353: The Holy Lord summoned me to treat my wounds.

Xiao Zhuo's brows slightly raised, vaguely guessing something.

He looked up and said with a smile, "Since it is Saintly Venerable's invitation, I naturally obey. Please lead the way, Daoist Friend Nie!"

As soon as his voice fell, he gave The Two Little Ones a reassuring look, then flew with Nie Qianji to the floating cloud platform above.

At this moment, nearly half of the Immortal Sect powerhouses on the cloud platform were gone; many Sects had been completely wiped out and had left early.

There were also some who, even after being completely wiped out, still stayed in the Holy Land with their Disciples to watch the battle.

The Sect Master, Saintly Venerable Hao Yun, only watched the competition on the first day, and did not even come on the day the top ten were decided.

Today was the day of the finals, and he had come personally.

Accompanying him were a Beautiful Woman in a golden brocade dress and a short, long-browed old man.

Saintly Venerable Hao Yun sat in the main seat of the cloud platform, with these two individuals seated to his left and right.

Below them were the other Saint Land Elders and various Immortal Sect Elders watching the battle.

Seeing Nie Qianji bring Xiao Zhuo up, all the powerhouses cast their gazes over.

However, no one used their Divine Sense to probe.

"Saintly Venerable! Daoist Friend Wang is here!"

"Loose Cultivator Wang Xuan! Greetings to Saintly Venerable Hao Yun! Greetings to the two Seniors!" Xiao Zhuo knew the name of the Penglai Holy Land Sect Master, but when he came up, he had already seen that the two people below him were also Quasi-Saints, so he bowed to them all together.

"Haha! Little Friend, there's no need to be so polite. This time, both your nephew and niece have made it into the top ten of the competition, which is truly extraordinary. It must be due to your excellent nurturing. Daoist Friend Nie said that Little Friend is a Loose Cultivator? Are you interested in joining my Penglai Holy Land as a Guest Elder?" Saintly Venerable Hao Yun smiled when he saw Xiao Zhuo, his attitude very amiable.

Saintly Venerable Hao Yun's words immediately caused a stir among the Immortal Sect people below, wondering who Xiao Zhuo was that the Holy Land's Lord would personally recruit him.

"Is this the one Elder Nie spoke of?" The old man to Saintly Venerable Hao Yun's left also glanced at Xiao Zhuo indifferently, "Truly extraordinary, he even makes this old man unable to see through him!"

"Brother Yu! Fellow Daoist Xiao's Great Dao of Life is not far from Perfection!" The Beautiful Woman in the brocade dress smiled and nodded to Xiao Zhuo, while also speaking to the old man.

Xiao Zhuo, however, had clear eyes, and merely cupped his fists and smiled at the words of the three great figures: "Thank you for Saintly Venerable's high regard, but This Wang is accustomed to being free and dislikes restraint. Please forgive me!"

"Hmm! Everyone has their own aspirations! This Saintly Venerable will certainly not force you!" Saintly Venerable Hao Yun was not surprised, but instead changed the topic: "However, I invited you here this time to discuss something. Please do not take offense, Little Friend Wang!"

"Please instruct me, Saintly Venerable!"

"Several Elders of my Penglai Holy Land suffered injuries many years ago, and their chronic illnesses are difficult to remove. According to Elder Nie, Little Friend Wang is highly skilled in the Great Dao of Life. I wonder if you could diagnose and treat a few of my Penglai Elders?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhuo's mind raced. So it was as he expected!

He had long guessed that the Penglai Holy Land Sect Master seeking him was very likely for this matter, as he had previously displayed profound mastery of the Great Dao of Life.

There were very few powerhouses in the Immortal-Demon Realm who Cultivated the Great Dao of Life.

Even fewer could reach the level of mastery.

The Great Dao of Life he wielded with the Dao Principle of Freedom could reach 50% of the level of perfect mastery. To outsiders, it already appeared almost identical to perfectly mastering the Great Dao.

Even Quasi-Saints would find it difficult to see through his true capabilities without personally testing him.

The Great Dao of Life controls vitality and is indeed the Great Dao with the strongest healing capabilities.

Even Dao injuries can be healed.

It was within expectations that Penglai would have a request.

Xiao Zhuo hesitated for only a moment before speaking: "Since Saintly Venerable has spoken, there is nothing I cannot do!"

