An elderly man in a long robe was standing on a road leading toward a certain small town. The elderly man was staring intently in the town's direction, and his expression was painted with a mixture of excitement and seriousness.

The elderly man was none other than Huai Hou, the ruler of the Nine Continents[1] Domain's Wuzhou.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind him, causing Huai Hou to frown slightly.

A middle-aged man dressed in a spotless white robe and exuding a refined air appeared. He stared at Huai Hou and smiled. "Huai Hou, you're early."

Huai Hou's face remained stoic as he retorted, "Zuo Lou, aren't you early as well?"

Zuo Lou!

Zuo Lou was the ruler of the Nine Continents Domain's Shenzhou!

Zuo Lou chuckled lightly, and then he turned his gaze toward the small town in the distance.

"After all these years, he's finally here."

Huai Hou remained silent.

Just then, faint wisps of purple vapors manifested above the small town.

Seeing those faint purple vapors, Zuo Lou and Huai Hou's eyes narrowed.

Great Dao Destiny!

They clenched their fists.

They were no ordinary strands of Great Dao Destiny; they were strands of Nine Continents Destiny bestowed by

that person

. To obtain just a strand of it meant securing an unparalleled advantage for one's descendants.

In the world of cultivation, effort alone often wasn't enough, and luck played an equally vital role. In the secular world, luck was an abstract and intangible concept, but to cultivators, luck was tangible and very real.

With the aid of Great Dao Destiny, one's life could change. Moreover, the strands of Great Dao Destiny before them were left behind by the Nine Continents Master, making it even more extraordinary.

Both Huai Hou and Zuo Lou's eyes burned with desire. Just as they were about to vie for the Nine Continents Destiny that had already risen above the small town, it unexpectedly descended, returning to the town.

Both men were stunned by this turn of events and instinctively frowned.

Neither had anticipated that the strands of Nine Continents Destiny would retreat.

Zuo Lou suddenly chuckled. "It seems that this Nine Continents Destiny can only be enjoyed by those within the town."

Huai Hou's expression darkened, but he said nothing.

Zuo Lou continued, "I've heard stories that the village once aided him in the past. Now, it appears that those weren't just rumors but the truth.

"The accumulated luck within this small town far surpasses that of the outside world. If one were to cultivate here, they'd achieve twice the results with half the effort.

"Despite that, he deliberately placed a restriction on the town, preventing anyone from leaving to engage with the broader world of cultivation outside.

"I really can't understand the reasoning behind his actions."

Huai Hou replied indifferently, "It's nothing more than his way of protecting the townsfolk. While they cannot cultivate in the town, they can live peacefully, healthily, and safely their entire lives.

"For most people, that's already a blessing."

Zuo Lou nodded with a smile. "That must be his intention."

Huai Hou fixed his gaze on the distant town. "The Great Dao Destiny carries great significance. We need to select people in advance."

Zuo Lou glanced at him, not saying anything.

"I hope I'm not too late." A voice echoed from nearby.

A man dressed in a flowing black robe appeared. He had a carefree and unrestrained demeanor. He was Pan Zhen, the Ruler of Panzhou.

Pan Zhen looked at both of them and smiled, saying, "I thought I saw strands of Great Dao Destiny from afar just now. I wasn't mistaken, was I?"

Huai Hou cast a cold glance at him. "It's been so many years. I thought you were dead."

"

Bwahaha!

" Pan Zhen burst out laughing. "If you're not dead, how can I be dead?"

A gloomy light flickered in Huai Hou's eyes.

Pan Zhen spread his hands and grinned. "You're not planning to kill me, are you? Well, I doubt you could kill me, anyway.

Bwahahaha!

"

"Enough, enough!" Zuo Lou stepped forward to mediate. "Gentlemen, let's focus on the matter at hand. He's here, and his Great Dao Destiny has descended.

"You both know that those are strands of Nine Continents Destiny; it's no ordinary fortune. Some of the people in that town must have already received it. We'll likely need to join forces to break the seal ahead of schedule and go inside to fetch them."

Pan Zhen chuckled. "I agree."

Huai Hou's expression remained stoic.

Zuo Lou gazed at the distant town and said, "In that case, let's prepare to make our move."

Huai Hou asked, "I saw four strands of Nine Continents Destiny. How do we divide them?"

Zuo Lou replied, "The old rules apply. Once inside, everyone will pick their candidates. Each of us will compete on merit. It's up to the chosen individuals to choose who they want to follow in the end."

Huai Hou and Pan Zhen stayed silent, but they clearly agreed with his proposal.

"All right, then." Zuo Lou nodded. "Prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we will break the seal."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

Pan Zhen and Huai Hou also turned around and left.

***

When Ye Guan and Zuo Yan returned to the town, they headed straight back to their courtyard.

