Chapter 1898: Message

"Replace Martial Aunt Chen? That won't be easy! They are only at the early Soul Transformation stage now. Even if they manage to advance to the Integration stage, by then, Martial Aunt Chen might have already reached the Mahayana stage, given that she possesses the Heavenly Flame Spirit Physique." Lin Youyan said with a frown, acknowledging Chen Yueying's excellent aptitude and great potential.

"Hmph, reach the Mahayana stage? Let's see if she can even survive her third Great Heavenly Tribulation first. For the same third Great Heavenly Tribulation, the lightning tribulation brought forth by an Integration cultivator is at least three times more powerful than that of a Void Refinement cultivator. And this is just the third one. The fourth Great Heavenly Tribulation for an Integration cultivator will be at least four times more powerful than that for a Void Refinement cultivator. Haven't you noticed? In recent years, she has been appearing frequently, and she has sent several disciples out to find treasures for surviving tribulations. Otherwise, why would she specifically intervene in the resettlement of two ascended cultivators? She's clearly not focused on cultivation right now; she just happens to be idle." Lin Tianlong sneered, noting that the higher a cultivator's realm, the more powerful the Great Heavenly Tribulation they attract.

For instance, if Cultivator A and Cultivator B are both early-stage Void Refinement cultivators, and Cultivator A advances to the Integration stage within three thousand years while Cultivator B remains at the Void Refinement stage after three thousand years, the power of Cultivator A's first Great Heavenly Tribulation will be much higher than Cultivator B's. Thus, the higher the cultivation realm, the more powerful the Great Heavenly Tribulation. This means that cultivators with better aptitudes, who cultivate faster, face greater obstacles. Without this restriction, humanity would have more than just two Mahayana cultivators.

The cultivation resources in the Xuanyang Realm are richer than those in the lower realms. If sufficient resources are provided, cultivators with good aptitudes will cultivate faster, but the Great Heavenly Tribulation becomes their greatest enemy. This is actually beneficial for cultivators with average or poor aptitudes, as diligence is rewarded by the heavens, giving them a chance to catch up with those who are more gifted.

Xuanling Heavenly Venerable, who cultivated from the Soul Transformation stage to the Mahayana stage in ten thousand years, was undeniably a prodigy. However, the Great Heavenly Tribulations he attracted were even more formidable, leading some to speculate that his disappearance is related to a Great Heavenly Tribulation. Otherwise, Chen Yueying, as an Integration stage cultivator, would naturally be in seclusion, striving for a higher realm. There's no way she would set aside her cultivation just for two Soul Transformation cultivators; Integration cultivators are not that idle.

"Grand Ancestor, then what about you and Martial Uncle Sect Master?" Lin Youxin asked with some concern, having realized something.

"My sixth Great Heavenly Tribulation is approaching. I plan to travel outside and search for treasures to help me through it. You two should try to avoid conflicts with the Ascended Faction. If you encounter any unsolvable problems, seek out Martial Aunt Lu or Martial Uncle Sect Master. If I recall correctly, Martial Uncle Sect Master's seventh Great Heavenly Tribulation is also nearing. As long as I pass this tribulation, I can live carefree for another three thousand years." Lin Tianlong said in a deep voice. For cultivators above the Void Refinement stage, the Great Heavenly Tribulation is the greatest threat. While one might escape from a powerful enemy, most cultivators must face the challenge of the Great Heavenly Tribulation head-on, unless they have access to a few forbidden places or rare treasures that can conceal their aura and thus delay the tribulation's onset.

"Yes, Grand Ancestor." Lin Youxin and Lin Youyan agreed. With Lin Tianlong absent, they naturally wouldn't seek trouble with the Ascended Faction. In fact, they weren't that idle themselves; they also needed to cultivate diligently, knowing that they too would face Great Heavenly Tribulations.

Lin Tianlong gave a few more instructions before letting them leave.

"Golden Spirit Child! Is that you?! Did you abandon your physical body, merge your primordial spirit with a treasure, and escape to the lower realms to avoid the Great Heavenly Tribulation? Or was your physical body destroyed by a powerful enemy?" Lin Tianlong muttered to himself, his face filled with confusion.

