Chapter 598: The Founding Ceremony Begins

"Show me a set of sword techniques," commanded the Dijiang elder. Lu Yang, no longer in control of himself, obeyed the elder's order. He danced with his long sleeves, the sword's edge irresistibly sharp. Where it passed, the air tore, sweeping all before it.

He demonstrated the "Severing" and "Breaking" techniques one by one. These were deadly moves, capable of making even Nascent Soul stage cultivators tremble and hesitate to confront them directly.

"Good, very good!" The Dijiang elder burst out laughing. If he hadn't known this was an imposter, he would have truly believed it was Junior Sect Master Lu.

From his storage ring, he retrieved two masks and a painting.

"These are human skin masks I refined," he explained. "Just infuse them with spiritual energy, and you can transform into any appearance you desire.""This painting shows Junior Sect Master Lu's appearance. Yun Yang, you should transform into Junior Sect Master Lu according to this picture.""And you, Su Yiren, very few people have seen your true face, but we can't rule out encountering someone who knows you this time. Put on a mask and change into any form you like."

The two took the human skin masks. The masks were as light as cicada wings and felt cool when placed on their faces. Lu Yang, with practiced ease, transformed himself into Junior Sect Master Lu. Jiang Lianyi casually created a disguise, transforming into someone who looked about 60-70% similar to her original self. Then she removed her hood, revealing her disguised appearance.

"Next, it's about your acting," the elder continued. "Your eyes aren't right; they lack that sense of ancient wisdom.""What is the Heavenly Court Sect? It's the continuation of the ancient Heavenly Court. After 300,000 years, there should be a feeling of profound change, of things and people having transformed. Your gaze should be vast, carrying a hint of recollection and a disdain for the current era.""Furthermore, the Heavenly Court was a grand organization from ancient times, and the ancient era was the most prosperous and powerful period in the cultivation world. As the Junior Sect Master and Heavenly King Protector of the Heavenly Court Sect, you should exude pride in the ancient past!"

Lu Yang: "..."'You've thought this through quite thoroughly,' Lu Yang mused inwardly. When he had first debuted as Junior Sect Master Lu, he had indeed adopted a similar mindset, using it as a form of psychological suggestion to quickly get into character.

At this thought, Lu Yang scoffed, "What a ridiculous Dijiang clan! What ancient Dijiang! When the tiger is away, the monkeys play. He's nothing but a defeated subordinate of Dao Celestial, not even qualified to join my Heavenly Court!"

Jiang Lianyi let out a cold snort, her expression indifferent. She looked at the elder with disdain, her icy gaze devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, that's the feeling!" The Dijiang elder slapped his thigh, astonished that the two had succeeded on their first try. "Excellent! It seems you two, master and disciple, have a talent for this."

The Dijiang elder was meticulous in his work and shared more information about the Heavenly Court Sect. Lu Yang nodded repeatedly, noting that the elder's knowledge of the Heavenly Court Sect was surprisingly accurate, without error.

"Alright," he concluded, "the two of you will proceed according to my arrangements at the founding ceremony in two days. Before then, return to your original appearances. Carry on as usual and do not reveal yourselves.""Understood," they replied.

The Dijiang elder nodded, then went to report his progress to the ancient Dijiang, leaving Lu Yang and Jiang Lianyi behind.

The two were silent for a moment before Jiang Lianyi broke the quiet."What do you say?" she asked.

Lu Yang spread his hands. "Don't ask me. I'm currently under Dijiang's control. Whatever he tells me to do, I'll do."

Jiang Lianyi nodded. "Me too."

Having achieved their biggest objective in Demon City, the two didn't linger. They returned to the inn to inform the others, and the elders slapped their thighs in regret upon hearing the news.

"Tell me, tell me, why do I never encounter such good fortune!" The five elders lamented, their hearts aching as if Daoist Silence had passed away.

Meng Jingzhou was also filled with regret. As the dignified Saint Son of the Heavenly Court Sect, he surprisingly had no opportunity to make an appearance at such a crucial event.

