Chapter 614: The Start of the Banquet

On the way back to the palace where the team of the Mount Shu Sect dwelled, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner said leisurely to Chu Liang, "We owe it to you for what happened this time. Who could have expected that the empress would actually be a member of the Celestial Charm Sect? However, this must remain confidential."

"I understand," Chu Liang replied.

"The Golden Dragon and its Dragon Orb are now yours," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner said, raising his hand to reveal the golden orb and the Little Golden Dragon swimming within his palm. "You saved it this time, so it will surely remember you for this."

"You’re asking me to set it free?" Chu Liang asked.

"Once you leave the palace, you may handle it as you see fit," said the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner as he turned his hand and took out a jade bowl, sealing the Little Golden Dragon inside. "When the time comes, break the jade bowl to release it."

"Thank you, Imperial Supervisory Commissioner," Chu Liang said with a smile.

With this, he could bring the Little Golden Dragon back to Mount Shu and ask if it was willing to stay. If it agreed, it would certainly be a great boon to Mount Shu.

After all, the fate of a sect could not compare to the fate of a dynasty, and it wasn’t easy to attract a celestial beast.

"The Golden Dragon has safeguarded the dynasty’s fate for years, contributing to the land and its people," said the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner. "When Yao Dengxian seized the Golden Dragon's teachings of Dao, I found it hard to accept. However, he has risen to power and remains loyal to His Majesty, working tirelessly over the years. Stripping him of his Great Dao now would seem unreasonable. Properly settling this little dragon would be a way to give it closure."

From his tone, Chu Liang gathered that it wouldn’t be particularly difficult to strip Yao Dengxian of his control of the Great Dao of Cloud Dominion.

After all, instead of something like "I am not capable," he said it would seem unreasonable.

So he curiously asked, "Are there differences in strength between the various Great Daos?"

"Of course there are. This is something I should explain to you," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner replied patiently, as he had always done with Chu Liang. "Generally, Great Daos with even higher difficulty in ascension would have greater combat power. For instance, the three Great Daos of Swords require practitioners to fight their way through countless sword experts and possess unparalleled perception. As a result, their slaying techniques are always top-notch... and this is not me bragging."

In truth, he didn’t need to add that statement—Chu Liang already knew the old man had no need to boast. The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner of the Yu Dynasty could be regarded as the actual Eminent One who held sway over the nation.

If one were to name the strongest experts of the current era, he would certainly be on the list. How could someone like that be ordinary or mediocre?

"Some Great Daos focus more on profound abilities and are not particularly suited for combat. Although no one at the eighth realm could be considered weak, a duel between equals would immediately reveal their shortcomings. The Great Dao of Cloud Dominion is an example of this. It excels in changing the weather conditions to make people's lives better and my Great Dao of Tai’a cannot compare in that regard."

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner didn’t say the rest, but Chu Liang could infer it himself.

In terms of combat, the Great Dao of Tai’a was undoubtedly much stronger.

"The depth of understanding and cultivation level in a Great Dao also influences combat strength at the eighth realm. Take Venerable Wen Yuan of your sect, for instance. His Great Dao of Primordial Chaos is not one known for its combat prowess, yet his profound cultivation and mastery allow him to rival top-tier experts. This is why he could face the True Form of Ksitigarbha barehanded when the Mount Shu Sect was under attack by the Dark King Sect. This itself speaks volumes."

When mentioning Venerable Wen Yuan, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner’s tone carried great admiration.

This wasn’t the first time Chu Liang had seen such reverence. Many powerful figures admired Venerable Wen Yuan, believing that supporting the Mount Shu Sect was an immense burden that far exceeded the capabilities of his Great Dao.

"Of course, the greatest influence on combat power comes from legendary artifacts. If someone wields one of the top ten artifacts and attains the Heavenly Origin, the gaps in cultivation and comprehension can then be easily bridged. This is one reason the sects ranked in the Terrestrial Ten changed often, while the immortal sects in the Divine Nine remained the same as always."

Chu Liang had heard rumors about this before.

"

The court establishes the Terrestrial Ten, and the Divine Nine establish the court.

" This saying had long circulated in the immortal realm.

Through the passage of time, the immortal sects in the Divine Nine remained strong because of their legendary artifacts. However, a sect with just one eighth-realm cultivator could still dominate the land of the nine provinces.

"With your talent, ascending to the seventh realm shouldn’t be an issue," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner continued. "But you must be especially careful when choosing your Great Dao for the seventh realm. Although the Dao Attainment Realm allows for the study of other Great Daos, eighty percent of The cultivators who have attained the Heaven Origin experts became the Dao Master of the Great Dao that they comprehended upon when they entered the seventh realm.

