Chapter 211: Advancing Beyond The Qi Sea Phase (1)

At this moment, Emperor Jin, along with the countless soldiers, servants, and maids within the Jin Royal Palace prostrated in reverence. Awe filled their hearts. Were these individuals all Heavenly Rankers? The Great Jin Empire had this many land deities in their ranks?

"Jin Cang, rise," spoke the man who led the group. He appeared to be in his thirties, garbed in green robes with cropped hair and a faint smile on his face, radiating warmth from his demeanor.

Jin Cang promptly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the group of Heavenly Rankers. "Ancestor, is our Founding Ancestor not present?"

"Let us discuss this matter inside," said the man in green robes.

Jin Cang nodded, then whispered immediately to the eunuch at his side, "Prepare an upper first-class banquet with utmost haste."

"Understood," the imperial eunuch beside him answered without hesitation.

Even when the princes arrived, they typically held a lower first-class banquet. An upper first-class banquet? Such an occasion was a once-in-a-decade rarity.

...

Before long, the seven Heavenly Rankers took their seats inside the resplendent palace, while Emperor Jin stood beside the green-robed man.

A feast of exquisite wines and dishes was presented, each more luxurious than the last.

After three rounds of wine, a middle-aged man sitting on the right posed a question, "Daoist Jin Ji, Daoist Jin Long, will Daoist Jin Quan not be in attendance?"

This man appeared to be around 40 years old, donning a tall hat and white robes, and exuding an otherworldly aura. He was Zhao Yi, the man who had previously appeared at the Skysaber Mountain. He hailed from the Yuanxia Palace, one of the three holy sanctuaries of Great Jin.

Jin Quan was none other than Imperator Jin, Emperor Jin I. Jin Ji, the son of Imperator Jin, was Emperor Jin II. As for Jin Long, he was the third south king of the empire, and hailed from the same generation as the current Emperor Jin's grandfather. The fourth generation of Emperor Jin strayed from the traditional 'father to son' succession.

"Indeed, Daoist Jin Ji," a man clad in black robes added. "It isn’t that we don’t trust you. However, intelligence from the Pleiades Guild suggests that Fang Xia might be a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator. Can the seven of us truly take him down without sustaining injuries?"

"Indeed.”

"Daoist Jin Ji, I believe it would be best to invite Daoist Jin Quan to participate in the upcoming battle. This is not just any war, but a critical one for the unification of the world..”

Apart from a cultivator with a mane of silver hair, several other cultivators began voicing their agreement.

This scene made Emperor Jin Cang realize that the three holy sanctuaries of Great Jin were not as united as he had assumed. The black-robed figure who had spoken was someone Jin Cang was familiar with, a Heavenly Ranker named Hai Jian who hailed from the Starsea Pavilion.

Ancestor Jin Ji, Hai Jian, and Zhao Yi are the strongest among them. Even Ancestor Jin Long seems a notch weaker in comparison.

"Fellow Daoists," Jin Ji, who was seated on the imperial throne, began. Though his face was youthful, his presence commanded respect. He had held the mantle of Emperor Jin for several decades.

Softly, Jin Ji revealed, "My father has been in closed-door cultivation for a long time. I have duly informed him of the situation, and he has decreed that I, along with Fellow Daoists of the Starsea Pavilion and Yuanxia Palace, must join forces to confront Fang Xia."

"Fang Xia is undeniably powerful. However," he paused, sweeping his gaze over the qi refiners congregated on either side of the grand hall.

Suddenly, he released an invisible aura, startling Zhao Yi and Hai Jian.

"Seventh stage?" Zhao Yi stammered, his gaze fixed on Jin Ji, his voice tinged with disbelief. "No! Eighth stage? You’ve reached the eighth-stage Qi Sea phase?"

Zhao Yi's incredulous words sent shockwaves through the assembly, leaving Hai Jian and the remaining cultivators awestruck.

"Indeed," Jin Ji responded, a flicker of a smile dancing on his lips. "In recent decades, I have made significant strides in cultivation, reaching the eighth-stage Qi Sea phase.”