***

A vast, boundless red bamboo forest stretched out, with beasts chasing each other on the ground and birds circling overhead.

Deep within the bamboo forest stood a nine-story red pavilion, intricately carved with jade railings and upturned eaves.

Inside the pavilion, the decor was elegant, with landscape paintings adorning the walls.

Chen Yueying sat on a red jade chair, her expression grim.

Zhao Qian stood beside her, reporting the situation.

"Martial Aunt Chen, is Senior Ye, whom young friend Wang mentioned, truly Ye Yunlan of the Divine Weapon Sect?" Zhao Qian asked cautiously. It was no secret that Chen Yueying had a personal grudge against the Divine Weapon Sect.

"Martial Uncle Sect Master used the Seven-Star Mirror to investigate, so what young friend Wang said won't be false. As for Martial Brother Lin, it's hard to say; I don't know what he's thinking. He might just be trying to annoy me." Chen Yueying said dismissively.

"But what if it really is Ye Yunlan, then..." Zhao Qian hesitated, as an enemy's friend is also an enemy.

"Hmph, even if it is Ye Yunlan, what then? They are ascended cultivators, so naturally, they belong to our faction. However, the cultivation techniques they practice are an issue. The Elder of Lore Transmission has been replaced by one of Martial Brother Lin's people. This time, with Martial Uncle Sect Master's endorsement, they can receive cultivation techniques for the Soul Transformation stage. But if they advance to the Void Refinement stage, obtaining subsequent techniques might become difficult." Chen Yueying frowned. Ordinary techniques were fine, but the sect's core techniques were problematic.

The Enforcement Hall was controlled by the Local Faction. If the Ascended Faction were to secretly teach Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan the sect's core techniques, the offense would be severe, and Song Yiming would not go easy on them.

Cultivators who practiced the sect's core techniques had taken a blood oath not to transmit them to others, or their cultivation would stagnate. Guiding cultivation and transmitting techniques were two different things; guidance merely involved pointing out deficiencies and suggesting improvements.

"Why don't we have them switch to different cultivation techniques? We can provide them with techniques, thereby completely binding them to our Ascended Faction." Zhao Qian suggested. As Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were new arrivals, it would be particularly difficult for them to acquire good cultivation techniques.

"There's no hurry on this matter. Let's first see whose side they choose. Alright, you can go back now! Heavily reward Liu Yang and have him guard the Spirit Ascension Platform well. Additionally, inform the other disciples guarding the Spirit Ascension Platform about this news: if any cultivators from the lower realms ascend to our territory, they will be heavily rewarded. Pay particular attention to Tianhai Island. No cultivator from the Tianhai Realm, where my ancestor originated, has ascended to our Zhenhai Palace territory in tens of thousands of years. The last time a Tianhai Realm cultivator finally ascended to the Xuanyang Realm, they ended up in the Yuyang Sect's territory." Chen Yueying instructed. Soul Transformation cultivators from lower realms ascended at different locations, appearing in various places within the Xuanyang Realm. For all major powers, ascended cultivators from the lower realms were key targets for recruitment.

Zhao Qian acknowledged, bowed, and withdrew.

***

A month passed quickly.

In a quiet manor, Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Fang Ming sat chatting in a stone pavilion.

During this time, Fang Ming had frequently visited them, introducing them to the Xuanyang Realm and Zhenhai Palace.

Fang Ming didn't explain much about the Xuanyang Realm itself, as he had never left the Xuanling Continent. Instead, he focused on matters concerning Zhenhai Palace.

The Ascended Faction held significant influence in the Elder Hall, while the Local Faction was stronger in the Enforcement Hall. Both factions had a presence in every department. Overall, the Local Faction was more powerful; there was no other way, as only a few cultivators ascended every few thousand or even ten thousand years, leading to slow expansion for the Ascended Faction.

"Martial Uncle Fang, have you ever heard of the Four Seasons Sword Venerable or True Monarch Heavenly Wolf? They were both highly renowned figures in the Dongli Realm." Wang Changsheng asked curiously. For over ten thousand years, the most famous figures in the Dongli Realm had been the Four Seasons Sword Venerable and True Monarch Heavenly Wolf, especially the Four Seasons Sword Venerable, who had visited multiple realms and rarely suffered defeat.