Just then, Granny Yu appeared in front of Zuo Yan.

Zuo Yan blinked and laughed. "Granny Yu."

Granny Yu glanced at Ye Guan before turning to Zuo Yan. "Let's go."

With that, she grabbed Zuo Yan and turned to leave.

Zuo Yan turned back and waved at Ye Guan as she was being led away. Ye Guan smiled lightly back at her.

Just then, Little Pagoda suddenly said,

"That guy was not an ordinary figure."

Ye Guan asked,

"Are you talking about Zuo Yan's master?"

"Yes,"

Little Pagoda replied.

Ye Guan nodded and replied,

"This place is truly full of hidden treasures."

Then, he sensed something and looked up abruptly to find four strands of purple energy slowly descending from above.

Ye Guan was surprised. "Strands of Great Dao Destiny!"

Little Pagoda said,

"They're quite impressive."

One of the Great Dao Destiny strands floated toward his courtyard.

Ye Guan smiled upon seeing that, but his smile froze immediately afterward.

The strand of Great Dao Destiny drifted past his courtyard and floated into the neighboring one. Not Zuo Yan's courtyard, but the one on his left. Ye Guan's face darkened.

Damn it, is it blind? Forget it! I don't want it anyway!

Ye Guan hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the wall and peeking into the next courtyard.

A young man and a young woman were busy; the man was fetching water while the young woman was weaving clothes. Ye Guan recognized both of them—they were Zong Na and Yue Liu!

The strand of Great Dao Destiny descended and stopped above Zong Na's head.

They looked surprised upon noticing the purple energy.

Zong Na put down the water bucket in his hands and extended his hand toward it. The strand of Great Dao Destiny landed in his hand, and he was instantly enveloped in a purple glow.

Yue Liu set down the fabric in her hand and rushed toward Zong Na.

"What is that?" she asked.

Zong Na shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it's definitely something good."

He handed the strand of purple energy to Yue Liu.

Yue Liu cast a doubtful look at him.

Zong Na grinned. "Take it."

Yue Liu shook her head, initially wanting to refuse.

The next moment, she sensed something and glanced at the strand of purple energy in her hand. It was quivering, and surprisingly, it returned to Zong Na's hand.

The two were stunned by the sight.

Zong Na grinned again and handed the strand of purple energy to Yue Liu, saying to it, "She's my wife; following her is the same as following me."

After saying that, he turned around and resumed fetching water.

Yue Liu held the strand of purple energy in her palm with a face full of awe.

Just then, the strand of purple energy dimmed as if it were about to disappear. It trembled slightly, and then it transformed into a streak of purple light that melted into Yue Liu's glabella.

Boom!

A faint purple glow appeared around her.

Zong Na was stunned. "Yue Liu…"

Yue Liu clenched her fists nervously, and a faint purple light appeared in her eyes.

Ye Guan smiled at the sight.

"Her destiny is about to change," he muttered.

Even he had to admit that the strand of Great Dao Destiny was extraordinary, but he was puzzled as to why it hadn't chosen him. Of course, it wasn't that he particularly valued it. After all, luck wasn't something he needed.

He could just rely on his family.

Just then, the courtyard gate opened.

Ye Guan quickly jumped down from the wall.

The newcomer was Daoist Zhang.

He hurried over to Ye Guan and asked, "Did you get that strand of Great Dao Destiny?"

Ye Guan shook his head. "No."

Daoist Zhang froze. "No?"

Ye Guan nodded. "No."

Daoist Zhang examined Ye Guan carefully. When he saw no trace of the Nine Continents Destiny on him, he frowned deeply. "You really didn't? How is that possible…"

Ye Guan asked, "Nine Continents Destiny?"

"You don't know what it is?"

"I don't."

"Nine Continents Destiny is the most powerful type of Great Dao Destiny in Nine Continents Domain. If someone can obtain even a strand of it, they will be able to defy the heavens and change their destiny.

"I didn't expect that you won't get any. Considering your great luck, you should have received at least one. That is truly puzzling…"

"Why did they appear all of a sudden?"

"

That expert

has come here."

"Expert?"

"The one who turned this place into a blessed land."

"The Nine Continents Master?"

Daoist Zhang nodded.

Ye Guan fell silent. He was then reminded of Zuo Yan's master. Could he be the Nine Continents Master?

Just then, Daoist Zhang added, "I have both good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Let's start with the good news."

"The Nine Continents Destiny has descended. Those people outside won't be able to resist it. They'll definitely come in to recruit people, which means you might be able to leave early."

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is that you didn't receive any Nine Continents Destiny, so there's a high chance that you won't be able to leave this place."

Ye Guan's expression instantly darkened.

1. Changed from Nine Continent to Nine Continents ☜