78: Chapter 78 The Conference

The Myriad Immortals Assembly was held at the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace.

This place was not in the mortal world, but was a floating continent suspended above the nine heavens' gale winds.

The magnificent palaces were built from ten-thousand-year cold jade, with white jade steps and railings of flowing light.

Flocks of immortal cranes craned their necks and cried out among the sea of clouds, their clear, resonant calls carrying for a hundred miles.

Thousands of cultivators, all prominent figures of the Central Sacred Land, either rode exotic beasts or stepped on auspicious clouds. Seated according to their rank upon white jade lotus platforms, their combined auras merged into one, almost pressing down the very firmament.

In this orderly, majestic, and sacred celestial atmosphere, the players' small team stood out like drops of water in boiling oil; they seemed completely out of place, yet incredibly conspicuous.

Wolf of Wall Street was still wearing the custom-made Daoist robe he had named "Board of Directors," with its sharp tailoring and straight lines, contrasting sharply with the simple, wide-sleeved style of those around him.

Behind him, Appearance is Justice was idly fiddling with her nails, which she had just dyed "Starry Night Purple" using rare materials, while Outlaw Zhang San huddled in a corner, his eyes drifting as if he were calculating whether there were any bugs in the load-bearing structure of this heavenly palace that could be exploited.

They had been "invited" as "representatives of the emerging frontier forces," but every gaze cast in their direction carried undisguised scrutiny, curiosity, and deep hostility.

"Silence!"

A shout, like the tolling of evening drums and morning bells, resounded through the heavens.

The head of the Heavenly Law Court, Perfected Lord Xuantian, walked slowly onto the lecture platform located in the center of the heavenly palace.

He wore a black dharma robe embroidered with gold thread depicting the sun, moon, and stars. His face was ancient and rustic, possessing a natural Majesty that required no anger to command respect.

As soon as he appeared, the noise of the entire venue instantly subsided, as if even the drifting clouds had frozen in place.

His gaze did not shift in the slightest, landing directly on Wolf of Wall Street and his group, cold as eternal, unmelting black ice.

"For a hundred years, the Central Sacred Land has been peaceful, and the Daoist lineage has remained stable. However, a month ago, an anomaly from beyond the heavens arrived from the wild borders and entered our Tianshu City."

His voice was not loud, but it contained a certain power of law, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"This generation respects neither heaven nor law. They first used strange skills and clever devices to engage in dumping, disrupting the order of our Central Sacred Land's markets for the past century. This is the first crime."

"Our Heavenly Law Court issued the 'Ancient Law Protection Order' with the intention of upholding the righteous path and protecting our lineage. Yet, these people have only intensified their actions; they no longer sell magical artifacts, but 'vanity'! They no longer sell medicinal pills, but 'desire'!"

Perfected Lord Xuantian suddenly flicked his sleeve, a streak of light flashed, and a "luxury item" designed by the players floated in mid-air.

It was a scabbard for a Flying Sword, carved into the shape of a baring-fanged, claw-wielding demonic dragon, encrusted with glittering, colorful crystals that lacked any spiritual energy. The style was ridiculously ostentatious.

"Everyone, look! This object has not a shred of ability to defend against enemies, nor any use in cultivation! Yet, it was crowned with the arrogant name 'Gaze of the Abyss Demonic Dragon' and sold to the children of our Central Sacred Land's noble families for the sky-high price of a thousand spirit stones!"

"What they are selling is no longer mere objects, but the heart of one-upmanship, the wind of extravagance, and a poison capable of corroding the Dao Heart of our cultivators!"

"If this continues, none of our Central Sacred Land's cultivators will focus on diligent practice, instead chasing after this vanity like flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water! If the Dao Heart does not exist, how can the lineage survive? This is the second crime!"

"If such a tumor is not eradicated as soon as possible, it will surely become a major threat!"

Perfected Lord Xuantian's words were resonant and forceful, causing the conservative cultivators present to nod in agreement, filled with righteous indignation.

Many young noble disciples, however, looked embarrassed and quietly hid the "trendy" accessories hanging from their waists into their sleeves.

On the high platform, Ninth Prince Ji Haoyue sat motionless, his expression calm, but the fingers hidden beneath his wide sleeves were quietly clenched.

He could feel that this great net aimed at the players was finally about to tighten.

Wolf of Wall Street remained expressionless, sending a message in the player team channel: "It's here, the final reveal. Everyone stay calm and see what he plays."

Perfected Lord Xuantian looked coldly at the players, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes, as if he were looking at a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

"However, our Central Sacred Land is compassionate, and we will give you a chance to prove your innocence, or to choose your own destruction."

He raised his voice, the final cards were laid on the table.

"I, in the name of the Head of the Heavenly Law Court and under the witness of all these immortals, hereby establish 'The Wager of the Dao Heart' with you!"

"The wager is divided into four rounds: Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Dharma!"

"The Central Sacred Land and you shall each send representatives to compete one by one. If you win all four battles, our Heavenly Law Court will recognize your 'lineage' and allow you to establish a foothold in the Central Sacred Land. But... if you lose even one of the four battles!"

Perfected Lord Xuantian's voice suddenly became chilling and bone-piercing, his killing intent fully exposed.

"All of you must cripple your own cultivation, shatter your own Dao foundation, and never step foot into the Central Sacred Land again! Your 'ancestors' will also be suppressed by our Central Sacred Land, cast into the Nine Netherworlds, and never be reincarnated!"

Once these words were spoken, the entire venue was in an uproar!

