Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 723 (Patreon)

Chapter 723: The Alliance Joins the Ascension Web

Things on Xu Xing’s side came to a temporary end.

At the same time, elsewhere—on the Central Continent’s largest and deepest sea—

Xuanxu Sea.

At its bottom sat the headquarters of the Alliance of Righteousness’s Supreme Council.

Shimmering light spilled down. Though it was the seafloor, it didn’t feel gloomy or damp in the slightest.

On the broad streets, people came and went, their cultivation varying from low to high.

Thirty-six colossal silver towers stood scattered throughout the undersea city. They echoed the tallest tower at the very center, faintly forming an extremely profound formation.

At this moment, inside the central high tower.

In a grand hall painted with exquisite murals, a triple-layer Hun Tian Device hung upside down from the ceiling. As its rings turned, light flickered in and out.

A tall, straight-backed man stood at the far end of the hall beside a gigantic bronze cauldron, head tilted up as he stared above, seemingly lost in thought.

This man had once been ranked first on the Alliance of Righteousness’s prodigy list.

He had advanced to Soul Transformation early, and was once hailed as the peerless genius most likely in this era to catch up to Sage Emperor Yuan.

However, after the martial arts grand ceremony—first that battle, and then Xu Xing’s Sword Intent Projection—followed not long after by Chi Jiuyu breaking into Soul Transformation at only twenty-two…

People in the Alliance of Righteousness stopped bringing it up much.

Sage Emperor Yuan’s legend really couldn’t be replicated.

As for those prodigies of the Divine Sect…

This specifically referred to the younger generation who hadn’t reached Soul Transformation yet, or had only just entered it. Every last one of them believed they would carry on Sage Emperor Yuan’s legend.

“First Speaker…”

Chen Yuanlin withdrew his gaze and lowered his head, glancing ahead. The entire hall held only him.

He, too, had once believed he had to carry on Sage Emperor Yuan’s legend.

Yes. It was “had to,” not “could.”

The Divine Sect had existed for far too long, while the Alliance of Righteousness had only just been founded. Too many people wanted to prove that “the Alliance of Righteousness isn’t weaker than the Divine Sect.”

So when he began cultivating and revealed his talent, many around him treated him as the hope who would surpass the Divine Sect’s prodigies.

And so he carried countless expectations on his back—watching the Divine Sect’s geniuses on one hand, and on the other, pushing himself into Soul Transformation early.

Back then, he hadn’t realized how dangerous that was. He was filled with confidence.

After all, his peers among the Divine Sect’s prodigies were still in Nascent Soul, while he was already in Soul Transformation.

Until that martial arts grand ceremony.

First, he fought a puppet to a standstill. Then he was casually defeated by the Sword Intent Projection of a Sword Sect ceremonial envoy—so thoroughly that he even saw his Lantern of Life.

And that was only a ceremonial envoy, someone who couldn’t even be compared to those true Divine Sect prodigies.

From that day onward, he began reflecting, and searched for ways to mend the flawed foundation he had left behind by rushing his breakthrough.

It took a long time, and he suffered plenty, but in the end he finally made up what he owed.

During that period, many people caught up to him. Yet unlike before, he didn’t feel that tight, desperate urgency.

The final destination might differ, but cultivation itself was ultimately personal.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Chen Yuanlin was full of confusion.

After the martial arts grand ceremony, he chose to repair his foundation, so his cultivation progress naturally fell behind for a while.

Later, when Speaker Chen Shang stepped down and the current Speaker took over, he also lost the qualification to enter this place.

But what he found strange was that after losing that “special treatment,” he didn’t feel disappointed at all. Instead, he felt an odd sense of relief…

After that, his cultivation actually grew smoother than ever, and he once again surpassed all his peers in the Alliance of Righteousness.

He had thought this calm life would last a long time.

But not long ago, one night after finishing cultivation, he went out to relax—and happened to run into the First Speaker, who had only recently ended seclusion.

At first, it was just a greeting. Somehow, it turned into a conversation.

After hearing about what Chen Yuanlin had experienced over these years, the First Speaker suddenly asked whether he wanted an “opportunity.”

An opportunity?

Though he didn’t understand what this “opportunity” meant, he still agreed.

But the moment he agreed, the First Speaker disappeared.

Days passed. Nothing seemed amiss.

Then today, the First Speaker suddenly appeared again and brought him here.

In the end, he still said nothing—then vanished along with the Speakers of past generations who had been waiting here.

“Sigh…”

High-level cultivators really were all riddle-speakers…

Just as he was grumbling inwardly—

“Welcome to the Tai Xuan Ascension Web. ‘Eighth Dao Marker’ anchoring in progress. Organizing personal information…”

A cold mechanical voice rang out from the depths of his mind, making Chen Yuanlin tense all over.

“Who’s there?!”

His divine sense exploded outward on instinct, flooding the entire hall in an instant and dissecting every inch of space.

But right after that, Chen Yuanlin reacted.

