345: Chapter 340 Ascension to the Divine Temple

The halo in the Void Realm had not yet fully dissipated, and residual Spell dust refracted a faint fluorescence on the cold metal bulkhead. The atmosphere in the main control room, due to the disintegration of that communication talisman, fell into a strange stagnation.

Those red light particles seemed to have a life of their own, slowly floating and settling in the air, eventually turning into nothingness.

This dull sense of oppression made one's breathing subconsciously slow down.

Su Lin leaned against the carved chair back, his slender fingers rhythmically tapping the wooden armrest.

The crisp tapping sound echoed back and forth in the silent cabin. He felt this matter was absurd to the extreme.

How could these Immortals, who prided themselves on being high-dimensional beings, have the same logic in doing things as those third-rate Sects in the Lower Realm?

If they can't win, they set up a Hongmen Banquet; this trick of inviting people to dinner has long been played out in the palace dramas of the Lower Realm. Could it be that after ascending to the Upper Realm, their intelligence level has degenerated along with the Spiritual Qi? This lacks any technical content.

Su Hongling slammed her great sword onto the floor. The heavy metal impact made the floor tremble slightly.

"I say, Old Man, you aren't actually planning to go eat this roast duck, are you?"

She complained in a rough voice, her red hair appearing exceptionally flamboyant under the light of the Spiritual Qi lamp, like a fireball ready to explode at any moment. "These guys clearly have ill intentions; why should we climb up the pole they've set for us?"

"Since they've sent an invitation, if we don't go, wouldn't it make us seem uncultured?" Chu Weiwei covered her mouth and chuckled, her pure Face full of a cunning desire to see the world in Chaos.

A morbid purple light flickered in her eyes, and her fingers restlessly fiddled with several poison bottles in her sleeves. "Besides, there must be many rare Materials at the Heavenly Court's banquet. If I could add some of my newly developed Soft Bone-Melting Powder to their wine, watching those high-and-mighty Immortals turn into puddles of pus one by one—that scene would surely be intoxicatingly beautiful."

This girl really only has poisoning on her mind. Su Lin sighed silently in his heart.

He felt like a kindergarten principal leading a group of dangerous individuals; if he wasn't careful, these little ancestors could poke a hole in the sky.

Fortunately, they have all entered the Golden Immortal Realm. This confidence, enough to overturn the Taihuang Immortal Domain, made him have fewer concerns when facing this so-called Hongmen Banquet.

"We definitely have to go." Luo Ximei waved her folding fan, her white-gold heterochromatic eyes revealing cold calculation. "Since they dare to invite us, it means they have already set up a killing trap. If we avoid the battle, we will fall into a passive position. It's better to enter the trap proactively and see what kind of waves they can stir up."

Cold Moon sat upright on the soft couch, her purple-gold Phoenix robe outlining her majestic curves. She nodded slightly, expressing her agreement with Luo Ximei.

"In my view, this Ascension Ceremony is nothing but a facade; the Heavenly Court's true purpose is to gather all uncontrollable variables together and wipe them out in one fell swoop. We just happened to run into the line of fire."

Gu Qiuyue stopped fiddling with her abacus and looked up at Su Lin. "Revered Master, this account is hard to calculate; the returns are unknown, the risks are capped. If we really start fighting, I'm afraid our ship won't be able to hold that much loot."

Listen to that; what kind of ferocious words are these? Su Lin rubbed his temples.

These disciples are all more warlike than the last, and more greedy than the last. The Heavenly Court's banquet, in their mouths, has become a buffet restaurant for restocking supplies.

"Return to Tianhai City first." Su Lin set the tone, his tone calm but carrying the composure of a superior. "That will be enough for us to make many preparations. Yan Rusi has been managing things there for so long; it's time to check on her. No matter what tricks the Heavenly Court is playing, we must re-establish our own intelligence network."

The void-piercing shuttle changed course, its tail spewing a deep blue energy flame, violently tearing through the thick clouds ahead.

In the dark purple sea of stars, occasionally huge meteorite debris grazed the ship's protective shield, stirring up ripples of pale gold.

Abandoned star fragments rotated slowly under the influence of gravity.

Those fragments might have once nurtured a prosperous cultivation civilization, but now only cold rocks and dead silence remained. This extreme sense of desolation is a unique landscape of the Taihuang Immortal Domain.

The temperature in the cabin was adjusted to be very pleasant by the Formation. Chu Weiwei had approached Su Lin's side at some point, her soft body pressing tightly against his arm.

She emitted a body scent similar to grass after rain mixed with some kind of sweet, cloying pollen.

