Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 726 (Patreon)

Chapter 726: Everyone Comes to Know the Ascension Web

Just like before, Ning Wanzhu, Mingyu, and Fu Meng walked up to the highest platform at the core of the Ascension Platform hub and stopped.

Maybe she was nervous—Fu Meng couldn’t help turning back to glance at Yuan, her eyes filled with grievance.

Ning Wanzhu and Mingyu, on the other hand, looked calm. Only when they noticed Yuan’s gaze did faint ripples appear in their eyes.

The next second, the three of them vanished into thin air.

Seeing this, Fu Yuan finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked:

“Going to an unfamiliar realm-domain to set up an Ascension Web connection node… there won’t be danger, right?”

“Senior Fu Yuan can rest assured.” Yuan still wore a gentle smile. “Ascension Web expansion envoys are protected by the Ascension Web. Even if they run into a crisis above the Soul Transformation realm, the emergency protocols can still guarantee Senior Fu Meng’s safety.”

“...” Fu Yuan fell silent for a moment. “Good.”

Even though he’d previously wanted to wrestle with Yuan for influence over the “Ascension Plan” within the Alliance of Righteousness, that didn’t mean he distrusted Yuan.

He trusted Yuan’s character very much.

“And you and—”

He’d only managed to say two words before he frowned.

There were too many people around. This wasn’t the right place to say this.

“Forget it.”

As his words fell, he disappeared as well.

Huh?

Yuan felt completely baffled.

Me and who?

And what “forget it”?

He didn’t misunderstand something, did he?!

After grumbling to himself for a bit, he casually swept his eyes over the Ascension Platform hub, then turned back to face everyone.

Only to find that the way everyone looked at him carried an inexplicable meaning.

After all, what Fu Yuan had just said made it hard not to imagine things.

Yuan: “...”

They didn’t misunderstand too, did they?

Soon, he suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his head.

“The corresponding Ascension Web permissions have already been issued. Once you return and connect to the Ascension Web to confirm activation, you’ll be able to use the Ascension Web functions within your permission scope.”

“However, aside from some basic functions that are free, the vast majority of Ascension Web functions require payment to use.”

“I’ll send more detailed materials later through the Ascension Web to everyone’s personal mailbox.”

Hearing Yuan’s words, aside from the Dao Lords of Soul Transformation and a small number of Integration realm cultivators who already knew the inside story, everyone else frowned.

“Are you charging spirit coins?” someone asked.

The one who spoke was a handsome—almost eerie—young man, holding a blood-red, sinister-looking long saber in his hand.

One of the current councilors of the Alliance of Righteousness—

Liu Yu.

“Of course not. You can only use Ascension Points to access Ascension Web functions.”

“Then we still have to do missions?” another person spoke up. This time it was a former councilor who had already stepped down, and whose cultivation had reached the Integration realm.

“But it seems like missions suitable for us haven’t appeared, right?”

As far as he knew, most “Ascension Missions” that had appeared so far were at the Void Return realm.

The only one higher than that was the single mission: “Go to an unfamiliar realm-domain and set up an Ascension Web connection node.”

“You can rest easy about that,” Yuan explained.

“Integration realm wardens guard various places across the four great star territories. Each month, besides their normal contribution points, they’ll also receive a fixed allotment of Ascension Points.”

“Likewise, Integration realm cultivators and Dao Lords of Soul Transformation stationed on the Starfront Battlefield will also receive corresponding Ascension Points subsidies.”

According to his fellow townsman, once the Alliance of Righteousness joined the Ascension Web, the Tai Xuan Ascension Web could finally be laid across the starry skies on a full scale.

Within half a year, not only would the star-territory wardens on the Starfront Battlefield connect to the Tai Xuan Ascension Web, even stellar-system wardens—and even Void Return realm planetary-system wardens—would gradually connect as well.

“And it’s only that there aren’t higher-tier Ascension Missions right now. Once the Ascension Web spreads, there will definitely be problems that only high-level cultivators can solve.”

In the blueprint his fellow townsman described, the scope covered by the Ascension Web was simply far, far too vast.

“When the time comes, if any of you are interested, you can pick them up yourselves and go.”

Hearing that, everyone fell into contemplation.

But the vast majority didn’t show any real eagerness.

Because what functions this Tai Xuan Ascension Web actually had...

Other than the Dao Lords of Soul Transformation and the current Speaker, none of them had seen it firsthand yet.

And besides, the Ascension Web was, after all, something created by the Immortal Sects...

Deep down, they did feel a bit resistant.

…

…

Not long after, Yuan—having finished handling what he needed to—and Gu Mo left the Ascension Hall together.

“I originally wanted to rush back and help you hold the line, but I didn’t expect you to solve it yourself,” Gu Mo sighed.

He’d hurriedly wrapped up his work and rushed back from the Starfront Battlefield just to lend Yuan a hand.