This was the Supreme Council’s core zone. To slip past every defense in silence and deliver a voice directly inside him—any cultivator capable of that was someone he absolutely could not fight.

Tai Xuan Ascension Web?

Eighth Dao Marker?

What the hell were these?!

His thoughts raced, and he shouted on reflex.

“There’s an intruder!! Sage Emperor, save me!!!”

Whatever it was, there were a bunch of big shots up above watching—calling the strongest one for help couldn’t be wrong! All one could say was that after that “realization” during the martial arts grand ceremony, Chen Yuanlin really had changed a lot.

And just as he finished shouting—

[Tai Xuan Ascension Web]

[Name: Chen Yuanlin]

[Age: 26]

[Realm: early-stage Soul Transformation]

[Profession: Dharma cultivator, body cultivator]

[Affiliation: Alliance of Righteousness]

[Foundation Method: “Voidscar Sky-Calamity Boundless True Canon” (Soul Transformation realm)]

[Divine Abilities, Arts: One Thought, a Thousand Worlds · minor completion (Soul Transformation realm), Void Sky Reveals Scars, Thought Moves the Boundless · minor completion (Soul Transformation realm), Ten-Thousand-Reflections Golden Body · minor completion (Integration realm) …]

[Authority: Ascension Envoy · Level 3, Grade 3 (Unsealed: No)]

[Auxiliary Module: No Authority]

[Ascension Points: 0]

“Void Sky Reveals Scars, Thought Moves the Boundless” was an escape art created by Abyss, and “Ten-Thousand-Reflections Golden Body” was also a simplification of “Ten-Thousand-Reflections Body.”

As the Alliance of Righteousness’s top genius, everything Chen Yuanlin cultivated came from Abyss.

…

…

Speaker’s Tower, top floor.

Around a massive black round table were seventy-two seats.

At this moment, every seat was occupied, and the lowest cultivation among them was the Integration realm. Those at the Integration realm could only stand off to the side today.

The people seated to Abyss’s left and right were even more exaggerated. Their profound auras surged boundlessly, as if faintly connected to the Great Dao itself, carrying a wisp of ethereal, otherworldly detachment.

Soul Transformation realm!

A full fifteen of them!

And that was only the ones who could make it back in time—excluding those in seclusion and those stationed on the Starfront Battlefield.

In the very center above the table floated a palm-sized, exquisitely crafted gold-and-white altar—

the Ascension Platform.

“This kid…” Qian Xiang, holding a whisk and looking calm and transcendent, watched Chen Yuanlin’s performance on the first floor of Speaker’s Tower, then couldn’t help lifting his head toward Abyss.

“Are you sure you want him to be the first one to carry out an ascension mission?”

“In cultivation and temperament, he’s the most suitable,” Abyss said with a smile.

Chen Yuanlin’s talent was not weak.

To put it bluntly, he was only a step behind that absurd fellow townsman’s junior nephew.

Even among the Divine Sect’s very top batch of prodigies, only a few could compare.

He had simply thought too much and moved too fast before, so he ended up losing the bigger picture for the smaller gain.

But now his temperament had improved greatly, and overall he could rank in the top three among the Tai Xuan Realm’s younger generation.

“Hah!”

Qian Xiang snorted, looking extremely disdainful.

“I also think he’s not suitable.” A cold, indifferent man in tight black clothes, standing straight as a pine, also spoke. “We who cultivate should charge forward without hesitation. Calling for help at the first sign of trouble—what is that?”

The founder of Qianqiu Sect Master Alliance, Qianqiu Dao Lord Fu Yuan, also a Soul Transformation realm cultivator.

Hearing him speak, Qian Xiang shot him a strange glance.

Charge forward without hesitation? Back when you challenged the Overlord and got hammered into the ground, why didn’t you “charge forward” then? Among the Alliance of Righteousness, the young ones worth looking at are only that handful. This kid is already the best of them. I’m cooperating with Abyss. You’re just an idiot.

“If this little guy isn’t suitable, Fu Yuan, who do you think is suitable?”

The speaker wore a white brocade robe, looked young, had a face like carved jade, and carried an extraordinary bearing.

It was the founder of Listening Rain Pavilion, Listening to the Rain Dao Lord—Ming.

Also Mingyu’s grandfather.

“Since it’s the first ascension mission, we must choose a junior who is tough and decisive. How can someone who begs for help at every turn be acceptable?” Fu Yuan looked at Ming. “Don’t play favorites without reason just because Abyss is your granddaughter’s husband.”

Ming raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, Abyss spoke first.

“Senior Fu Yuan makes it sound like I’m living off my wife.” Abyss looked a bit helpless. “How about this: Senior Fu Yuan chooses someone around the same age to fight little Yuanlin. Whoever wins goes—how about it?”

“At the same age, no one in the alliance has higher cultivation than this junior. That would be meaningless.” Fu Yuan shook his head slightly.

So you do know!

“Then what does Senior Fu Yuan propose?” Abyss asked.

“I think Mu Yun is more suitable.”

Mu Yun had once briefly surpassed Chen Yuanlin while Chen Yuanlin was repairing his foundation.