"If you wish to become the strongest, you can’t take the easy route. Choosing a simple Great Dao to comprehend now may mean no hope of advancing to the eighth realm later. As for the Great Dao of Severing the Void that you have comprehended, it is a powerful Great Dao. But ascending with this Great Dao would mean that you would have to fight the members of the Endless Sword Sect for control to ascend to the eighth realm. That would be extremely difficult.

"When you reach the sixth realm, you should start considering these things. That way, when you reach the pinnacle of the sixth realm, you won’t end up wasting any time."

His advice to Chu Liang was thorough and all-encompassing. The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner was really treating Chu Liang as if he were his own junior.

Chu Liang was deeply moved and said, "Thank you, Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, for your guidance. I have truly learned much. You have helped me so much, and I have no way to repay you. I heard you have no kids. How about I care for you in your old age? We can become sworn brothers—"

The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner’s response was short.

"Get lost."

...

Joking around with the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner was all in good fun. Since Chu Liang had already sworn brotherhood with the emperor, it wouldn’t be appropriate to recognize anyone as his godfather.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

However, asking the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner to become sworn brothers with him would be wrong in terms of the generational hierarchy.

However, since he really had nothing else to offer the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner in gratitude, Chu Liang merely joked and laughed it off before returning to the palace resided by the team from the Mount Shu Sect.

As soon as he entered, he saw Di Nufeng sitting with her arms crossed, a sulky expression on her face.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuanling sat on the other side, his face dark with anger.

It was obvious—they were at it again.

Chu Liang had seen such scenes countless times growing up and was no longer surprised.

Not daring to approach them directly, he first tugged on Jiang Yuebai’s sleeve and asked softly, "What happened?"

Jiang Yuebai replied, "Your esteemed teacher wants to attend the Qinghong Banquet and suggested replacing Senior Uncle Wang as Mount Shu Sect's representative to lead the team to the imperial hall."

"How is that even possible?" Chu Liang said.

There’d be a miracle if Old Wang agreed to that.

Unlike Di Nufeng, who had already attended the Qinghong Banquet once, Old Wang hadn’t tasted it yet. Although he had participated in the Assembly of Immortal Sects in his youth, he never had the chance to win the honor and dine there.

Now that he finally had the chance to attend as the leader of the team, there was no way he would give it up.

"Senior Uncle Wang naturally refused, so your esteemed teacher suggested having two leaders," Jiang Yuebai continued.

Heh, that must have been her true intention, right?

First, propose something completely unacceptable, so that people could compromise on something more reasonable.

"Looks like Senior Uncle Wang didn’t agree either?" Chu Liang asked.

"Exactly," Jiang Yuebai nodded. "So now your esteemed teacher plans to drag you along, form a separate team, and head to the imperial hall on your own. She’s planning to establish another Mount Shu Sect!"

...

At the same time, outside the imperial city.

The overcast sky cleared by evening, and many fish surfaced to breathe. Among them was a particularly chubby koi.

The riverside was sparsely populated, with only an old man sitting there, gazing at the sky with a calm expression.

"Xiao Wuyin has indeed betrayed us. She killed Gong Yu'er, and the people we planted in the palace are being purged," the chubby koi said in a human voice. "Fortunately, you prepared two escape routes for me to get away."

"People are bound to one another by ties. After Wuyan was captured, our ties to her were severed. I don’t blame her for turning against us. Even now, her contributions are undeniable," the old man said softly.

"Celestial Master, your schemes are beyond her comprehension," the chubby koi flattered. "She thought she had disrupted his plan, not realizing she was merely a part of yours."

"That is their fate, one I am compelled to follow," the old man said, shaking his head. "If it were possible, I would wish for none of the Celestial Charm Sect’s followers to die or leave. Together, we could enter the era of chaos and separation. But alas, unforeseen changes always occur."

"Speaking of unforeseen elements, that boy from Mount Shu Sect is one," the chubby koi said. "If not for him, Xiao Wuyin might not have been exposed so soon. Had the Golden Dragon chosen Yang Shenlong, the Penglai Supreme Sect would certainly have kept it, raising it alongside their Azure Dragon to one day challenge the court, perhaps even helping it reclaim Yao Dengxian’s Great Dao. But instead, the Golden Dragon chose Chu Liang. While he also won the Assembly of Immortal Sects, by some twist of fate perfectly replacing Yang Shenlong, the results still fell a bit short."

"There aren’t many whose fates I cannot see, but that boy from the Mount Shu Sect is one of them," the old man said, a faint smile crossing his face. "If he survives, he may become a force against the era of chaos and separation. His fate intrigues me."

"Perhaps it’s because he’s about to die and his fate has already been severed?" the chubby koi said in a chilling tone.

"You should return now. By my estimation..." The old man turned to gaze toward the imperial city. "The Qinghong Banquet should be starting."