The Grand Assembly Begins

The sky had only just begun to lighten when Wanxiang Adepts residing throughout the Grand Xia imperial capital, as well as the feudal lords from the three thousand six hundred commanderies, all began to surge towards the imperial palace.

“So many people.” Ji Ning, Yu Wei, and the slovenly True Man were flying side by side atop a cloud, heading straight for the palace gates.

“Junior apprentice-brother, where are the others?” The slovenly True Man looked around as if he had just woken up, a puzzled expression on his face. “Why are Junior Apprentice-Brother Cang Jiang and the others all missing?”

Ji Ning laughed. “Junior Apprentice-Brother Northson and Senior Apprentice-Brother Cang Jiang have both gone to join up with our Anchan Commandery’s grand contingent. The Emperor himself is personally presiding over this Immortal Fortunes Assembly, so all three thousand six hundred commanderies of the Grand Xia Dynasty have sent formations to pay their respects to His Imperial Majesty. They have to follow the Marquis of Anchan’s procession. Otherwise, Junior Apprentice-Brother Northson and the others wouldn’t even be able to enter the imperial palace.”

“Oh.” The slovenly True Man nodded in sudden understanding. “I thought anyone who wanted to watch the battles could just go straight in and watch.”

“Elder apprentice-brother, you’ve been so focused on your secluded cultivation that you’ve failed to gather even the most basic intelligence.” Yu Wei said helplessly. “Do you think the Immortal Fortunes Assembly is something anyone can just casually spectate? And that the imperial palace is just open for anyone to enter?”

“I’ve been in secluded meditation the whole time, so…”, the slovenly True Man rubbed his head and smiled sheepishly.

Ji Ning explained, “There are only three ways to enter the imperial palace today. The first is for Wanxiang Adepts like us, who are about to risk our lives in the assembly’s battles, so naturally we can enter directly. The second is for the formations from the various commanderies, led by their feudal lords, who are also going to pay their respects to His Imperial Majesty. The third is for Celestial Immortals, like King Yan, who can bring Xiyue with him directly. Aside from these, perhaps some other formidable figures have their own methods of entering, but I wouldn’t know about them.”

The slovenly True Man nodded in understanding.

As they chatted, Ji Ning’s trio continued flying along one of the main thoroughfares. From afar, they could already see the four divine demons, each ten thousand zhang tall, and the imperial palace gates they guarded.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… A steady stream of cultivators, in groups of two or three or in large formations, all flew towards the palace gates. However, the gates were currently shut.

Soon, Ji Ning and the others landed as well.

“There really are a lot,” the slovenly True Man said, looking around. Outside the palace gates, a dense crowd of several hundred thousand had already gathered. Among them were participants in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, but even more were spectators. Even now, more cultivators were continuously arriving in the sky.

“We’ll have to wait. The gates won’t open until the Nine Caldera Bells ring,” Ji Ning said.

They waited for nearly an hour and a half. The Golden Crow had already risen, and sunlight now bathed the entire Grand Xia imperial capital.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Nine consecutive bell-rings echoed out, their resonant tones seeming to descend from the Ninth Heaven, causing the million-plus people gathered outside the gates to fall silent.

RUMBLE

The towering gates of the imperial palace swung open. The four divine demons, each a full ten thousand zhang tall, gazed down upon the million-strong human crowd. One of them, whose skin was fiery red and whose nostrils belched flames, spoke: “Wanxiang Adepts who wish to participate in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, you may now enter the imperial palace. Once you enter, you are committed to participate; there is no turning back. Alright, enter!”

Instantly, with a great surging noise, countless figures resembling a swarm of locusts or bees all flew towards the palace gates.

“How many people is that?” The slovenly True Man’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“In previous Immortal Fortunes Assemblies, there were usually around twenty to thirty thousand participants,” Ji Ning said with a laugh. “But this assembly is personally presided over by His Imperial Majesty, so it carries special significance. According to estimates, there should be around a hundred thousand.” A lot of this information had been revealed to Ji Ning by his cousin-sister.

“That works out to about thirty people per commandery,” the slovenly True Man mused. “So it seems that nine out of ten of the real elites and talents from all commanderies have come.”

“This Immortal Fortunes Assembly is different from any before,” Yu Wei added.

Once inside the imperial palace, they saw a wide passageway.

“Those participating in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, follow us!” a thunderous voice boomed, and up ahead, a group of Imperial Guards were leading the way through the air.

They followed the wide avenue until they reached an absolutely enormous plaza. The plaza was so vast that one could not see its end with the naked eye. It was paved with pitch-black stone slabs, and the slabs were covered with incredibly complex runic patterns that covered the entire area, radiating an aura that made one’s heart chill.

“Participants in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, wait in this area,” the front ranks of Imperial Guards commanded, quickly directing the crowd.

These geniuses from across the land had almost never been inside the imperial palace before. They were all a bit wide-eyed, and they obediently descended into the designated area.

SWISH!

The Imperial Guards swiftly dispersed, completely surrounding the area. They all stood there coldly, not moving a muscle. These guards knew that His Imperial Majesty the Grand Xia Emperor himself was going to preside over the assembly today; an event like this was a rare chance for them to be in the Emperor’s presence. How could they dare to be anything but absolutely serious?

“This plaza has to be at least ten thousand li wide,” the pudgy, slovenly True Man said, looking down at the runes. “And it contains an absolutely terrifying formation, far beyond anything my perceptions can grasp.”

“Mm,” Yu Wei agreed, her expression solemn as she too observed carefully.