"Haha! Good! Little Friend, rest assured, my Penglai will not shortchange you a single cent of the due consultation fee!"

"Then I thank Saintly Venerable!"

As the two parties reached an agreement, the other Sect Elders below felt their hearts stir.

Which Sect didn't have a few powerhouses with old injuries? They hadn't expected to encounter a master who controlled the Great Dao of Life by attending an Immortal Realm Grand Competition.

Immediately, they exchanged glances and, by common consent, found excuses to leave.

Needless to say, they were all going to contact their respective Sects.

The people of the Holy Land paid no mind.

Saintly Venerable Hao Yun nodded with a smile and gestured with an open hand: "Since that is the case, Little Friend Wang, please take a seat and watch the battle with us, how about it? These little ones are all future pillars of my Immortal Realm."

"Saintly Venerable's invitation is a great honor for this Junior." Xiao Zhuo calmly accepted, and, guided by Nie Qianji, took a seat on the floating cloud platform in a position close to the Penglai high-ranking officials.

Although his seat was not the most central, it offered an excellent view, sufficient to overlook the four fiercely contending arenas.

Nie Qianji, as the introducer, naturally sat beside Xiao Zhuo, his attitude respectful with a hint of familiarity.

In the arena, the battle had entered a fever pitch.

Qiao Zimo's opponent was a Sword Cultivator who had also comprehended the embryonic form of his own Dao Principle; Sword Qi crisscrossed, tearing through the sky.

However, Qiao Zimo's figure was like a ghost, and with every movement, purple-black Devilish Qi intertwined with a grand, divine radiance, forming an indestructible barrier around his Physical Body. He actually met the sharp Sword Qi head-on with his Physical Body, and the recoil force even caused the Sword Cultivator's tiger's mouth to crack.

"What a domineering Physique!" Xiao Zhuo's purple eyes narrowed slightly, watching Qiao Zimo's unique aura of divine-demonic fusion, and he lightly tapped his knuckles on the jade table.

Nie Qianji, at the opportune moment, introduced in a low voice: "Daoist Friend Wang, that purple-haired youth is a Disciple of the Ancient Refining Sect, named Qiao Zimo."

"Ancient Refining Sect?" Xiao Zhuo had some impression of this name; it was an Immortal Sect of Body Cultivators with an extremely long Legacy in the Immortal Realm, renowned for tempering the Physical Body and smelting all things.

"Precisely." Nie Qianji nodded, his tone carrying a hint of emotion, "This child can be called the most astonishing Genius of the Ancient Refining Sect in nearly ten thousand years. It is said that two hundred years ago, he was personally found by the Ancient Refining Sect Sect Master from a certain barbaric Star Domain outside the Immortal-Demon Realm."

"When he was brought back, his Foundation was shallow, but he displayed unimaginable Body Cultivator talent and a peculiar... hmm, a characteristic of being both divine and demonic? In just two hundred years, he rose from obscurity to Mahayana Peak, and with the blessing of the Ancient Refining Sect's secret techniques, he stimulated his Physique to an unprecedented Realm, subtly touching upon the true meaning of ancient gods and demons. His future is limitless."

Xiao Zhuo understood upon hearing this.

So, he was discovered by the Ancient Refining Sect Sect Master and brought back to the Sect for dedicated cultivation.

This explained the reason for his rapid progress after disappearing for three hundred years.

An ancient Sect specializing in Body Cultivation, its resources and secret techniques were indeed enough to make a raw jade shine with astonishing brilliance.

"Indeed extraordinary." Xiao Zhuo commented indifferently, his gaze sweeping past Qiao Zimo, no longer paying much attention.

Their fate (fated connection) had ended; his current fortuitous encounter was also his own creation.

Time passed in the fierce battles, and the four quarter-final matches of the morning finally concluded.

Qiao Zimo, relying on his incomparably powerful divine-demonic Physical Body and his unparalleled domineering offensive Body Cultivation techniques, successfully defeated his opponent and proudly advanced to the semi-finals!

During the midday truce, Nie Qianji respectfully stood up: "Daoist Friend Wang, the Saintly Venerable has instructed that I lead you to diagnose and treat several Elders during the midday break. What do you think..."

"Alright." Xiao Zhuo stood up, beckoned Wang Xianzhi and his/her siblings to the cloud platform, and nodded slightly, "You two go back on your own. I'll be back shortly after going with Elder Nie."

