133: Chapter 133 Invitation to Yaochi
The recruitment for the Heavenly Court Academy ignited hope for countless low-level Cultivators in the Immortal Domain wasteland.
Outside the Southern Heaven Gate, the former ruins of Chaos had been cleared away, replaced by rows of newly constructed Immortal palaces, serving as the outer academy and reception area.
Looking outward from within the Southern Heaven Gate, the line of Cultivators waiting for the assessment stretched from the entrance, extending endlessly into the distance.
Races of all shapes and forms, steering various Immortal boat Magical Artifacts, gathered here, all for the sake of fighting for a chance to ascend.
"Have you heard? The chief instructor of the Sword Dao Academy is the Heavenly Emperor's eldest prince! A milky-faced toddler just a few years old, yet his gaze alone can suppress a Golden Immortal!"
"That's nothing? I heard that the instructor of the Space-Time Dao Academy is the newborn ninth prince, who can make time flow backwards! Many old monsters whose Lifespan is nearly at an end want to become his disciples to see if they can become a few years younger!"
"Your perspective is too small, isn't it? I've set my sights on the Alchemy Department! Minister Dan Lingzi of the Alchemy Department teaches personally, and I heard that those who perform well get distributed Immortal Pills as snacks! Immortal Pills as snacks! Damn, is there really such a good thing?"
Within the crowd, all sorts of gossip and rumors spread like wildfire, making the atmosphere increasingly fervent.
Li Xuan watched it all unfold.
He sat high upon the imperial throne in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, watching the thriving scene below through a water mirror, and smiled.
He could feel that with the influx of this fresh blood, the Luck of the entire Heavenly Court was rising rapidly, and the originally illusory Golden Dragon of Fortune had also become much more solid.
The Foundation of a divine dynasty capable of lasting forever was gradually stabilizing.
This feeling of being a boss behind the scenes, watching one's enterprise flourish, was indeed much more comfortable than doing the killing and fighting oneself.
"Not bad, professional matters should be left to professional talent. Next, should I consider having another child..."
Li Xuan stretched comfortably, calculating his next task in his mind.
Just as this thought arose, an anomaly occurred.
Without any warning, the space-time within the entire Southern Heaven Gate rippled.
The Zhou Tian Star Array, which was covering the Little Heavenly Court, clearly hadn't sent out any alarms, but everyone felt a palpitation in their hearts.
It was a pressure from a higher level, ancient and heavy, inspiring awe.
It was as if a Mortal had suddenly felt the gaze of an Immortal.
Even knowing that the other party had no malicious intent, the vast disparity in status still made one feel instinctive awe.
"Hmm?"
Li Xuan's expression turned solemn as he looked toward the center of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
This was the first time since he rebuilt the Southern Heaven Gate that something had been able to silently penetrate all defenses and project power before him.
In the Void Realm at the center of the great hall, a beam of rosy light appeared out of thin air.
That rosy light was gentle and peaceful, yet it carried a power that was sacred and ancient.
Within the rosy light, a palm-sized leaf carved from kunlun immortal jade was slowly spiraling down.
This jade leaf was made of a special material; its entire body was warm and smooth, with Dao runes flowing across its surface.
Just by taking one look at it, one could clear their mind and spirit, helping them comprehend the Dao.
But what Li Xuan cared about more was the aura emanating from the jade leaf.
It was an ancient feeling, as if it had existed before the Immortal Domain was born, carrying the charm of the primordial era.
"Father, it has the smell of old things."
A milky voice echoed in the hall.
Li Xuan turned back to look; his ninth son, Li Shikong, who possessed the "Space-Time Dao Body", had appeared beside him at some unknown moment.
The three-year-old child was staring intently at the spinning jade leaf, his small face taut, his eyes filled with a seriousness inconsistent with his age.
The "old" he spoke of did not refer to the length of time.
In his perception, the source of time carried by this jade leaf was even more ancient than the River of Time he could perceive itself.
"Oh? Even you think it is old?"
Li Xuan felt slightly surprised and developed some interest.
