Chapter 140: The Strongest of the Five Great Immortal Sects

Meng Jingzhou patted Lu Yang's shoulder and said, "You've finally become so outstanding that people are coming to ask for your hand in marriage."

Lu Yang looked at Meng Jingzhou, "Also?"

Meng Jingzhou proudly declared, "Ever since I was little, I've had royal relatives, influential ministers, and members of esteemed sects coming to my house to propose marriage. They were so eager for their daughters to be my fiancée, it was as if they weren't even their own flesh and blood. But my parents and clan elders all vehemently disagreed; their stance was exceptionally firm. Otherwise, by now, I would have at least..."

Lu Yang cut him off, "At least be impotent?"

Meng Jingzhou retorted angrily, "At least a dashing young master!"

The two started wrestling, both using Tiger Fist. Whistling sounds echoed from the clouds, but Yun Zhi focused on her flight, ignoring them.

Lu Yang transformed into a tiger demon, pinning Meng Jingzhou down with one paw and beating him until he begged for mercy.

Meng Jingzhou's Tiger Fist was ultimately no match for Lu Yang's actual tiger form.

After their scuffle, Lu Yang still couldn't understand: had the excellent qualities he displayed in Yanjiang County truly reached the point where people would come to propose marriage?

And why did these elements – "coming to propose marriage," "the woman's side reneging," and "a powerful soul within the body" – sound so familiar?

Great Xia Dynasty, Imperial City, Imperial Palace.

In the grand hall, a dignified man, clad in profound black robes inlaid with golden patterns, sat upon the high throne, his expression stern. Below him, the assembled officials loudly hailed His Majesty, and the atmosphere was solemn and weighty.

"All my beloved ministers, you may rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Xia scanned his ministers, then took out a memorial he had just received. "I have just received a report from the Governor of Qingzhou, stating that in a place called Buyi Town in Qingzhou, five ancient Integration Stage cultivators have resurfaced and formed their own domains. The Sect Master of Wendao Sect happened to pass by and, accompanied by his two disciples, managed to kill three of them."

Upon hearing this, the officials breathed a sigh of relief. The resurfacing of five Integration Stage cultivators was no small matter. Fortunately, Daoist Buyu had encountered them; any other Integration Stage cultivator would have surely perished in Buyi Town.

Although Daoist Buyu's reputation wasn't the best, and many had been tricked by him in their youth, his strength was undeniable. He was a top-tier Integration Stage cultivator.

"However, two Integration Stage cultivators still escaped, and both are at the peak of the Integration Stage," Emperor Xia reminded his ministers, highlighting the crucial point.

Emperor Xia had no expectation that they would abide by rules. Ancient cultivation methods were brutal, regarding human lives as mere weeds. These resurfaced cultivators would stop at nothing to seize opportunities in this great era, and the Great Xia Dynasty had already learned lessons in this regard.

The ministers discussed in hushed tones. If the two Integration Stage cultivators showed themselves, there would naturally be nothing to fear, as many within the imperial court could deal with them. But they feared the two would hide and secretly plot something, which would be even more troublesome if they colluded with members of the Demonic Sect.

"These ancient Integration Stage cultivators!" Emperor Xia had a headache. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was becoming increasingly active, and more and more ancient cultivators were resurfacing.

These Integration Stage cultivators were a major disaster waiting to happen. If left unchecked, they could cause immense catastrophe, leading to countless civilian casualties.

The good news was that no Tribulation Transcending Stage cultivators had resurfaced yet.

According to the intelligence gathered so far, those who resurfaced early were all in the early Integration Stage. The later they resurfaced, the higher their cultivation level. In Buyi Town, four peak Integration Stage cultivators and one late Integration Stage cultivator had resurfaced.

It was foreseeable that Tribulation Transcending Stage cultivators would soon resurface. When that happened, along with troubles erupting from the Eastern Ocean, Western Buddhist Nation, Southern Demon Realm, the Far North, and the Four Great Demonic Sects, the rule of the Great Xia Dynasty would inevitably totter. At that point, the rumor that every dynasty only lasts for a hundred thousand years might indeed come true.

