11: Chapter 11 The Nine Revolutions of Nirvana Sutra

Upon hearing this, Luo Qingli immediately returned the salute respectfully.

Her eyes, like cold pools, clearly reflected the figure of Chu Changsheng at this moment.

"Grand Elder Chu."

She spoke, her clear, resonant voice still carrying its customary frosty chill, yet it was suddenly imbued with a solemn, almost declarative weight—

"Three days from now is the Xuantian Sect's decennial Disciple Recruitment Ceremony. My Revered Master, the Sect Master... specially ordered this Disciple to come and respectfully invite Grand Elder Chu to grace us with your presence and preside over the event."

Every word was enunciated clearly and slowly, carrying a heart-trembling sense of ceremony.

"Disciple Recruitment Ceremony..."

Chu Changsheng's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Boom— In an instant, countless images and pieces of information unfolded deep within his mind: the bustling Sect plaza, the cloud-shrouded Testing Platform, and countless young, ambitious faces from the Great Xia Dynasty and even more distant regions, their eyes burning with a thirst for the Immortal Dao and the fervent desire to change their fates.

The Revered Masters of each peak and the Sect Elders sat on high platforms, their Divine Thought spreading like a net to sift through the vast sea of people, searching for those minuscule flickers of spiritual light and Karma.

This was the Xuantian Sect's tradition spanning ten thousand years, a grand event for the Sect to absorb fresh blood and maintain the prosperity of its Daoist lineage, as well as a stage for various forces to observe and compete in secret.

Every ceremony concerned the rise and fall of the Sect's Luck for the next few decades.

Now that he was the Sect's Grand Elder, his status was transcendent, far beyond what it had been in the past.

More importantly—having just successfully fused the two top-tier Dao Rhymes of Kunpeng and Taiji, his strength had leaped into a whole new Realm.

He needed an opportunity to both solidify his intangible influence within the Sect and take this chance to personally assess the quality of the younger generation in this world.

Once every ten years, gathering the talents of the Dynasty... Perhaps, he could really find a seedling within the crowd possessing the potential of an Immortal Emperor, or even more incredible Aptitude?

His thoughts raced, all in the blink of an eye.

Chu Changsheng's face remained calm, and he only nodded slightly. His voice was steady and firm, carrying a reassuring sense of weight: "Since the Sect Master has invited me, and it concerns the important matter of the Sect's Legacy, I shall naturally attend."

Seeing him agree, the faint flicker deep in Luo Qingli's cold eyes finally subsided, replaced by a deeper, almost unreadable expression—a look dominated entirely by reverence.

She bowed again, her waist bending slightly lower than before: "In that case, on behalf of my Revered Master, Qingli thanks Grand Elder Chu. With you presiding, this ceremony will surely proceed smoothly and without incident, allowing our Xuantian Sect to select truly outstanding talents."

Her words remained concise, but the heartfelt reverence needed no further embellishment.

"If there is nothing else, this Disciple will take her leave."

She said no more, turned around, and her white robes brushed against the slightly damp rock surface and thin mist of the peak. Her movements were fluid and natural, yet carried the solitary and aloof air peculiar to a Sword Cultivator, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished into the depths of the winding mist along the path down the mountain.

Chu Changsheng stood quietly in place, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the clouds and mist, resting on the direction she had left.

It was not until this cold, snow-like aura completely vanished from the edge of his perception that his heart suddenly stirred.

"System."

He asked silently in his mind, carrying a hint of imperceptible eagerness and desire for exploration— "Scan the surroundings of Changsheng Peak right now. Are there any special Luck reactions? Especially... targets that match Golden Aptitude."

"Ding! Command confirmed. Commencing scan for Luck fluctuations and special destinies within a radius of ten thousand miles..."

The moment the System's prompt tone faded, deep within Chu Changsheng's Sea of Consciousness, the semi-transparent screen visible only to him suddenly lit up.

Amidst the soft and mysterious light, text appeared like flowing water, every character seeming to contain heavy information capable of overturning the world—

Ding— High-intensity Luck reaction detected! Target locked.

Name: Jian Tanghuang

Bone Age: Eighteen

Core Cultivation Technique: "Nine Turns Nirvana Sutra" (Divine-Grade Incomplete Manual · Extremely Incomplete)

Manifested Divine Ability: Phoenix True Fire, Phoenix Sky-Roaring Strike, Divine Phoenix Pressure...

