The Gathering Storm

The Grand Xia Emperor sat high upon his throne, looking down upon those below. His voice was calm as he spoke. “The Immortal Fortunes Assembly has reached its most critical juncture. Xiamang Zishan, Cangwu Jiu, Ji Ning, Slacker Daoist, Mu Chuan, Blackstone Recluse.”

Ji Ning and the other five all looked towards the Grand Xia Emperor.

“The next round will determine which three of you six have the chance to be accepted as disciples by my master.” The Grand Xia Emperor’s voice seemed cold, but his gaze swept across Ji Ning and the others. He knew that if the Grand Xia Dynasty was to produce a truly extraordinary hero during these turbulent times in the Three Realms, it would very likely be one of these six! And one of them was already fated to become a disciple of Daofather Crimsonbright, while another was already a disciple of the Black Tortoise Grand Emperor.

“You will have one hour to calm your hearts.”

“After one hour, this most critical battle will begin.” The Grand Xia Emperor said calmly.

Ji Ning and the other five were momentarily startled.

Calm their hearts for an hour?

The invisible pressure of competing for the top three had already made it difficult for them to even breathe. They had all been preparing to fight one-on-one, but now the Grand Xia Emperor wanted them to wait an hour.

“After one hour, the battles you fight will be the battles that determine the turning point of your fates.” The Grand Xia Emperor said calmly, then fell silent.

“Xiamang, you certainly know how to torment people.” Lu Dongbin teased. “They say that death isn’t frightening; what’s frightening is the fear before death. If you had them fight immediately, it would be one thing. But forcing them to wait an entire hour… the invisible pressure of that hour will torment every single one of them.”

“The chance to become a disciple of a Daofather is not so easily obtained.” Xiamang said calmly. “The nine of us have all endured endless cycles of life-and-death tribulations to reach where we are today. They are merely Wanxiang Adepts. If they are not tempered by such pressure, how can they be worthy of the opportunity? The invisible pressure is the finest tempering.”

“My fellow Daoists, care to guess which one among these six the Daofather will choose?” Beidi the Immortal said.

“The Slacker Daoist is certain to enter the top three, but he is a disciple of the Black Tortoise Grand Emperor. The Daofather will not choose him. Hmm… perhaps Xiamang Zishan. The overbearing aura of this Xiamang Zishan is already etched into his very bones, and he likely carries the karmic luck of the Xiamang clan. If he can become a Daofather’s disciple, his future achievements will be boundless.”

“I have my eye on that barefoot, bald youth. I always feel there is something of the Divine Farmer’s aura about him.”

The human race was the most powerful of the countless races in the Three Realms. In the ancient Pangu’s world of yore, after Mother Nuwa created mankind, humanity multiplied, learned, grew strong, and one after another embarked upon the path of immortality… In that ancient world, the human race gave birth to several utterly supreme major powers.

Divine Farmer, Renhuang, was one of them.

“Dashizhi, has your mind gone rotten? That barefoot, bald youth uses the Fuxi Staff Formation. There might be some connection to Fuxi.”

“I’m backing Ji Ning. Ji Ning has only been cultivating for a little over thirty years, and he’s already this monstrous. His potential is limitless. The Daofather might choose Ji Ning.”

“I think Mu Chuan is quite good.”

“I’m backing Cangwu Jiu.”

Only the Slacker Daoist was not chosen by anyone among the nine Pure Yang True Immortals, including the Grand Xia Emperor. The other five all had their supporters.

Ji Ning, Yu Wei, Yuchi Xiyue, and the Slacker Daoist were sitting together. Yu Wei and Yuchi Xiyue didn’t dare to speak, while Ji Ning and the Slacker Daoist both sat silently, lost in thought.

“Yu Wei, the two of them are in that state now…” Yuchi Xiyue sent worriedly.

“Don’t worry. Although their Dao-hearts are both formidable, the temptation of becoming a Daofather’s disciple is far too great. The critical battle is at hand. Letting them be still for a while is good; it will temper their Dao-hearts.” Yu Wei said. Her cultivation experience was far greater, after all, as she possessed the memories of her past life.

Although Ji Ning also had memories of a past life, his previous life had been short and he had merely been a mortal.

Time flowed on. In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.

“The fourth round. The most critical round.” The Grand Xia Emperor’s voice suddenly rang out.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Ji Ning, the Slacker Daoist, Xiamang Zishan, Blackstone Recluse, Cangwu Jiu, and Mu Chuan all turned their intensely burning gazes towards the Grand Xia Emperor.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to divide the six of you into three matches.”

“First match: Slacker Daoist versus Mu Chuan.”

“Second match: Blackstone Recluse versus Cangwu Jiu.”

“Third match: Ji Ning versus Xiamang Zishan.”

The voice was sonorous, echoing throughout the great hall.

Ji Ning and the other six instantly turned their gazes towards their respective opponents.

The Slacker Daoist and Mu Chuan both appeared to be simple, honest men. Yet these two seemingly honest men had both fought their way directly into the top six. Now, only one of them could enter the top three. When their gazes met… they were both very calm, but behind that calm lay an unshakeable resolve.

Blackstone Recluse and Cangwu Jiu were both unconventional figures. Blackstone Recluse was always barefoot and bald, holding his staff. Cangwu Jiu was always like an eagle, his gaze as if he wanted to devour people. The two glanced at each other from afar, their gazes almost bursting into flames.

Ji Ning and Xiamang Zishan were the two most ferocious contestants. Xiamang Zishan’s very bones were overbearing, and his staff technique was also overbearing. Ji Ning was the number one Sword Immortal of this Immortal Fortunes Assembly. He appeared to be a delicate youth, but in terms of pure power, he was actually the strongest of them all.

