238: Chapter 237 The Generous Envoy

Daming Imperial City, Immortal Dao Conference arena.

The arena, which had just been filled with noise and the endless dueling of Prodigies, suddenly fell silent. As an immense, ancient, and suppressing Immortal Might descended from the sky, all fighting instantly ceased, and all sounds came to an abrupt halt.

The wind stopped, the clouds stalled, and the Spiritual Qi solidified.

Millions of observing Cultivators froze in place, subconsciously holding their breath. Their hair stood on end as awe and fear, originating from the depths of their Souls, spread wildly.

"W-what is this pressure?!"

"It's too terrifying... I feel my cultivation completely suppressed, my Dantian locked, unable to channel even a thread of Spiritual Qi!"

Low, startled exclamations echoed in the dead-silent arena, and every pair of eyes was filled with extreme panic and disbelief.

Inside the palace, Yuan Chen stood tall, his plain robes fluttering in the wind.

He could clearly sense the barriers of the world being forcefully torn apart, and a terrifying power, completely transcending the cultivation system of the Lower Realm, was approaching Daming Imperial City at high speed.

Yuan Chen turned his head, his tone calm and composed: "A Golden Immortal from the Upper Realm descending to the Lower Realm? Tell me in detail. What does it mean for a Golden Immortal to descend? Why have I never heard of this before?"

Elder Hei Yan looked solemn:

"Throughout the ages, the top powers that have stood for millions of years and survived countless catastrophes do not rely on the might of current powerhouses, the vastness of their territory, or the number of their Disciples. Their true foundation lies in the hidden, ultimate trump card that is never used unless the clan is on the brink of extinction: their Old Ancestor!"

"Whether it is an ancient Sect, an archaic Family, or a top-tier Bloodline, any power that has lasted for tens of thousands of years has branches, ancestral lineages, and ancient predecessors rooted in the Upper Realm. When the clan in the Lower Realm faces annihilation, their Dao is about to be severed, or the entire clan faces the disaster of overthrow, they can activate ancient altars or other means to burn the clan's foundation, forcefully tearing through the barrier between the Immortal and mortal worlds to summon a Senior from the Upper Realm to protect the clan."

"However, the Great Dao of the world has a balance, a strict law that forbids the Lower Realm from overstepping the Immortal Realm!" Elder Hei Yan explained in a deep voice, his tone incredibly grave. "The barrier between the Immortal and mortal worlds is strict. The Lower Realm's plane level is low, and its carrying capacity is extremely limited; it cannot withstand the Dao Body pressure and Great Dao power of high-level Immortals. Therefore, no matter how deep the Upper Realm power's foundation is or how terrifying the expert's cultivation, the true form that descends to the Lower Realm is always capped at the Golden Immortal Realm."

"Any expert above the Golden Immortal Realm—Taiyi, Daluo, Immortal King, or even Immortal Emperor—cannot descend with their true form. If they forcefully tear the barrier, the immense Immortal power would instantly shatter the Lower Realm plane, causing the heavens to collapse and mountains to fall. The invading high-level expert would also be obliterated by the world's rules, their Divine Soul and form destroyed! This is a universal law of the heavens; no one can break it, and no power dares to defy it!"

Yuan Chen nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes: "I see. In other words, the strongest combat power that the various races of the heavens can use as a final trump card in the Lower Realm is a Golden Immortal."

A white-haired Old Ancestor from an ancient Sect, who was watching the battle from the side, stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "The Sect Master has profound insight, hitting the nail on the head. When I was young, I was fortunate enough to witness a Golden Immortal descending. It's not just the Realm cap; there are extremely strict time constraints on a Golden Immortal crossing the boundary. They cannot simply run wild after arriving."

Another old-school powerhouse from an ancient domain quickly added, his voice tinged with lingering fear: "This Junior has also read surviving ancient records and knows a little about this secret! A Golden Immortal belongs to a true Immortal rank; their Physical Body, Immortal power, and Dao rhyme all transcend the mundane. The turbid Spiritual Qi of the Lower Realm cannot nourish their Immortal body; instead, it continuously erodes their Immortal foundation. A Golden Immortal descending can stay for at most one year."