Identity: Southern Domain · Shenwu Dynasty First-in-line Eldest Princess

Origin Talent: Undying Divine Phoenix Body (Divine Grade)

Current Cultivation: Core Formation Stage Middle Stage

Hidden Background: Immortal Realm · Ancient Phoenix Clan—Reincarnation of the True Spirit of the Divine Phoenix Immortal Emperor.

Hiss— Chu Changsheng's gaze, as if pulled by the toughest thread, was nailed firmly to the last few lines on the screen.

Especially the words "Immortal Realm" and "Reincarnation of the Divine Phoenix Immortal Emperor," which were like silent bolts of Chaos Divine Thunder, exploding in his calm heart and stirring up monstrous waves!

The Immortal Realm? A reincarnated Immortal Emperor? It turned out that this world... was far more vast, ancient, and terrifying than he currently knew!

"System." His voice sounded in his mind, carrying unprecedented gravity and a trace of suppressed tremor— "Does this world... really have an Immortal Realm?"

"Ding." The System's response remained calm and waveless, yet seemed to have an indescribable depth: "Host, this universe, the Myriad Heavens and Worlds, is layered like a pagoda. Where you are currently is merely one of the basic Lower Realms."

"Above it, there are indeed worlds of higher dimensions—the Immortal Realm is among them, and the Divine Realm... is even above that."

It paused, its tone unexpectedly carrying a hint of almost human-like teasing and warning: "However, the System strongly suggests that at your current stage, Host, you should ask less and ponder less. Knowing too much is not necessarily a blessing, and it may easily invite unpredictable attention and Karma."

"Immortal Realm... Divine Realm..." Chu Changsheng repeated in a low voice, the shock in his eyes slowly settling, replaced by a burning ambition and desire for exploration that seemed capable of igniting the Void.

He looked up at the sky with his hands behind his back, his green robes flapping in the increasingly fierce mountain wind, and a trace of the newly fused, profound, and unfathomable Dao Rhyme began to circulate around him unconsciously.

"So that's how it is... It seems I still have a long way to go on this path of mine!"

"Ding! A reminder to the Host—" The System supplemented at the right time, its tone returning to its usual calmness: "Current cultivation: Mahayana Stage. You may be revered in this Realm, but you are merely dust in the Immortal Realm."

"It is suggested that the Host keep your feet on the ground, cultivate deeply in this Realm, solidify your supreme Dao Foundation, and then plan for the future."

"Aiming too high leads to a clouded Dao Heart and a shaky Foundation."

Upon hearing this, the corners of Chu Changsheng's mouth curled into a smile—a smile containing the clarity of seeing through delusions and absolute self-confidence.

"System, you've finally said something sensible."

His tone shifted, his eyes narrowed, and the light flashing within them looked exactly like a seasoned hunter who had discovered a peerless Treasure Trove, weighing the gains and risks: "However... this reincarnated Divine Phoenix Immortal Emperor in front of me doesn't sound like someone who can be easily taken as a Disciple, right? Isn't this recruitment difficulty a bit too off the charts?"

"..." The System seemed to fall silent for a tenth of a second.

"Ding! Host, please state your request directly." The System's electronic voice seemed to carry a faint, helpless fluctuation.

"My request? Doesn't that depend on you, the 'omnipotent' System?" Chu Changsheng smiled even more gently, like a shrewd merchant bargaining.

System: "..."

After a moment of silence, a barely audible, sigh-like static noise swept across Chu Changsheng's Sea of Consciousness.

"Ding! Re-evaluating mission difficulty... Generating special incentive plan."

"If the Host successfully takes Jian Tanghuang (reincarnated Divine Phoenix Immortal Emperor) as a Disciple, you can obtain the following rewards—"

Before the voice finished, four reward messages appeared on the screen simultaneously, each line of text radiating heart-palpitating spiritual light:

1. Top-Grade Spirit Stone x 100 million—each one contains Spiritual Qi comparable to a small Spiritual Vein, enough to support a Holy Land-level Sect for a hundred years of consumption.

