as they were teleported, a soft blue light descended from above, enveloping them. Wang Changsheng's expression subtly changed. Only after seeing that Lin Youxin and the other two looked normal did he relax. The old man in the golden robe explained that this light was to detect if any foreign beings were possessing someone, preventing unauthorized intruders from entering their palace's main altar.

Soon after, the blue light dissipated. The stone chamber's door suddenly glowed with a dazzling blue light before abruptly opening. The old man in the golden robe and the other four walked out one by one. After passing through a long corridor, they emerged into a spacious and brightly lit hall. The main door was open, and Wang Changsheng looked out, seeing towering mountains, intricate palaces and pavilions, ancient trees with strange vines, and scattered white clouds.

Upon leaving the hall, both the old man in the golden robe and Lin Youxin cast several spells onto a formation plate, seemingly sending a report to the higher levels. The old man in the golden robe summoned a golden flying boat, and the five of them boarded it one after another. With a flash of golden light, the flying boat transformed into a streak of golden escape light and soared into the sky, heading northwest.

After a while, the golden flying boat landed on a ten-thousand-acre bluestone plaza. Directly ahead was a long bluestone staircase, at the end of which stood a magnificent blue palace. Thick stone pillars were carved with patterns depicting cultivators subduing demons and monsters. The main door was open, guarded by two golden-armored sentinels over ten zhang tall. These sentinels shimmered with golden light all over, clearly indicating they were puppet beasts. Above the entrance, a square plaque bore the three large characters "Ancestral Master Hall," glowing with flickering spiritual light.

Bowing respectfully towards the Ancestral Master Hall, the old man in the golden robe solemnly stated that he, disciple Zhao Qian, requested an audience with Sect Master Uncle-Master. He reported that two cultivators had ascended from the lower realm, and that Senior Sister Lin and Junior Brother Lin had privately entered Xuanguang Island, with unknown intentions. Lin Youxin retorted, denying the claim and explaining that they were ordered by their ancestor to apprehend the murderer of their seventh brother and were not trespassing on Xuanguang Island. She asked Sect Master Uncle-Master to judge clearly.

A gentle male voice suddenly came from within the Ancestral Master Hall, questioning if two cultivators had indeed ascended from the lower realm, noting that none had done so for nearly ten thousand years. As soon as the words fell, a robust man in blue robes walked out from the hall. The blue-robed man had dignified features, a fair complexion, and a benevolent, approachable demeanor. This was Song Yiming, the Sect Master of Zhenhai Palace, who was at the mid-Integration stage. If it weren't for the news of two ascended cultivators, Song Yiming would not have shown himself. As Sect Master, Song Yiming only needed to oversee the general direction of Zhenhai Palace's development, with specific matters handled by various elder deacons. His gaze fell upon Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan dared not be disrespectful and promptly bowed.

Song Yiming looked towards the horizon and calmly instructed Junior Brother Chen and Junior Brother Lin to come down and speak now that they had arrived.

A streak of red escape light streaked across the sky, flashing once before landing at the entrance of the Ancestral Master Hall. As the light subsided, a crimson fire cloud appeared, emitting an astonishingly high temperature. Standing atop the crimson fire cloud was a slender young woman in a red dress. Her skirt brushed the ground, a golden belt cinched her waist, her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows were like kingfisher feathers, and a silver hairpin held her dark hair in place. This was Chen Yueying, at the mid-Integration stage. Her ancestors had ascended from a lower realm, though not from Dongli Realm. Chen Yueying represented the Ascension faction. Zhenhai Palace had thirteen Spirit Ascension Platforms, targeting multiple lower realms; Dongli Realm was just one of them. It was a strategy of not putting all eggs in one basket. Chen Yueying asserted that the Spirit Ascension Platform was very important and should not be easily dismantled, a point she had made before.

