Chapter 460: The Anniversary Celebration is Getting More and More Lively

As soon as Immortal Fairy uttered these words, everyone was astonished. She truly was the Silent Daoist's youngest disciple, already attempting to usurp power in the Golden Core stage. Even the Eldest Senior Sister glanced slightly sideways.

Lu Yang covered his face. He knew attending meetings in the imperial capital never boded well. "Fairy, stop trying to emulate Eldest Senior Sister all the time. Even if you can mimic her speech, you can't replicate her abilities. If you want to be the Sect Master indefinitely, even if Master agrees, Eldest Senior Sister won't! Eldest Senior Sister, isn't that right?" Lu Yang turned to look at Eldest Senior Sister, who had a pensive expression, seemingly contemplating the feasibility of the Fairy's proposal.

Emperor Xia cleared his throat, changing the subject: "Ahem, let's not talk about the Silent Daoist for now. We've learned the Imperial Advisor's location from the Great Yu's Tribulation Transcendence cultivator. Mr. Chen Tao rushed there immediately, but unfortunately, he was still a step too late. The Imperial Advisor and his subordinates have already escaped. Nothing was left in the grotto-heaven, not even the ground was scraped away with storage rings," Emperor Xia said helplessly. The court's speed was already impressive; they even skipped the torture phase with Revered Dawnsend and directly soul-searched him to quickly ascertain the Imperial Advisor's location. However, the Great Yu wasn't to be underestimated either. They abandoned a perfectly good grotto-heaven without hesitation, and their escape speed was no less than that of the Immortal Cult, which was as cunning as a three-burrowed rabbit.

With the Nine Nether Cult being duped by the Heavenly Court Cult, the two Imperial Advisors of Great Yu are undoubtedly the biggest hidden danger currently. Capturing them as soon as possible would alleviate some pressure on the court.

"The main reason I've gathered everyone today is to discuss the issue of ancient cultivators scattering their cultivation and re-cultivating. Previously, we've always focused our attention on cultivators at the Integration and Tribulation Transcendence stages."

"Coincidentally, Sect Master Lu, the person involved, is also here. It was only after the incident with Huang Ming of the Corpse Driving Sect that we realized our previous understanding was flawed. These ancient cultivators are ruthless in their pursuit of opportunities in the great era; they're even willing to undertake uncertain acts like scattering their cultivation and re-cultivating."

"Currently, they are still weak and pose no threat, but once given time to grow, they will become a huge problem. They might stab us in the back at the most crucial moment, or even leak vital intelligence."

Luo Hongxia frowned slightly, finding the matter difficult: "We know the problem, but is there any way to solve it?"

Emperor Xia had some ideas in mind when he summoned everyone.

"I've thought of a method. I will issue an imperial decree, summoning all young cultivators across the land to hold a grand competition. It will proceed from city-level selections to provincial-level, and then from provincial-level to national-level. All young cultivators must participate, and no excuse will be accepted."

"Taking Qing Province as an example, we will have Qing Province internally select thirty individuals from each cultivation stage. These thirty will represent the highest level of young cultivators in Qing Province. Then, we will gather young cultivators from all seventeen provinces for a grand competition, from which we can identify who might be ancient cultivators who have scattered their cultivation and re-cultivated."

"What are the characteristics of cultivators who have scattered their cultivation and re-cultivated? They possess rich cultivation experience and certainly won't make the mistakes ordinary cultivators make. Their fighting styles also differ from those of current cultivators. Based on these two points, we can largely distinguish them."

This was a feasible method, but Luo Hongxia was somewhat puzzled: "But wouldn't ancient cultivators simply concede midway? They could intentionally lose in provincial-level competitions and never reach us."

Emperor Xia shook his head: "Concede? A dignified ancient Integration stage cultivator, after re-cultivating, would intentionally concede against peers? Their dignity wouldn't allow it. If they were to concede, even if they achieve success in cultivation later, there would be flaws in their mental state, preventing them from truly reaching their full potential."