"It's all for becoming an immortal!" Emperor Xia's eyes turned cold. He knew many secrets; all the chaos was being secretly orchestrated by someone who wanted more immortal dao fruits to appear.

Emperor Xia suspected it was the doing of the Ancient Nameless One, one of the five ancient immortals.

"Is becoming an immortal really that important!" Emperor Xia was furious internally, but he didn't show it.

If the person behind this truly believed the Great Xia Dynasty was a pawn to be manipulated, they were gravely mistaken.

Emperor Xia stopped thinking about the Ancient Nameless One and refocused his attention on the two escaped Integration Stage cultivators.

Just then, the Chief Eunuch received a memorial. Upon seeing its origin, he quickly handed it to Emperor Xia.

After reading it, Emperor Xia's face lit up with pleasure. "Good, excellent!"

The ministers were puzzled, unsure what was written in the memorial that made His Majesty so joyful.

"There's no need to worry about those two Integration Stage cultivators anymore! Yun Zhi of Wendao Sect has already captured them!"

"Yun Zhi?" Some less informed ministers were puzzled, wondering who Yun Zhi was, as there didn't seem to be an elder named Yun Zhi among the eight elders of Wendao Sect.

However, some well-informed senior ministers knew Yun Zhi's identity and her terrifying power, realizing that it was no difficult feat for her to capture two Integration Stage cultivators alive.

"The Demon Realm has dispatched an envoy..." Emperor Xia and his ministers began discussing other matters.

After the court session, Emperor Xia returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to review new memorials.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Qin, Jing Yansong, has something to report," the Chief Eunuch whispered.

Emperor Xia didn't lift his head. "Enter."

After the Duke of Qin entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he saw Emperor Xia busy reviewing memorials. Without speaking, he stood respectfully, waiting until Emperor Xia had finished with the most urgent ones before he finally spoke.

"Duke of Qin, what is it?" Emperor Xia's expression was solemn as he looked at the Duke of Qin; even the timid wouldn't dare meet his gaze directly.

"Your Majesty, I believe we must guard against Wendao Sect. Yun Zhi of Wendao Sect once defeated the sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects as a mere disciple, setting an unprecedented record. Since then, she has kept a low profile and rarely made a move, but every time she has, she has astonished everyone. In these past few centuries, her cultivation must have reached a truly terrifying level."

"I worry that her existence could shake the foundation of the dynasty. After all, Wendao Sect was established during the Great Yu Era and has witnessed both the 'world divided into two' and the 'founding of Great Xia.' Perhaps they might harbor thoughts of replacing us."

"This is not just my personal opinion, Your Majesty. On my way to court, I even heard a servant singing, 'When Wendao prospers, the world is at peace.'"

Emperor Xia frowned. Seeing this, the Duke of Qin knew that His Majesty had grown suspicious of Wendao Sect, so he said no more, bowed, and departed.

Emperor Xia summoned the Chief Eunuch. "Go investigate who the Duke of Qin has met recently. Specifically, check his dealings with the Demon Realm."

"Understood."

Emperor Xia sneered inwardly. It seemed not everyone in the imperial court was truly on the side of Great Xia.

"To sow discord between me and Wendao Sect, truly a cunning plan."

After ascending the throne, Emperor Xia visited the Five Great Immortal Sects one by one. During his visit to Wendao Sect, he met Yun Zhi and was utterly astonished by her, feeling she was unfathomable. He sent people to investigate, but they still couldn't ascertain Yun Zhi's true depth. So, he directly went to the Imperial Palace's forbidden area to ask the Old Ancestor if he knew of a female cultivator named Yun Zhi from Wendao Sect.

The Old Ancestor remained silent for a long time before replying with a single sentence: "The strongest among the Five Great Immortal Sects."

Emperor Xia was persistent and pressed further, "And how does she compare to you, Old Ancestor?"

"Do not ask again."

Emperor Xia was then kicked out by the Old Ancestor, feeling quite humiliated and indignant.