A hushed stillness enveloped the room. Zhao Yi, Hai Jian, and the other gathered Heavenly Rankers exchanged glances, feeling the weight of his words.

Within the thirteen continents of the Middle Land, several major factions were highly influential, including the three holy sanctuaries of Great Jin, the Starcom Consortium, the Pleiades Guild, the Ninedeaths Circle, and the Huang Temple, among others. To be recognized as a major faction, each one had to fulfill one criterion: have at least one late-stage Qi Sea cultivator in their ranks!

By reaching the eighth-stage Qi Sea phase, he was already a peak powerhouse in the Middle Land.

"Daoist Jin Ji, your achievements are truly commendable," Zhao Yi uttered, a trace of newfound reverence in his voice. "Before the age of 200, you have already become a late-stage Qi Sea cultivator. There’s a chance you’ll reach the Golden Core phase in your lifetime!"

The Golden Core phase! Despite the rise of countless factions and forces throughout the Middle Land’s history, they had yet to produce a Golden Core cultivator.

"Reaching the Golden Core phase will not be easy. Daoist Zhao Xing, Daoist Hai Feizhang, and my father reached the ninth-stage Qi Sea phase a long time ago. Their likelihood of reaching the Golden Core phase is high," Jin Ji remarked with a gentle smile. "As for me? It’s not too late to think about such matters after reaching the ninth stage."

A heavy silence fell. The eighth-stage Qi Sea phase? Ninth-stage Qi Sea phase?

Among the attendees, Jin Ji was the only late-stage Qi Sea cultivator. Zhao Yi and Hai Jian were second-in-command within their respective holy sanctuaries, yet they had been stuck in the sixth-stage Qi Sea phase for a long time.

"With Daoist Jin Ji joining us, I can see hope for victory in the upcoming battle," Hai Jian spoke with deliberate slowness. "However, killing a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator still isn’t going to be an easy feat."

Each ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator was someone who stood at the summit of the Middle Land, their might unrivaled by early-stage or mid-stage cultivators.

Hai Jian, Zhao Yi, and the others were deeply reluctant to engage in a life-or-death clash with such a formidable adversary.

They thought that Jin Quan would be taking action personally, and were worried that he would pressure them into taking part. Furthermore, the three holy sanctuaries had formed an alliance. Hence, they had rushed over to participate in the meeting.

Although Jin Ji's strength exceeded their expectations, it paled in comparison to the world’s number one expert, Jin Quan.

"Observe." With a flick of Jin Ji’s wrist, a palm-sized disk materialized, adorned with intricate patterns. On its edges were six small flags that emitted a distinctive aura, merging together to create a unified entity. The object emanated a chilling ferocity.

"An array disk?" Zhao Yi's eyes lit up

"This array?" Zhao Jian was equally astonished by the power inherent in the array disk.

The other cultivators were equally captivated by the uniqueness and power of the array disk. Undoubtedly, it was a priceless treasure that could very likely determine the winner in the upcoming war.

"This is the Septet Ignis Array," Jin Ji explained softly, "It is a cooperative attack array requiring a minimum of three cultivators for activation and accommodating up to seven. When seven cultivators cooperate to drive the array, one assumes the role of array leader as the controller of the array disk, while the other six carry the array flags while attacking."

"It has three primary functions: firstly, when the cultivators synchronize their efforts, they can generate ignis through the array disk by expending essentia and etherstone. This ignis is capable of incinerating anything in its path. Secondly, array armor is a passive ability. As long as one carries an array flag and remains within a kilometer of the array disk, incoming attacks will be weakened by the array armor. And lastly..."

After elaborating on the three main functions of the array, Jin Ji smiled, "Indeed, it is quite challenging to eliminate a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator. I do not expect us to kill him. But as long as we defeat him and threaten the Cloudstride Sect’s members, we can compel him to surrender."

"With the Septet Ignis Array, I firmly believe that even if several ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivators join forces, they will find it exceedingly difficult to kill us." Jin Ji smiled slyly, "Do any of you Fellow Daoists still harbor any reservations?"