Simple versus simple.

Unconventional versus unconventional.

Fierce versus fierce.

“First match: Slacker Daoist and Mu Chuan. You two will enter the Sealing Formation. You may begin.” The Grand Xia Emperor ordered.

“Yes.”

The Slacker Daoist and Mu Chuan both acknowledged respectfully, then walked out of the hall.

“Xiamang, your arrangement truly is a case of spear-point against spear-tip.” Lu Dongbin shook his head. “I don’t dare to say who will enter the top three anymore. I can’t see it. I simply can’t see it.”

“Precisely because it’s impossible to see clearly that I am even more anticipatory.” Although the Grand Xia Emperor was speaking to Lu Dongbin, his gaze was fixed on the Sealing Formation outside the great hall. The three upcoming battles, each and every one of them, he must watch with the utmost seriousness… After all, watching them live was completely different from watching a recorded image.

A recorded image only gives an impression.

But watching live allows one to sense the fluctuations of the ‘Dao’.

“Ji Ning, who do you think will win between them?” Yuchi Xiyue was also extremely nervous.

“I don’t know.” Ji Ning shook his head, then glanced at Xiamang Zishan, who was not far away.

Xiamang Zishan sensed his gaze and looked back.

The two exchanged a glance, then looked away, both focusing on the battle that was about to begin outside… One of the Slacker Daoist and Mu Chuan would enter the top three.

Who would it be?

Within the Sealing Formation.

The Slacker Daoist and Mu Chuan faced each other from afar.

“You are the strongest opponent I have faced in this Immortal Fortunes Assembly.” Mu Chuan usually appeared simple and honest, but at this moment his gaze was as sharp as a blade. He said solemnly, “I have seen your battle against Ninefate Recluse. However… you will still lose to me.”

“Oh? Words are useless. If you have any impressive techniques, feel free to use them.” The Slacker Daoist said with a genial smile.

Boom! Boom!

The two of them simultaneously transformed into towering giants, each assuming the Three Heads, Six Arms form.

Mu Chuan’s six hands each grasped a massive hammer, while the Slacker Daoist was empty-handed. However, with his ‘Black Tortoise Grand Divine Ability’, he had no need for weapons. In fact, Ji Ning also had no need for weapons; his Starseizing Hands made his palms comparable to Immortal-ranked magic treasures. However, the ‘Starseizing Hands’ was too significant a matter, and Ji Ning dared not reveal it lightly.

If he revealed it in front of Daofather Crimsonbright, that would be one thing. But at the Immortal Fortunes Assembly, there were too many eyes and ears. If he exposed it, the news would likely spread immediately. Many in the Three Realms would know… and it was possible that a major power with a grudge against Daoist Threelives would directly exterminate him to sever the inheritance of Daoist Threelives!

Ji Ning did not dare to gamble. Thus, he had never used his palms to block magic treasures! Even though his palms were more powerful than his Northsea swords.

“Rooooaaar!!!”

A gigantic Black Tortoise-Serpent appeared.

Faint roars could be heard. The Slacker Daoist, at the center of the Black Tortoise-Serpent, was filled with absolute dominance, directly crushing his way towards Mu Chuan.

“This is my world…” Mu Chuan squinted, his face filled with intoxication. Immediately, the entire Sealing Formation began to produce saplings, which grew rapidly into towering trees. The towering trees withered and turned to ash, but new saplings sprouted in their place. Large numbers of saplings grew. The Three-Headed, Six-Armed Mu Chuan also seemed to resemble a humanoid tree, his six arms stretched out like branches, the massive hammers in his hands like fruit.

“Bang!” The Slacker Daoist had already arrived, his fist like peals of thunder, rumbling as it crushed forward.

Mu Chuan swung his hammers.

Bang!

The hammer collided with the fist. Mu Chuan walked back heavily with each step to absorb the shock, but he still resembled a humanoid tree wielding six great hammers.

“Can’t break through?” The Slacker Daoist was startled. “No wonder he’s a peerless genius who made his name three hundred years ago, deliberately suppressing himself for three hundred years until now.”

The Slacker Daoist’s offensive changed.

He directly employed the ‘Stacking Waves’ secret art. His attacks began to come like crashing waves, each wave more violent than the last, continuously layering and intensifying! Mu Chuan, who was renowned for his defense, began to find it increasingly difficult to hold on.

“For trees to grow, they must have water!” Mu Chuan’s expression shifted slightly. He suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Rumble…

Large amounts of flowing water appeared amidst the flourishing trees within the Sealing Formation. Countless streams of water swirled around the trees, and the feeling Mu Chuan gave off changed as well. Before, Mu Chuan had seemed like a humanoid tree, but now he had gained a touch of nimbleness, becoming more fluid and perfect.

“Two Grand Daos?”

“He’s actually walking two Grand Daos simultaneously?”

Lu Dongbin, the Grand Xia Emperor, and the other seven Pure Yang True Immortals were all greatly shocked. In the previous rounds of competition, even within the Brightmoon Diagram of Mountains and Rivers, Mu Chuan had always used the subtleties of the ‘Grand Dao of Verdant Wood’. But the ‘Grand Dao of Source Water’ he was now revealing, Mu Chuan had never used before.

The Grand Dao of Verdant Wood and the Grand Dao of Source Water were two Grand Daos that complemented each other.

A Wanxiang Adept who had reached such a profound level of insight into two Grand Daos simultaneously, at least reaching the ‘Domain of the Dao’ for both, was unparalleled in the entire Immortal Fortunes Assembly, barring Mu Chuan.

This seemingly simple and honest Mu Chuan, when he did not reveal his hand, all was well. But the moment he did, it astonished everyone.