A cold male voice drifted from the horizon, declaring that other matters were irrelevant; the murderer of his descendant must be brought to justice. A streak of blue escape light appeared in the distant sky, then instantly materialized above the Ancestral Master Hall. The blue escape light was, in fact, an ancient-looking four-sided beast carriage, shimmering with blue light all over. The beast carriage was over ten zhang long, its body crafted from a type of spiritual jade, and it was pulled by a giant lion covered in blue scales. Seated within the beast carriage was a tall, thin old man in blue robes. He had a high nose bridge, a face full of wrinkles, and eyes that gleamed like lightning, giving him an unyielding appearance. This was Lin Tianlong, at the mid-Integration stage. All eighteen generations of his ancestors were native cultivators of the Spirit Realm; he represented the Native faction of Zhenhai Palace.

Song Yiming instructed Nephew Zhao and Nephew Lin to withdraw, and invited Junior Sister Chen, Junior Brother Lin, and young friend Wang to enter. He then turned and walked into the Ancestral Master Hall. Chen Yueying, Lin Tianlong, Wang Changsheng, and Wang Ruyan walked in one after another. The Ancestral Master Hall's door suddenly closed.

The hall was spacious and brightly lit. Directly in front stood a humanoid statue over a hundred zhang tall, presumably the founding ancestor of Zhenhai Palace. Song Yiming flipped his hand and took out a constantly shimmering seven-pointed silver mirror. With a flash of spiritual light, a soft silver glow swept out, enveloping Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan. For some reason, Wang Changsheng felt as though he was being scrutinized. He also clearly understood that the matter was very serious, concerning the life and death of an Integration stage cultivator's descendant.

Song Yiming instructed Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan to recount their origins and the ascension process, reassuring them that as long as they were not sent by another race, there would be no issue. Wang Changsheng took a deep breath and briefly introduced his background and the ascension process. The silver mirror in Song Yiming's hand showed no abnormalities.

Lin Tianlong was stunned and completely bewildered, muttering about a tool spirit, the surname Ye, knowing him, and the Suppressing Immortal Pagoda. Chen Yueying frowned slightly, noting that a cultivator surnamed Ye, skilled in artifact refining and referred to as Junior Brother Lin's peer, would at least be an Integration stage cultivator. If that were truly the case, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's affiliation would be hard to define. While they could be considered part of the Ascension faction, their ability to ascend was somewhat related to Lin Tianlong.

Lin Tianlong spoke with some uncertainty, suggesting it sounded like Ye Yunlan of the Divine Weapon Sect. He noted that she hadn't appeared for ten thousand years, and the timing matched, adding that he had saved her once and didn't rule out a tool spirit concealing its identity. He explained that the surnames of non-human races differed from those of humans, so claiming the surname Ye could mean a human cultivator or a non-human one. Given that a tool spirit helped Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan ascend to the Spirit Realm, the probability of it being human was higher. The Divine Weapon Sect he mentioned was one of the Four Great Sects, wielding considerable influence. He added that since Ye Yunlan was capable of refining a Flying Spirit Plate, bringing one or two extra people wouldn't be an issue; it would be a simple matter for her.

Chen Yueying said in a deep voice that if it truly was Ye Yunlan, perhaps she abandoned her physical body to avoid a great heavenly tribulation, refining her soul into a treasure. As for why she went to the lower realm, it could be that she encountered a powerful enemy or an accident. Regardless, she stressed that young friends Wang and Wang did indeed ascend from the lower realm, and therefore, Sect Master Senior Brother, they must handle this according to sect rules. It was rare for two ascended cultivators to appear, and their arrival would strengthen the Ascension faction.

Lin Tianlong said in a deep voice that handling it according to sect rules was fine, but if it weren't for his standing, they wouldn't have been able to ascend to the Spirit Realm, and he should be the one to arrange their settlement. He wasn't particularly interested in Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan himself; he simply didn't want them to be utilized by Chen Yueying.

Chen Yueying retorted unceremoniously, questioning if he could also teach them their cultivation techniques. She pointed out that they cultivated the palace's core techniques, the same ones as Junior Brother Yang and Junior Sister Li, and therefore they should be handed over to her for placement. After finally gaining two new recruits, she wouldn't hand them over to Lin Tianlong.

Song Yiming waved his hand, telling them to stop arguing and stating that he would personally arrange their settlement. There were many disputes between the Native and Ascension factions, but fortunately, none had caused major trouble. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan looked somewhat uneasy; they didn't know how Song Yiming would arrange their settlement.