"Revered Master, that Yan Rusi is not a simple character. She was good at scheming back in the Hehuan Sect. You handed Tianhai City to her to manage; aren't you afraid she'll line her own pockets and empty out all the good things in the city?"

Chu Weiwei's words were laced with strong jealousy; she simply couldn't stand other women showing their Faces in front of Revered Master.

"If you employ someone, do not doubt them." Su Lin closed his eyes to rest, unmoved. "She is a smart person; she knows the price of betraying me."

He actually didn't care if Yan Rusi was embezzling. As long as the city was still operating normally, and as long as the intelligence network was established, a slight loss of resources was completely within an acceptable range.

Moreover, his current Inner World was nurturing the world tree; those ordinary Immortal Stones and Spiritual Plants in the outside world had already lost their appeal to him.

"Tch, vixen." Chu Weiwei muttered softly, her fingers drawing circles on Su Lin's sleeve.

"Third sister, give it a rest. Your little schemes are written all over your Face." Su Hongling leaned carelessly against the bulkhead, one leg bent, with no regard for her image.

"What do you know? I'm guarding for Revered Master, so he doesn't get dazzled by those wild flowers outside." Chu Weiwei retorted.

Su Lin chose to block out the quarrel between these two troublemakers. His mind sank into his Qi Sea, examining the lush world tree.

The trunk swirled with the color of Chaos, and every leaf carried an insight into a Dao. This grounded sense of power gave him more confidence in the Face of the upcoming Heavenly Court feast.

Whatever schemes and plots you have, in the Face of absolute strength, they are all just vulnerable rabble.

Several days later, the silhouette of Tianhai City appeared at the end of the horizon.

This magnificent giant city was still shrouded in a layer of dark blue defensive light shield.

Unlike when they left, the energy fluctuations of that light shield appeared more stable and gentle. The original Formation aura, full of oppression and the smell of blood, had completely vanished.

The scene outside the city gate had also undergone huge changes.

Those ragged, ashen-faced semi-Immortals were gone. Now there were neatly dressed, hurried Cultivators.

They lined up in an orderly fashion at the city gate to be inspected, and occasionally one could hear some noisy bargaining.

"This Yan Rusi does have some methods." Cold Moon looked at the scene below and gave a fair evaluation. "To be able to reshape the order of a main city in such a short time, this woman's management skills are indeed exceptional."

The void-piercing shuttle did not stop at the city gate but directly ignored the no-fly Formation and landed on the helipad of the City Lord's Mansion.

As soon as it landed, the cabin door opened. Yan Rusi came up to meet them with a group of high-level officials from the City Lord's Mansion.

She was wearing a well-tailored dark purple brocade robe today, her long hair coiled high, lacking some of the softness of the Hehuan Sect, and gaining a sense of decisive competence.

Her cultivation had surprisingly reached the Earth Immortal Middle Stage. It seemed that in these past six months, she had not spared any effort in using the resources of the City Lord's Mansion to improve herself.

"Welcome, Revered Master, for coming out of seclusion." Yan Rusi knelt on one knee, her posture impeccable.

The high-level officials behind her also knelt down in unison, their expressions extremely respectful. Su Lin walked down the gangway, his gaze lingering on Yan Rusi for a moment.

"Get up. You have done well."

This simple affirmation allowed Yan Rusi's hanging heart to finally settle.

She knew how terrifying the methods of the Revered Master in front of her were.

Chu Weiwei poked her head out from behind Su Lin, her purple eyes looking up and down at Yan Rusi.

"Sister Rusi, your cultivation has grown really fast. It seems the City Lord's Mansion's treasury has become your private training room."

Yan Rusi's heart skipped a beat; she knew all too well how difficult this Medicine Immortal was.

"Miss Weiwei is joking. That Rusi has reached this point today is all thanks to Revered Master's cultivation. Every blade of grass and tree in the City Lord's Mansion is detailed in the records, and I dare not overstep in the slightest."

"These are the recent income and expenditure accounts of Tianhai City; please take a look."

Su Lin gave this to Gu Qiuyue.

Gu Qiuyue unceremoniously took the Jade Slip, her golden eyes flashing with professional light. She loved doing this kind of auditing work the most.

"Revered Master, let's go inside to talk. It's windy out here; don't let it mess up your hair." Chu Weiwei suggested coquettishly, naturally taking the position on Su Lin's right.

The council hall of the City Lord's Mansion had been renovated.

The original vulgar decorations full of nouveau riche vibes had been completely removed and replaced with elegant agarwood furniture and a few ink-wash Formation diagrams with profound Concepts.

High-quality calming incense was burning in the air, with smoke rising in swirls. Su Lin sat high on the main seat, his fingers rubbing the armrest.