2. Eighth-Grade Marrow-Cleansing Creation Pill x 10,000—cleanses the marrow, elevates the Foundation, significantly increases the potential limit, and also has miraculous effects for high-level Cultivators.

3. One of the Ten Ancient Fiends Treasure Techniques—True Phoenix Treasure Technique (Complete Legacy)—contains the supreme mysteries of the Phoenix Clan regarding Nirvana, fire control, extreme speed, and combat, with world-shaking power and infinite potential.

4. "Nine Turns Nirvana Sutra" Complete Divine Scripture—the supreme core Legacy of the Ancient Phoenix Clan that leads directly to the Immortal Emperor Realm, containing the ultimate mysteries of Nirvana Rebirth and the Undying Divine Soul.

Behind each reward, there was a brief but heart-stopping description.

Chu Changsheng's gaze swept over them, and a look of genuine satisfaction finally flashed in his eyes.

This was more like it. This was worthy of the weight of the four words "Immortal Emperor Reincarnation."

"Hmm, not bad, this is worthy of the prestige of your 'Strongest Disciple Recruitment System of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds'."

He nodded slightly, and then, his eyes suddenly narrowed. He "stared" at the invisible System in his Sea of Consciousness with a half-smile: "However, System, I suddenly remembered one thing... did you... secretly withhold my Newbie Gift Package?"

The System screen flickered instantly, and its voice immediately carried strong "interference": "Ding! Unknown rule interference detected... Zzz... Signal connection unstable... Suggest Host... Zzz... focus on the current mission..."

"Boring little trick." Chu Changsheng chuckled and shook his head, too lazy to bicker with this System that was playing dead.

The leisurely smile on his face slowly faded, and his gaze turned to the other side of Changsheng Peak—the area shrouded in dense Spiritual mist and faint spatial fluctuations.

There, Xuanyuan Zhanxian was immersed in deep Dao enlightenment.

Chu Changsheng moved silently, as if merging with the mountain wind and flowing clouds; with one step, he was already quietly standing near Xuanyuan Zhanxian.

At this moment, the aura around Xuanyuan Zhanxian was like the rising and falling of tides, surging ceaselessly.

Behind him, that huge Taiji Bagua Dao diagram rotated ever more deeply and slowly.

As the black and white Qi flowed, it seemed to be demonstrating the ultimate truth of the creation of the world and the separation of Yin and Yang.

And within this perfectly integrated Dao diagram, a divine and extraordinary shadow of a Kunpeng, existing between reality and illusion, was soaring and shuttle-flying in a posture that resonated with the rhythm of the Great Dao.

At times, it transformed into a giant Kun diving to the bottom of the Yin and Yang Dao sea—with a slight flick of its tail, it stirred the surrounding Spiritual Qi into terrifying vortexes, emitting a low roar like ancient thunder, devouring massive amounts of the world's essence.

At other times, it flapped its wings and rose, transforming into a Peng bird that tore through the firmament—the edges of its wings flowed with sharp black light that cut through space, and every flap caused the space stabilized by the Taiji Dao diagram to produce subtle cracks like ice on porcelain, revealing the newborn, overbearing, and incomparable essence of power within.

"Oh?" A flash of genuine surprise and appreciation crossed Chu Changsheng's eyes.

"To be able to initially fuse the true meaning of the Kunpeng Treasure Technique's devouring and extreme speed with the Taiji Divine Body's inclusive and transformative characteristics in such a short time, forming such a prototype of internal and external circulation, integrating offense and defense... This child's Comprehension Ability is indeed excellent."

He no longer stood by as an observer; he pressed his fingers together like a sword and drew in the air.

A formless and intangible, yet gentle Dao Rhyme containing his brand-new understanding of space permeated outward, silently constructing a tougher and more secret protective barrier around Xuanyuan Zhanxian.

This barrier not only isolated all external interference but was also vaguely connected to the Spiritual Vein of Changsheng Peak, providing him with the purest Spiritual power nourishment.

After doing all this, Chu Changsheng's figure, like a reflection in water dispersed by the wind, slowly faded away, completely merging into the vast sea of clouds and endless Dao Rhymes atop Changsheng Peak.

The peak returned to silence. Only within this barrier did Yin and Yang circulate and the Kunpeng roar in the dark—a future peerless powerhouse was quietly completing his crucial transformation.