He reached out his hand and let the jade leaf fall into it.
It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a piece of information flooded into his mind.
Just as Li Xuan's fingertips touched the jade leaf, Dan Lingzi, who was far away in the Alchemy Department, froze, nearly dropping the whisk in his hand!
He looked toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall in terror, his spiritual body even trembling.
"This... this aura... is it kunlun immortal jade?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Dan Lingzi exclaimed.
"The sacred relic of the Jade Pool from the Mythological Era, before the Ancient Heavenly Court... How could it appear here? Could it be... that the forgotten ancient legend is true?!"
As an ancient alchemy spirit, Dan Lingzi knew far more secrets than "modern" Immortals like Yuhua Immortal Lord.
He knew very well what this small jade leaf represented.
It represented an transcendent power that even during the heyday of the Ancient Heavenly Court, needed to be treated with courtesy!
An ancient orthodoxy that had existed since the very beginning of the Immortal Domain!
Inside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
Li Xuan had already finished interpreting the information.
"Interesting, truly interesting."
He chuckled and flipped the jade leaf in his hand over.
On the back of the jade leaf were imprinted several ancient characters formed by Dao runes.
There were no flowery words, nor any polite pleasantries.
The content on it was simple to the point of arrogance.
[To: Lord of the Heavenly Court]
[Subject: Jade Pool Grand Assembly]
[Time: The night of the full moon after sixty years]
[Location: Hold this invitation, and a thought will take you there]
A mere four lines of text, yet they revealed strong confidence.
It was like a notification, not an invitation.
What interested Li Xuan even more was the postscript in the last line below these four lines of text.
[The chess game has begun, waiting for the one who holds the pieces.]
"The one who holds the pieces? Do they recognize me as a player, or a piece?"
Li Xuan toyed with the kunlun immortal jade in his hand and laughed.
Very obviously, his actions of establishing the Heavenly Court and reorganizing the order of the Immortal Domain had finally attracted the attention of the true "old players" of this Immortal Domain.
The other party throwing out this mysterious invitation was both a test and an "interview".
They acknowledged that Li Xuan had the qualifications to enter the game, but they used this condescending attitude to strike at him, implying: on this chessboard of the Immortal Domain, you are still just a newcomer.
This game of chess has been controlled by us since ancient times.
"Father, this leaf is not fun."
Li Shikong tugged at the corner of Li Xuan's robe, his small face full of resistance.
As a Space-Time Dao Body, he could feel that behind this jade leaf was connected an independent space-time locked by a great Divine Ability, where the flow of time was completely different from the outside world, full of variables.
"Hehe, precisely because it is not fun, it is all the more interesting."
Li Xuan rubbed his son's head.
He was not only not angry, but rather somewhat excited.
Along the way, whether it was the Imperial Dynasty Holy Land of the Lower Realm, or the Corpse Immortal Sect and Yuhua Immortal Dynasty of the Immortal Domain, they were all too weak, so weak that he didn't even have the desire to truly make a move.
This kind of crushing, while satisfying, became somewhat boring after a while.
Now, finally, there was an opponent, or rather, a card-playing partner, who seemed to have enough weight, and had finally appeared.
Jade Pool.
Kunlun.
Queen Mother of the West?
Names that had only existed in myths and legends floated into Li Xuan's mind one by one.
He could feel that behind this thin invitation lay far more intricate Immortal Domain forces than he had imagined, and it might even hide the secrets of the destruction of the Ancient Heavenly Court and the Dark Turmoil.
Behind this lay an abyss, or perhaps a path to the heavens.
But for Li Xuan, he only saw opportunity.
The so-called chess game, when faced with absolute strength, was nothing more than a children's game of house.
"Want me to be a player?"
Li Xuan looked at the jade leaf in his palm and laughed.
"Very well. However, I have a habit."
"Either, I don't play."
"Or, I like to..."
His palm tightened, and that piece of kunlun immortal jade actually emitted an unbearable "creaking" sound.
"Directly flip the chessboard!"