But after Chen Yuanlin completed it, he easily crushed Mu Yun back down again.

The gap between them still existed.

“His cultivation may be weaker, but he absolutely won’t be like this junior—begging for help the moment something happens.”

“Hah. Back then you were begging for mercy,” Qian Xiang said abruptly.

“Hm?!”

Fu Yuan whipped his head toward Qian Xiang.

Which side are you on?

“What do you mean by that, Myriad Techniques Dao Lord?” Fu Yuan demanded.

Qian Xiang was revered by the world as the Myriad Techniques Dao Lord.

“Just speaking to the matter,” Qian Xiang said without yielding as he met Fu Yuan’s gaze. “I don’t think Chen Yuanlin is suitable, but that doesn’t mean Mu Yun is suitable either.”

On the surface, they were deciding the candidate for the first ascension mission. In truth, they were fighting over who would lead the subsequent Ascension Plan.

And Abyss was already chosen by the Sword Ancestor. How are you going to outplay that?

“…Then who do you think is more suitable?” Fu Yuan paused.

“The first ascension mission is of great importance. Naturally, we must pick the best of the best. If it really comes to it, then this Chen Yuanlin can barely do.”

The moment he said that, everyone present went blank.

Even Fu Yuan looked a little stunned by the sentence.

Wait. You think Chen Yuanlin is suitable too, so why did you jump out to oppose him just now?

“I understand Senior Qian Xiang’s meaning.” Abyss chose the moment to speak. “The first ascension mission is indeed important, but we can’t choke and stop eating. This must be pushed forward. And right now, little Yuanlin is the most suitable candidate.”

This was mainly a reminder to Qian Xiang that he didn’t need to keep acting.

Sigh. Abyss couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

These high-level cultivators really didn’t understand acting. Their cooperation these past few days could only be described as “stiff.”

After all, they were founders of great sects. If they wanted something done, they simply ordered people to do it—there was no need for all these twists and turns.

Only when facing a True Immortal, a completely over-spec existence, did they become more careful with their little schemes.

…

…

Some time later.

Three days had passed since Xu Xing returned from Lingyin Pavilion.

At dawn, while the blue-black at the horizon hadn’t fully faded, Sword Sect welcomed a special visitor.

Inner Sect, the plaza before Sword Ancestor Hall. Two figures walked outward side by side.

“Many years apart, and you still carry the same elegance, fellow Daoist,” Xu Xing said.

The person beside him wore a white brocade robe and carried an extraordinary bearing. It was Listening to the Rain Dao Lord—Ming.

Speaking of it, Ming was Xu Xing’s fellow Daoist, yet also Mingyu’s grandfather.

Ning Ruo was also of Xu Xing’s generation, yet she was Ning Wanzhu’s master.

Tsk. These generations were really a tangled mess.

Ming shook his head slightly. “I can’t compare to Sword Ancestor.”

The two had known each other since the ancient era—more accurately, they met when Xu Xing traveled the Central Continent, teaching cultivation to the human race in various lands.

Back then, Ming had still been a slave of another race. Only after Xu Xing saved him did he come into contact with cultivation.

The “grace” Mingyu once spoke of came from this.

In truth, there were many similar cases. After all, the human race back then was too weak—Golden Core cultivators were already astonishing figures.

But among those Xu Xing had saved, only a handful managed to cultivate successfully and live to the present.

“Now that Abyss has returned to the Alliance of Righteousness to push the Ascension Plan, if I’m not mistaken, that should be Sword Ancestor’s intention, yes?” Ming asked.

Perhaps because his coordination with Qian Xiang wasn’t very smooth, Abyss still used an old routine—

borrowing momentum.

With even a little attention, it was easy to see that Sword Ancestor’s shadow lay behind his actions.

“That’s right.” Xu Xing didn’t deny it.

“After all, we can’t leave our posts, and pushing the Ascension Plan requires more hands involved.”

“Through Abyss, we can let the Alliance of Righteousness accept it in a gentler way.”

In a gentler way…

“Actually, to put it bluntly—if it concerns the Far Side of the Stars, I believe they know what matters more,” Ming said solemnly.

Back then, only after Sword Ancestor attained the Dao did the human race gain its own voice in the Tai Xuan Realm.

Later, as several True Immortals attained the Dao one after another, the Cang race—feeling threatened—began pressuring the human race.

Ming’s Dao companion and children died in that phase, slain by an Integration realm Cang race.

“But turmoil will inevitably appear,” Xu Xing said, watching the rising sun in the distance. “Perhaps it’s nothing to you and me, but to the countless ordinary cultivators, it will be a disaster they can’t withstand.”

Turmoil.

Two simple words—and yet how many would die, how many would be displaced.

“…Sword Ancestor is still the same as before,” Ming said softly.

“Hm?”

“Keeping all beings in his heart.”

“That’s not quite it.” Xu Xing shook his head slightly.

Not only was it not quite it—those words sounded far too lofty, and he didn’t like them.

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