"Uncle, rest assured." The Two Little Ones quickly responded.

Xiao Zhuo followed Nie Qianji away from the bustling square, flying towards a mountain range deep within the Holy Land, where the Spiritual Qi was even more concentrated and Restrictions were strict.

They landed in front of a cluster of quiet Immortal Caves, shrouded in mist and towering ancient trees.

Nie Qianji led Xiao Zhuo into one of the Immortal Caves.

Inside the Immortal Cave, three Elders with auras that were either as solid as a mountain, as ethereal as clouds, or as sharp as a sword, were already waiting quietly.

They were all entangled, to varying degrees, with an indelible trace of chronic Dao rhyme, and although their expressions were calm, deep in their eyes, anticipation and a hint of apprehension were hard to conceal.

Clearly, the news Nie Qianji had brought back had given them hope of completely getting rid of their old ailments.

The first was a green-robed old man with green hair and beard, whose body exuded a strong wood Qi but with a hint of decay. There were subtle cracks deep in his Dao Foundation, left from a failed attempt to forcefully break through to a higher Realm years ago, suffering a backlash from the violent Great Dao.

The second was a pale-faced old woman with a cold aura. A highly stubborn Yin-Sha Bone-Corroding force was entrenched within her body, deeply penetrating her bones and Primordial Spirit. She was likely afflicted by some extremely malicious curse or potent poison.

The third was a hunched old man with eyes as sharp as an eagle's. His Divine Soul was incomplete, seemingly injured by a powerful Divine Soul attack secret treasure, and its Origin had not fully healed to this day, leading to stagnation in his Cultivation and occasional bouts of severe Divine Soul pain.

All three were Grand Luo magnates. Upon seeing Xiao Zhuo enter, their gazes instantly focused on him, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.

Nie Qianji quickly introduced: "Three Elders, this is Daoist Friend Wang Xuan."

Xiao Zhuo's expression was calm; his gaze swept over the three, and he already understood the root cause of each of their injuries.

He nodded slightly: "Three Fellow Daoists, who would like to go first?"

The green-robed old man took a deep breath and stepped forward: "I trouble you, Daoist Friend Wang. This old man will go first."

His eyes held a resolute look; he had clearly suffered from the cracks in his Dao Foundation for too long.

Xiao Zhuo said no more, gesturing for the other party to sit down.

He extended his index finger, and a pure, emerald green light, containing the initial vitality of all things, lit up at its tip. The plants and trees within the entire Immortal Cave instantly burst forth with unprecedented vigor.

"Concentrate, and do not resist." Xiao Zhuo's voice seemed to carry the profound sound of the Great Dao; his fingertip gently touched the old man's glabella.

Buzz—!

The vast and boundless Origin of the Great Dao of Life, like the gentlest stream yet also like the most domineering torrent, instantly surged into the old man's body, flowing with extreme precision towards the cracks deep within his Dao Foundation!

"Uh!" The green-robed old man's body trembled violently, his face instantly filled with unbelievable ecstasy and extreme shock.

He could clearly feel that the Dao injury that had plagued and tormented him for thousands of years, under the washing of that pure life Origin, was rapidly melting and mending, like residual snow meeting a scorching sun!

The newly formed part of the Dao Foundation was even more resilient than before, subtly exuding the vitality of the Great Dao!

"This... this..." The old man was too excited to speak, looking at Xiao Zhuo with reverence, as if gazing upon a miracle.

Nie Qianji watched from the side, his mind swaying. Even though he had witnessed it once before, seeing the mighty power of the Great Dao of Life, which almost reversed life and death, again, he still felt his Soul trembling.

Xiao Zhuo's expression remained unchanged, green light flowing at his fingertips, as he focused on repairing the cracks in the Dao Foundation.

Inside the Immortal Cave, only the faint hum of the flowing life Origin remained, along with the increasingly rapid breathing of the other two Elders.

PS: To all my godfathers, Old Yuan will further increase his efforts starting tomorrow to hit the million-word mark for the book test. There will be five updates daily, with the update schedule changed to three updates at midnight and two updates at noon (12 PM). This means that three updates will be released tonight at midnight. The book is expected to reach one million words on the ninth, and the burst updates will end! This burst of updates is also to thank all my godfathers for their continuous support! No more rambling, Old Yuan is going back to writing!