What he hadn’t expected was that before he could even make time, Yuan had already settled everything.

“Thanks to Senior Qian Xiang’s help.”

“That old bastard has a mind full of schemes. How did you get him to help you?” Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

“It’s nothing, really. Same as before.”

Same as before?

“Borrowing the Sword Ancestor’s momentum?” Gu Mo paused. “But the Sword Ancestor wouldn’t just pick a fight with him for no reason. He shouldn’t be afraid.”

“It’s not exactly for no reason. Back then, he secretly pushed the conflict between the Alliance of Righteousness and the Hehuan Sect. Senior, you know how that ‘Blood Calamity’ happened...”

“What?!” Gu Mo’s eyes widened. “He was the one secretly pushing that?!”

“...” Yuan fell silent for a moment. “You didn’t know?”

Gu Mo really didn’t know. He’d always thought it was simply a problem caused by the Alliance of Righteousness growing too quickly—he truly had no idea there was another layer behind it.

“Damn it! That shameless old mongrel!”

“It’s also because I was too irresponsible. A lot of this could’ve been avoided.”

Some problems had already shown signs long ago. But back then, he’d been obsessed with going home, and that was why things spiraled further and further.

In fact, Qian Xiang had confessed it to him as well.

Back then, when those people from the Alliance of Righteousness went to attack the Hehuan Sect’s mountain gate, he’d been stunned too. He had indeed wanted to test a True Immortal’s tolerance, but he’d never expected it to go that far.

Just as Gu Mo was about to say more—

A cold, aloof man in black fitted attire, standing straight as a pine, walked out from the corner ahead.

“Daoist friend, please step aside for a moment. I have some words I want to have with Yuan.”

Gu Mo raised a brow, then recalled Fu Meng’s “aggrieved” look back earlier, and his heart stirred.

“Alright.”

Since it was Yuan’s private matter, he indeed shouldn’t be involved.

Gu Mo was the decisive type. He turned and left at once, disappearing from the area in a few steps.

“Tell me,” Fu Yuan said coldly. “What did you do to my little sister?”

That day, his little sister had gone to seek Yuan out for an explanation. After she came back, she seemed absent-minded, and no matter what he asked, she wouldn’t say what happened.

And before this, she’d already admired Yuan a lot.

It had even been her who took the lead in pushing for Thousand Autumn Sect to join the Alliance of Righteousness.

Yuan: “...”

What could I possibly have done?

We’re all high-level cultivators—don’t overthink it!

Damn it!

At most, I just led her into it and found Wanyin and Mingyu an extra helper so they could complete the Ascension Web connection node setup as quickly as possible.

As for why he chose Fu Meng...

First, she came to him on her own initiative.

Second...

Her personality was straightforward. Once she agreed to something, even if she didn’t like it, she would still do it seriously.

Ahem.

He just hadn’t expected Fu Yuan to misunderstand it like this.

…

…

As the Tai Xuan Ascension Web spread across the Alliance of Righteousness, the “Ascension Plan” officially advanced to the next stage.

In the period that followed, news related to the “Tai Xuan Ascension Web,” “Ascension,” and so on was no longer sealed off, and began circulating across the spirit net, becoming known to the world.

A world beyond the realm?

Ascendants?

An Ascension Web with True Immortal patriarchal immortal power as its core?

Faced with these brand-new concepts that suddenly appeared on the spirit net, most people accepted them quickly, though some displayed resistance.

Fortunately, Xu Xing and the others had already anticipated all of this back when the “Ascension Plan” was decided.

It always takes time for new things to go from appearing to being accepted.

That was normal.

With the efforts of the seven Immortal Sect masters, the Speaker of the Alliance of Righteousness, Yuan, and a host of high-level cultivators—

They didn’t even need the expected half year. In just a bit over four months, every warden across the four great star territories of the Tai Xuan Realm had connected to the Tai Xuan Ascension Web.

Compared to the traditional “WarNet,” the Tai Xuan Ascension Web—derived from the divine authority system—was vastly more convenient in every way.

Also, unlike outside the Tai Xuan Realm, where only Xu Xing’s power maintained the Ascension Web, the Central Continent and the four great star territories were all within the coverage of True Immortal power—and they didn’t need to resist the disorder and chaos within the Chaos Sea.

So as long as you had “Level 1 Permission,” you could make “non-root” level modifications to the Ascension Web framework within a certain region.

So-called “Level 1 Permission” was the highest permission beneath the True Immortal’s “Supreme Permission,” and was the Ascension Web permission-tier division method decided after discussions among the seven Immortal Sect masters and many high-level cultivators.

When ordinary Ascension Envoys carried out missions for the first time, their permissions would be at “Level 3, Grade 3.” As they completed more missions, it would gradually become “Level 3, Grade 2,” then “Level 3, Grade 1.”

As for Level 2 Permission, you needed at least the Integration realm (He Dao) cultivation, and you also had to reach a certain level of contribution in the Tai Xuan Ascension Web’s evaluation system.