"If they do not retreat back to the Upper Realm within a year, their Immortal body will be eroded and decayed by the turbid Qi, their Dao foundation will crack, and their cultivation will plummet. At best, they will lose their Immortal rank and become mortal; at worst, they will be backlashed by the world and perish! No one is an exception!"

Another Elder well-versed in ancient secrets spoke solemnly, adding the cruel price: "Not only that, but the price of summoning a Golden Immortal is terrifying to the extreme! A single complete cross-boundary summoning is enough to drain a clan's ten-thousand-year accumulation!"

"In ordinary losses or clan disputes, no power dares to use this trump card. Only in desperate situations where the clan is on the verge of extinction or the Dao is about to be severed will the Old Ancestors reluctantly activate it!"

Yuan Chen glanced at these old men; they knew quite a lot.

A faint smile flashed in his eyes, fully understanding the balance of power: "No wonder the Lower Realm's situation remains stable. If there were no such restrictions, the various races would be summoning Golden Immortals to fight at every turn, and the Lower Realm would have been in constant war long ago."

He thought through the deep checks and balances of the heavens.

It looked like a Golden Immortal descending could crush everything in the Lower Realm, but in reality, it was shackled by layers of restrictions, preventing them from acting recklessly. The Realm cap, one-year limit, sky-high cost, and world backlash—every single one tightly bound the hands and feet of the descending Immortal.

Moreover, the deeper check lay in the entanglements of the Upper Realm's powers.

Yuan Chen's eyes deepened, realizing: If your Dragon Clan can summon a Golden Immortal from the Upper Realm, other ancient powers can do the same. If a descending Golden Immortal fought wantonly and caused a deadly feud across domains, the opposing Upper Realm faction would exert pressure. By then, the descending Golden Immortal would not only fail to protect the clan but would implicate their own Upper Realm Sect, leading to suppression and liquidation—a loss outweighing the gain.

It seems this is the fundamental reason why Golden Immortals descending have rarely slaughtered or acted recklessly since ancient times.

As for the Elders and Clan Chiefs of the other small powers, they were whispering to each other, disregarding their images.

"My god! So the cost of a Golden Immortal descending is so high! No wonder it's rarely heard of since ancient times!"

"That's because your lineage is incompetent; our Family has these records!"

"Bah, your Family started as thieves; you have no records, you probably stole ancient books from others, right?"

"Despicable, I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Yuan Chen's eyes flickered, and he remembered something else.

He asked with some curiosity: "Since all ancient powers have this trump card, isn't the Daming Imperial Dynasty known as the number one power in the Eastern Wilderness? Why don't they have one? Are they a rising star with insufficient foundation?"

Elder Hei Yan glanced at Yuan Chen and spoke leisurely: "It takes time to draw power from the Upper Realm. You destroyed the Daming Imperial Dynasty in less than two hours; there wasn't enough time to summon an ancestor. Speaking of which, the Zhao Family died miserably."

He added: "Perhaps at this very moment, the Zhao Family's Old Ancestor in the Upper Realm is jumping with anxiety, knowing the Lower Realm has been wiped out but not knowing why, as the connection was directly severed."

"Is that so!" Yuan Chen rubbed his nose: "Then you say, if I find a survivor of the Zhao Family now and ask for the summoning method, could I spend some resources to summon a Daming Senior to protect my Daming's peace?"

Everyone looked at each other, speechless. If one really came down, the first thing they would do is kill you, okay?

"Sect Master, now is not the time to consider that!" Elder Hei Yan was also speechless, his brows locked, his expression anxious as he earnestly advised, "The Dragon Clan would rather overdraw their ten-thousand-year foundation to activate the forbidden Heaven-Connecting Altar to summon a Golden Immortal; this is definitely not a small matter! This Golden Immortal's arrival is ten-to-one coming for you!"