"Speak, what movements have there been outside recently?" Yan Rusi stood below the hall, her expression becoming stern.

"Revered Master, the Taihuang Immortal Domain has recently undergone earth-shaking changes. The Heavenly Court has issued a decree to the world, widely inviting all newly ascended Golden Immortals to go to the Ascension Temple to participate in the Ascension Ceremony."

"We already know about this." Su Lin interrupted her. "Besides this, what else is unusual?"

"There is." Yan Rusi lowered her voice.

"According to reports from our secret agents in other major domains, the Heavenly Court's direct elite guard is gathering on a large scale. They have blocked all Void Realm shipping lanes leading to the Ascension Temple and set up heavy checkpoints. Any Cultivator attempting to approach will be subjected to extremely strict interrogation."

Sure enough, they had laid a net waiting for them to jump in.

Su Lin sneered in his heart; the methods of these Immortals were truly crude. It was just like putting up a sign next to a trap, with a note saying, 'There is a pit here, please enter.'

"They are trying to shut the door and beat the dog."

Su Hongling slapped the table, and the solid wood table let out a painful groan. "Old Man, are we just going to go there so brazenly? Wouldn't that be giving them too much Face?"

"When attending a banquet, one should naturally dress decently." Su Lin's tone was calm. "If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get the tiger's cub? Since they have gone to such great lengths to set up the stage, if we don't go to show some support, wouldn't we be wasting their good intentions?"

Gu Qiuyue looked up from the account book, her golden eyes full of calculation.

"Revered Master, I have checked the inventory of Tianhai City. Yan Rusi has indeed not embezzled; on the contrary, she has used trade means to triple the resources in the city. We are now rich and powerful; do you want me to hire a group of Void Realm wanderers to provide cover for us in the dark?"

"No need." Su Lin directly rejected this proposal. "Those mercenaries are vulnerable in front of real Immortals; going there is just suicide. In this level of competition, numbers have no meaning." He stood up and walked to the center of the hall.

His deep gaze swept over every disciple present. They had all entered the Golden Immortal Realm now, and each possessed the terrifying strength to stand alone.

"This trip to the Ascension Temple is not for a brawl." Su Lin's voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"We need to figure out the truth about the Heavenly Court, find the mastermind controlling the entire Taihuang Immortal Domain, and before we figure out their trump cards, no one is allowed to act rashly."

Chu Weiwei nodded obediently, but her eyes revealed a bit of dangerous excitement. "Don't worry, Revered Master, Weiwei will definitely be obedient. But if anyone dares to be disrespectful to Revered Master, Weiwei can't guarantee he will still be breathing, oh."

Su Lin sat back in his chair.

The combat power of these disciples was enough, but their ability to cause trouble was also top-tier.

He was now like someone attending a banquet while carrying a few nuclear bombs that could explode at any moment.

Those old antiques in the Heavenly Court probably still thought they could manipulate them as easily as harvesting ordinary ascenders.

These Immortals who had stayed in a comfortable environment for too long had no idea that they were about to Face a group of unreasonable lunatics.

He suddenly felt a bit expectant. Watching those high-and-mighty guys fall from their altars—this kind of drama should be very exciting.

He picked up the Spiritual Tea beside him and took a sip. The tea was warm and moist, with a sweet aftertaste.

Yan Rusi's arrangements for daily life were indeed impeccable. Keeping this woman was a wise decision.

At least he didn't have to drink that refreshing soup with unknown ingredients from Chu Weiwei anymore.

In the following few months, Tianhai City was calm on the surface, but in secret, it was operating frantically.

Gu Qiuyue had completely moved the business philosophy of the Jiuzhou Chamber of Commerce here, purchasing a large amount of top-quality Materials on the market.

Luo Ximei and Mu Qingxue stayed behind closed doors, silently stabilizing their own Realms.

Su Hongling spent every day in the wilderness outside the city finding high-level Yao Beasts to practice with, causing the ferocious beasts for hundreds of miles around to be on the verge of extinction.

The three-month deadline arrived in a flash.

On this day, the sky over Tianhai City was covered with dark clouds.

The strong wind stirred up the dust on the ground, raging in the air.

The void-piercing shuttle sat quietly on the plaza, the surface of the ship repainted with a dark gray stealth coating, looking more low-key and restrained.

Su Lin led his seven disciples onto the warship.

Yan Rusi led a group of subordinates to see them off below. "Guard this place well. If there are any changes, act according to the brocade bag I left behind."

Su Lin left this instruction and turned to enter the main control room. The cabin door closed slowly, isolating the noise of the outside world.