The cruelty of the wager and the severity of the punishment exceeded everyone's imagination.

This was no longer an expulsion, but a total annihilation of this emerging force, from body to spirit, from foundation to belief!

"Too ruthless!"

"This is simply not leaving them a way to survive!"

"However... it's fine. The way these barbarians act really needs to be reined in."

Various discussions arose one after another.

Ninth Prince Ji Haoyue's face finally darkened.

He had not expected Perfected Lord Xuantian to be so resolute.

At this moment, he and the players' ship had already been pushed toward a ten-thousand-foot abyss.

However, in this atmosphere of extreme tension, the style in the player team's channel suddenly changed.

A crisp system notification sound rang out in all the players' minds simultaneously.

[Ding!]

[World-class Epic Quest Triggered: The Debate of Lineage]

[Quest Type: World-Class High-Stakes Gamble]

[Quest Description: The ancient order has issued a final challenge to you. This is a high-stakes gamble that will decide the life and death of civilization. Using Pills, Artifacts, Formations, and Dharma as the battlefield, prove to this world in your own way who holds the direction of the future!]

[Victory Condition: Win all four battles in 'The Wager of the Dao Heart.']

[Victory Reward: Clan Reputation (Central Sacred Land) increased to 'Respected', all players receive the unique permanent title [Sacred Land Pioneer], Clan Tech Tree unlocks [Civilization Talent] branch, reward [Mythical-grade Civilization Chest] x1.]

[Failure Penalty: Player faction permanently expelled from the Central Sacred Land, all members' reputation in this region locked to 'Hated', Clan Level -5, Old Ancestor falls into a deep slumber.]

The channel was silent for three seconds.

Three seconds later, it completely exploded!

"Holy crap! [Mythical-grade Civilization Chest]?! What the hell is this thing? Just the name sounds like it's going to be insane!"

"The failure penalty isn't crippling our cultivation? It's reputation lock and level downgrade? Damn, that old man is bluffing us!"

"Brothers, did you see that [Civilization Talent] branch? This is definitely the core system of the new version! If we win this, we're going to take off!"

"Bet! We must bet! What are we afraid of? Isn't it just deleting and restarting the account? Eighteen years later, I'll be a hero again! Screw that motherf***er!"

The players' mindset instantly switched from "life-and-death crisis" to "launching a new version event."

The so-called cruel punishment, in their eyes, was no different from a "high-risk, high-reward" dungeon mechanic.

Just as the crowd was in high spirits, a lazy voice with a hint of mockery rang out from the player team.

"Pfft... haha... hahahaha!"

Outlaw Zhang San clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he was swaying back and forth, tears almost coming out.

He strolled out from the corner, ignoring the astonished gazes of the entire venue, and walked straight to the front of the team, clapping exaggeratedly at Perfected Lord Xuantian on the lecture platform.

"Brilliant! Simply brilliant!" Outlaw Zhang San exclaimed with an "earnest" expression, "This... Elder Xuantian, right? Your move has truly opened my eyes; I am impressed to the point of bowing down to you."

Perfected Lord Xuantian frowned: "You demon, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"I'm not talking nonsense." Outlaw Zhang San spread his hands, looking innocent, "I'm praising you. Look, in order to give us benefits, you've laid so much groundwork—creating public opinion, using threats and inducements—and finally designed such a 'world-class event' that sounds like a near-death experience but actually provides rewards so generous they'll make our hands soft. You've worked hard!"

He paused, scanned the audience, and his voice suddenly rose.

"Everyone! You think this is a gamble for our lives? No! Your perspective is too small! In our culture, this is called a 'final challenge quest before a version update'! This is called an 'ultra-large welfare dungeon specially launched by the developers to prevent players from AFK-ing (quitting)'!"

He pointed at Perfected Lord Xuantian, like a fanatical missionary.

"He is not an enemy! He is the developer! He is the GM (Game Master)! He is the living Bodhisattva who, fearing we might find the game boring, specially came to send us warmth, equipment, and titles!"

"Brothers!" He turned abruptly and shouted to the players behind him, "The developer has already stuck his face out; if we don't slap him hard, we'd be letting down his painstaking efforts! Do we accept?!"

"Accept!!!"

Although there were only a few of them, at this moment, the momentum of their roar was no less than that of thousands of troops.

The entire Cloud Top Heavenly Palace fell into a deathly silence.

All the local cultivators, including the arrogant Perfected Lord Xuantian, were dumbfounded as they stared at this mad-looking guy, their minds completely blank.

Gambling with lives... benefits... event... developer... living Bodhisattva?

What... the hell is all this?!

Their worldview, at this moment, received an unprecedentedly violent shock.

Wolf of Wall Street rubbed his aching brow and finally gave up on stopping him.

He stepped forward, slightly bowed to Perfected Lord Xuantian, whose complexion had turned from blue to purple, and spoke in a calm and clear voice.

"Perfected Lord Xuantian, we... accept your 'Wager of the Dao Heart'."

As his voice fell, the ground in the center of the heavenly palace burst open with a roar.

An ancient pill-refining platform made of bronze and runes slowly rose amidst a sky-high blaze of fire.

The pill-refining duel was about to begin.

High above the clouds, in a pavilion shrouded in mist, Fairy Yunshang held a cup of spirit tea, watching everything below quietly through the hazy gauze curtains.

She saw Perfected Lord Xuantian's rage, Ninth Prince's tension, and the inexplicable fanaticism of those anomalies.

A faint, cold smile curled at the corners of her lips.

The pieces have all entered the board.