Lu Yang could attest to this. When he fought Huang Ming, Huang Ming even used techniques like the Spirit Arrow in pursuit of victory, willing to expose his identity rather than lose to Lu Yang.

"Why young cultivators? What about older ones?" the Fairy asked Lu Yang quietly, a hint of confusion in her voice, though she didn't voice it aloud.

"Fairy, think about it. What do cultivators who scatter their cultivation and re-cultivate aim for? It's to perfect every stage of cultivation before advancing to the next. How could they possibly choose to cultivate to old age within a single stage? There's no benefit in that."

"That makes sense, quite similar to what this Immortal was thinking."

Yang Ding thought of a loophole in the plan: "Then your imperial decree won't be effective. How will you deal with cultivators who scatter their cultivation and re-cultivate if they simply don't show up?"

"Those who have joined sects are easier to handle. With the imperial decree, even if they don't want to go, the sect elders will compel them."

"But what if we encounter those who, after re-cultivating, hide in grotto-heavens and don't emerge until they reach the Integration stage?"

"There's no way around that. If they hide in a grotto-heaven, no one will find them, and no imperial decree will be effective. However, such cases should be rare. For them, Great Xia is a new world. Would they resist the temptation to explore it, ignore new cultivation theories, remain uninformed about power distributions, and simply focus on secluded cultivation?"

"Moreover, even if they hide in grotto-heavens and emerge at the Integration stage, they would merely be an additional Integration stage rogue cultivator, unable to access vital intelligence and posing little threat."

After Emperor Xia's explanation, everyone agreed that this method was good. Although it wouldn't locate all ancient cultivators who scattered their cultivation and re-cultivated, finding some would still be beneficial.

"Should the Immortal Sect send participants?"

"Yes. Cultivators who scatter their cultivation and re-cultivate have pushed every stage to its limit. Ordinary cultivators might not be able to defeat them. Are we to let these ancient cultivators win the championship?"

"The Immortal Sect disciples will need to provide a baseline of strength."

"Good."

"Coincidentally, the Dao Seeking Sect is about to hold a grand celebration. We could choose the Dao Seeking Sect as the venue for the final grand competition, the national-level one. What do you think, Sect Master Lu?" Emperor Xia turned to ask Lu Yang.

"Of course, no problem," Immortal Fairy readily agreed. She had just received Yun Zhi's approval, making it feasible.

The more people there were, the livelier the celebration would be, and the more it would demonstrate her capabilities as the acting Sect Master!

Luo Hongxia looked at the cheerful Immortal Fairy and suggested: "Oh, by the way, Sect Master Lu, you defeated Huang Ming, who scattered his cultivation and re-cultivated, while both were at the same stage. Sect Master Qiu also spoke highly of you. I wonder, Sect Master Lu, would you be willing to demonstrate some of your unique skills?"

Though she called it a spar, she actually intended to teach Lu Yang a lesson. The lesson wouldn't be too severe, and Yun Zhi wouldn't object.

Immortal Fairy showed a troubled expression: "Isn't it improper for a superior to bully an inferior?"

She, a dignified Immortal, fighting an Integration stage cultivator? That would be a two-stage leap.

Luo Hongxia misunderstood Immortal Fairy's meaning, thinking she was referring to the unfairness of an Integration stage cultivator fighting a Golden Core stage one.

She took out a small, round box from her storage ring: "This is a treasure from the Immortal Palace. It can adjust both of us to the same cultivation stage, ensuring absolute fairness!"

As the dignified Palace Master of the Moon-Osmanthus Immortal Palace and a top-tier Integration stage Grand Cultivator, even if she adjusted herself to the same stage as Lu Yang, she could still effortlessly defeat him! What if Lu Yang could defeat cultivators who scattered their cultivation and re-cultivated? Only cultivators with unstable foundations would do such a thing. She was far stronger than those who scattered their cultivation and re-cultivated!