The other Dragon Clan experts who followed were also worried.

"I don't know which Senior is descending this time. If it's another Dragon Clan faction, it might be fine, but if it's the lineage of Great Elder Ao Yin, we're in trouble!"

"That guy Great Elder Ao Yin is petty. The other side paid any price to invite a Golden Immortal to descend; they are definitely coming to hold us accountable and regain their face!"

"Sect Master, you must be cautious! A Golden Immortal is a being of a true Immortal rank; they are lives from two completely different dimensions compared to us Cultivators in the Lower Realm! Even if suppressed by the world's rules and with their strength greatly reduced, they are definitely not something ordinary experts can contend with!"

"You can't hide! A Golden Immortal's Divine Sense covers tens of thousands of miles; there is no dead angle in the entire Eastern Wilderness. No matter where you hide, you will be instantly locked on!"

"Yuan Chen, when the time comes, dampen your sharpness and retreat for now; do not clash head-on! The gap between Immortal and mortal cannot be underestimated!"

Elder Hei Yan urged with a grim face.

Arriving in the Eastern Wilderness immediately after descending, the other party clearly had no good intentions. If nothing went wrong, it really was the lineage of Great Elder Ao Yin.

Facing everyone's nervous atmosphere, Yuan Chen's expression remained calm as ever, without a single ripple.

He shook his head gently, his tone plain and composed, carrying the absolute confidence of looking down on everything: "No matter, ignore it."

Elder Hei Yan was slightly stunned, then looked at Fortune Spirit standing quietly beside Yuan Chen.

The young girl was in plain clothes, her brows gentle, standing obediently to the side, not fighting or competing, calm and peaceful. She looked soft and harmless, but no one in the entire Eastern Wilderness dared to underestimate her existence.

Everyone knew that while Fortune Spirit's combat power for killing might not be top-tier, her Physical Body foundation, Dao defense, and protective level definitely reached the Golden Immortal level.

Coupled with Yuan Chen's own unfathomable and terrifying strength that crushed everything in the Eastern Wilderness, Elder Hei Yan's tense heartstrings gradually relaxed.

He secretly thought, Yuan Chen's strength should also have reached the Golden Immortal Realm, right?

After all, Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, and Peak Heavenly Immortal are equivalent to a Twelve-Tribulation Loose Cultivator, and Yuan Chen hits Twelve-Tribulation Loose Cultivators like he's hitting a dog; his strength must not be low.

It's just unclear if it's early or Late Stage Golden Immortal.

People in the Lower Realm are usually Peak Golden Immortals. If Yuan Chen has reached the Late Stage Golden Immortal Realm, plus Fortune Spirit's support and his various endless means, he might not fall into a disadvantage.

Don't rush; see the situation first. Maybe the one descending this time belongs to my Black Dragon Clan, and then we might be able to talk.

Yuan Chen swept his gaze over the panicked Cultivators in the Imperial City and his voice spread out, soothing people's hearts.

"A mere Golden Immortal is not worth mentioning."

"Everyone continue the music, continue the martial arts!"

Meanwhile, above the sea thousands of miles away.

Golden Immortal Ao Li stood in the Void Realm of the Nine Heavens, waving his hand lightly while traveling.

Streams of light burst forth, and several supreme treasures floated in the void, shining brightly. Three long swords, entirely gilded with archaic Immortal rhyme, floated quietly. The sword bodies had natural Dao patterns flowing, and the Immortal Qi was rich and thick. Two archaic Immortal armors floated there.

In addition, several boxes of crystal-clear Upper Realm Immortal Pills floated to the side, the medicinal fragrance soaring to the sky, refreshing. Just a wisp of medicinal Qi made the surrounding Dragon Clan Cultivators' blood boil and their cultivation loosen.