Ji Ning heard the voice of the Yellow-Maned Bear in his mind: “It seems the foundations of your Grand Xia Dynasty run deep indeed. Based on my observations, the runic formation on this plaza… it’s a formation diagram! This formation diagram draws upon the power of at least three Pure Yang treasures and over a thousand Immortal-ranked treasures. With just a single thought from the Grand Xia Emperor, a massive formation made from at least three Pure Yang treasures and a thousand Immortal-ranked treasures could be activated. A formation composed of so many treasures… this should be an extremely large-scale, home-base defensive formation. In other words, it’s the formation that guards this major world of yours. Potent, truly potent, and impressive. To set up such a formation, I imagine even an ordinary Pure Yang True Immortal couldn’t do it. The being who laid down this world-protecting formation is absolutely a top-tier expert of the Three Realms, perhaps even comparable to my master!”

“What!” Ji Ning was shocked.

Comparable to Daoist Threelives? Even an ordinary Pure Yang True Immortal couldn’t set it up? A world-protecting formation? Guarding an entire major world?

Ji Ning did not know that the artifact spirit’s guess was indeed correct. Although this ancient world-protecting formation hadn’t been set up by the ‘Grand Xia Emperor’s master,’ it had been set up by another great power of similar standing. It was indeed used to protect the entire major world, serving as the very foundation of the Grand Xia Dynasty.

“If your Grand Xia Emperor is a Pure Yang True Immortal, then with the help of this formation, there would be very few beings in the entire Three Realms who could deal with him,” the Yellow-Maned Bear mused. “And even if there were powerful beings who could deal with him, once they saw this world-protecting formation, they’d be forced to show face to the expert who set it up. Impressive, impressive. Your Grand Xia Emperor is no small figure.”

The artifact spirit’s vision was extremely sharp, and with a single glance, it could tell that the Grand Xia Emperor had a formidable background.

“Will His Imperial Majesty be able to discover you?” Ji Ning asked.

“Rest easy,” the Yellow-Maned Bear said with absolute confidence. “Even the ultimate grandmaster who set up this world-protecting formation might be able to sense that the estate is special, but he would never be able to spy on it. After all, this is a legacy treasure my master poured his entire heart and soul into.”

Ji Ning nodded.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Ji Ning and all the other Wanxiang Adepts about to participate in the Immortal Fortunes Assembly turned their heads to look. From afar, they saw orderly formations of people flying in, perfectly organized. These people clearly understood the proper protocols and etiquette. In contrast, they, the geniuses, had all swarmed in like a chaotic tide.

“The three thousand six hundred commanderies and the four seas.” Ji Ning could clearly see that the formations filing in were organized by ‘commandery.’ Each one descended into the plaza.

“Anchan Commandery.” Yu Wei pointed into the distance.

Ji Ning and the slovenly True Man looked as well.

At the head of the Anchan Commandery formation was a tall, gaunt man in black robes. His aura was powerful and his bearing was extraordinary; this was the Marquis of Anchan. Following closely behind the Marquis were a number of people from the Northmont clan, among whom Ji Ning spotted Northmont Baiwei obediently mixed in with the crowd. Behind them were the dozen or so people from the Black-White College, followed by figures from the various major tribes of Anchan Commandery, such as the Lair Dragons clan and the Mulberry clan. The entire Anchan Commandery formation numbered in the hundreds.

The formations from the three thousand six hundred commanderies and the four seas all descended, forming neat, orderly ranks.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Several figures suddenly shot up into the air, flying towards the heavens.

“Cousin-sister.” Ji Ning saw among those upward-flying figures King Yan, who was bringing Yuchi Xiyue with him as they soared into the clouds above.

“Is that Junior Apprentice-Sister Nine Lotos?” the slovenly True Man said in surprise.

Ji Ning saw her too.

Nine Lotos was following a blue-robed man as they also shot upwards, flying into the high heavens. Ji Ning’s cousin-sister had told him before… only Celestial Immortals could fly directly to the main hall of the Heavenfang Palace to meet the Grand Xia Emperor. Everyone else would actually be unable to see him. Celestial Immortals could also bring one or two attendants with them. That blue-robed man should be a Celestial Immortal.

As Ji Ning looked up, Nine Lotos was also searching the crowd below with her gaze. Suddenly, their eyes met.

A feeling, at once familiar and distant, echoed in both their hearts. Both of them involuntarily averted their gazes.

In the main hall, the highest point of the Heavenfang Palace. The Grand Xia Emperor, clad in black robes, sat high upon his throne. Below him, the attendees were arranged in two rows. Closest to the Emperor were the Celestial Immortals of the Xiamang clan who held the title of Prince. Behind them were the Celestial Immortals from all across the Grand Xia Dynasty. Although there was no strict order demanding their presence, many Celestial Immortals had keen senses. They, too, had detected that something was off about this Immortal Fortunes Assembly personally presided over by the Emperor, and so quite a few had come.

A single glance revealed nearly a thousand Celestial Immortals standing in attendance below.

“We pay our respects to Your Imperial Majesty!”

As Prince Qi led the way with a respectful bow, all the Celestial Immortals followed suit. The attendants who had followed the Celestial Immortals immediately knelt down.

At the same time. On the vast plaza far below the Heavenfang Palace, the more than a hundred thousand geniuses participating in the assembly and the over a million people from the three thousand six hundred commanderies and the four seas all knelt down in unison, their heads pressed to the ground. Together, they spoke as one: “We pay our respects to Your Imperial Majesty!”

The sound was like a thunderclap, shaking the heavens and the earth.

“Rise!” The Grand Xia Emperor’s voice also echoed through the heavens and the earth.