Lu Yang regretfully patted Meng Jingzhou's shoulder. "It's fate."

Third Senior Sister remained silent nearby; she belonged to the Dao-Seeking Sect, not the Heavenly Court Sect.

Two days passed in a flash, and the founding ceremony officially began.

The tall walls built around the Altar of Heaven were dismantled. From a distance, the altar shone with blinding white light, making it difficult for people to open their eyes.

"Is that glazed white jade? Such an enormous piece?"The cultivators who came to observe were deeply moved. Even those Tribulation Transcendence stage mighty figures were secretly astonished. The Altar of Heaven wasn't constructed from individual blocks of glazed white jade; it was carved from a single, massive piece of white jade. To call it priceless would be an understatement!

The Altar of Heaven was divided into nine layers, corresponding to the nine stages of cultivation.

The forces attending the founding ceremony were categorized into two types: those invited by the Dijiang clan, such as the Buddhist Kingdom and the East Sea Dragon Clan. The Dijiang clan dared not treat these forces lightly, arranging them in the best spectator seats and even providing spiritual fruits and other delicacies.

The other category consisted of rogue cultivators or uninvited minor factions. These smaller groups gathered around the Altar of Heaven, and their viewing experience depended entirely on luck.

Lu Yang and Jiang Lianyi, disguised as rogue cultivators, were temporarily separated from the elders.

Third Senior Sister, who was still undergoing training in the demon realm, was also among the rogue cultivators.

"Old Qiu, we meet again," the Grand Elder greeted with a chuckle, bowing his hands. Qiu Jin'an was seated to his left.

In public, Qiu Jin'an couldn't show his displeasure, so he responded with a smile.

"Second Prince, it's you who has come this time," the Grand Elder said, rising and greeting across several sects. The Great Xia Empire had sent not the First Prince Jiang Qun, but the Second Prince Jiang Zhu. Jiang Zhu had a tall and imposing stature, possessing exceptional martial prowess and literary accomplishments. Rumor had it that he harbored ambitions for the throne. Jiang Zhu bowed his hands, returning the Grand Elder's greeting with the etiquette of a junior.

"Fellow Daoist Ao Li, it must have been 200 years since we last met, hasn't it? Is the Old Dragon King doing well?" To the Grand Elder's right was Ao Li of the East Sea Dragon Clan, an envoy sent by the Old Dragon King. Ao Li had dragon horns on his head, and his body, from horns to feet, was adorned with jewels. The sheer value of his attire alone equaled the entire fortune of an ordinary Integration stage cultivator. Upon seeing the Grand Elder seated next to him, Ao Li's expression turned somewhat ugly. He let out a cold snort, unwilling to speak further.

"Look at you, your attitude makes us seem so estranged. Anyone who didn't know would think we had some conflict. Have you forgotten the time I helped you overcome your inner demon tribulation?"

At the mention of this, Ao Li's face grew even more displeased. Two hundred years ago, he had fallen into an inner demon tribulation. Dragon nature being lustful, he was ensnared by the lust tribulation. At the time, the East Sea Dragon Clan was at a loss, not knowing what to do. Coincidentally, the Grand Elder, who was visiting the East Sea Dragon Clan, stepped forward and, through pills and acupuncture, forcefully rendered Ao Li unable to perform sexually, thus allowing him to overcome the inner demon tribulation. At that time, the inner demons transformed into various beautiful women to tempt him, but he was willing yet powerless, leaving the inner demons themselves bewildered. Afterward, Ao Li sought out renowned healers, taking a century to recover and regain his ability to engage in sexual activity.

The Grand Elder, being magnanimous, paid no mind to Ao Li's attitude and greeted Master Chen Yuan, the envoy from the Buddhist Kingdom seated next to Ao Li.

"Master Chen Yuan, it's been fifty years since we last met. How have you been recently?"

Master Chen Yuan sat calmly and steadily. Seeing the Grand Elder greet him from a distance, he chuckled, placed one hand before his chest, and politely responded, "A monk does not lie. To be honest, I didn't expect to see benefactor here. What bad luck."