"This time descending to the Lower Realm, I brought a total of five Low Grade Immortal Artifacts and dozens of boxes of Upper Realm Immortal Pills."

Golden Immortal Ao Li's tone carried a bit of arrogance and complacency, speaking lightly, his eyes filled with the superiority of an Upper Realm Cultivator: "In the Upper Realm, Immortal Artifacts are also rigid-demand core treasures. Ordinary Disciples and branch Cultivators exhaust a thousand years of hard cultivation without a chance to touch half a piece. Even I, with a thin foundation in the Upper Realm, have only accumulated these five Low Grade Immortal Artifacts after many years of hard cultivation. Today, I will bestow them upon you."

Great Elder Ao Yin's body trembled, his face full of enthusiasm, and he carefully raised his hand to take an Immortal Artifact.

Holding the Immortal armor, his confidence instantly exploded, his eyes sharp, Battle Intent soaring: "Many thanks for the generous gift, Old Ancestor! With this Immortal Artifact, Yuan Chen is nothing to fear!"

The Dragon Clan did not have many Low Grade Immortal Artifacts. This time, their father brought five at once, which was undoubtedly precious.

The surrounding Dragon Clan members echoed, morale soaring.

Everyone was immersed in the ecstasy and self-confidence of obtaining Immortal Treasures and having a Golden Immortal expert as their backer, excited and filled with Battle Intent.

Only Clan Leader Ao Yi, standing at the end of the crowd, had a particularly strange expression. His eyes were full of helpless sighs and deep worry, out of place with the excited crowd.

Others didn't know the inside story, but he was clear.

This time, Yuan Chen set up an Immortal Dao Conference to benefit the prodigies of the Eastern Wilderness. The conference rewards, arena stakes, advancement bonuses, and final prizes were all uniformly Low Grade Immortal Artifacts.

This kind of heaven-defying hand of waving Immortal weapons, compared to Golden Immortal Ao Li's hard work and risky cross-boundary trip to bring out only five Low Grade Immortal Artifacts, which he treated as supreme treasures to reward the clan and was proud of, the gap between the two was shocking.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

In the eyes of their Lower Realm Dragon Clan, Golden Immortal Ao Li was a supreme, invincible Golden Immortal Old Ancestor.

But placed in the vast Immortal domain of the Upper Realm, he was ultimately just a low-level ordinary Cultivator. Being able to have five Immortal Artifacts to give them was already generous.

It was Yuan Chen who was somewhat abnormal; the number of Low Grade Immortal Artifacts in his hands might exceed the total of the Lower Realm.

Not to mention there were Medium Grade Immortal Artifacts.

Watching Golden Immortal Ao Li's arrogant and determined appearance, just as he was about to step forward to dampen his spirit.

The void ahead had light and shadow flowing, space fluctuating and twisting, and a figure walked over slowly stepping on the clear wind.

Golden Immortal Ao Li, who was communicating with Great Elder Ao Yin, stopped instantly. Looking at the newcomer, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes, standing in mid-air, and whispered: "Is it a Dragon Clan Bloodline, or a mutated Dragon Clan Divine Beast? Hiss, a Top-tier Divine Beast?"

After observing for a while, he turned to ask Clan Leader Ao Yi, who had just walked in front of him: "You said before that every child Yuan Chen gave birth to is a Top-tier Divine Beast, and the species is strange? Tell me, is this person Yuan Chen's offspring?"

The young man on the opposite side, blocked by thousands of powerful experts, was also slightly stunned and froze in place.

Clan Leader Ao Yi scanned the young man opposite and replied with a wry smile: "That... Great-Great-Grandfather, Yuan Chen is only in his thirties; it's impossible for him to have such a big kid!"

"Hmm? Yuan Chen is only in his thirties?"

Golden Immortal Ao Li was shocked. He knew Yuan Chen was talented, but he really hadn't thought he was that talented.

"Forget it, forget it." Waving his hand, he stopped thinking about it: "The person in front is from my Dragon Clan; bring him over and ask."