For example, Ning Wanzhu and Mingyu—who had completed one Ascension Web connection node setup and opened up the Xunyuan Realm-Domain—were only “Level 2, Grade 2” under the current permission-tier system.

The one who had just set off with them had only “Level 2, Grade 3.”

As for Level 1 Permission, among the seven Immortal Sects, only the sect masters possessed it. In the Alliance of Righteousness, it belonged to the current Speaker and Yuan.

Moreover, aside from Yuan—whose Level 1 Permission would not change due to changes in status—the Level 1 Permission held by the seven Immortal Sect masters and the Speaker of the Alliance of Righteousness would be lost when they stepped down.

And like that, five more years passed after the “Ascension Plan” advanced to the new stage.

A new Immortal Sect Grand Competition was about to begin.

Just like last time, they would capture a world from beyond the realm, and use the “Realm Evolution” method to split it into three timelines, serving as the trial grounds for the three groups of the Immortal Sect Grand Competition.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the various Immortal Sects and the Alliance of Righteousness also officially announced the existence of the “Tai Xuan Ascension Web,” “Ascension Envoys,” and “Ascendants.”

Noon.

The inner sect of the Sword Sect.

The Sword Ancestor Hall.

Five years had passed, yet this great hall standing atop the mountain peak still showed no change.

Inside the hall, two figures stood before the dao arena and respectfully bowed to the figure seated at the center.

“Master.”

“Greetings, Patriarch.”

One was valiant and sharp, with fierce brows and eyes—Li Ke.

The other had snow-white long hair, crystal-clear deep-blue eyes, and luminous skin—Xi Li.

Five years had passed. Yan Ming still hadn’t emerged from seclusion, so Li Ke could only continue serving as the head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

As for Xi Li—no one knew what she was thinking—but she had joined the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall as well, and now served as an inner-sect steward within it.

“You should already know about this matter in advance. What do you think?” Xu Xing asked.

They’d just formally made public the matters related to the “Ascension Plan,” and the sect master suggested letting an Ascendant show their face in this Immortal Sect Grand Competition. Xu Xing discussed it with the others and felt it was feasible, so that was why this meeting happened.

“This disciple has no objections.”

“If you mind, you can say so. No need to force yourself,” Xu Xing reminded her.

It was only something done along the way—if it worked out, great; if not, it wouldn’t have much impact.

“Patriarch is overthinking it. This disciple is willing. After all, this disciple has set her sights on becoming the Sword Sect’s sect master,” Xi Li said with a smile.

Better to mention it more and deepen the impression—couldn’t hurt.

Li Ke, standing to the side, felt complicated.

That dead fish shouted every day about becoming the Sword Sect’s sect master, yet she still had to rely on her sword spirit just to write a mission report.

And Xi Li’s ability...

Li Ke had been watching it the whole time.

After Xi Li joined the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, she took on a lot of work and eased Li Ke’s burden. These five years had been far more relaxed for her.

“Mm.” Xu Xing nodded slightly. “Since you agree, then do it as you wish. As for the specifics, you can decide yourselves.”

“Yes.”

After Xi Li agreed, she hesitated, as if she wanted to ask something.

“If you want to ask, then ask. No need to be restrained.”

“This disciple wishes to ask: why was I chosen? Before me, weren’t there two seniors?”

“Li Ming has gone into seclusion. You should know that.”

That was right.

Li Ming had already begun seclusion, preparing to step into the Integration realm (He Dao).

“Isn’t there also Senior Chen Yan?”

Chen Yan from the Third Heaven—when he ascended to the Tai Xuan Realm, he happened to run into Xuan Yue forcing his way into the Central Continent from the Starfront Battlefield.

He hadn’t gone into seclusion, but...

“He’s a body cultivator, and he joined the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Holding Sect,” Xu Xing said tactfully.

With that, Xi Li immediately understood.

“This disciple understands.”

“Good that you understand.”

It wasn’t only because Chen Yan was a body cultivator and had joined the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Holding Sect.

The main reason was that, after being influenced by the body-cultivator environment of the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Holding Sect these past few years, Chen Yan’s “mental attack” cultivation was still at a beginner stage—he couldn’t control it freely.

If he blurted out some “body cultivator refined phrasing” at the wrong time...

It would be bad not only for the image of Ascendants, but also for the reputation of the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Holding Sect.

Though, to be fair, body cultivators of the Dragon Elephant Heaven-Holding Sect never really had “reputation” in that regard anyway...

Ahem.

On the other hand, the Daoist Xuanling who had arrived later from the Realm of Peace was still running around everywhere. It didn’t look like he intended to join an Immortal Sect, and after being told about this matter, he also politely declined.

As for the three Ascendants from these five years...

They were still traveling around the Central Continent, familiarizing themselves with the world—making them even less suitable.

All in all, Xi Li was the best choice.

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