"The Heavenly Court Cult?!"
Hearing the youth declare his affiliation, the gathered guests were taken aback in unison.
If the most exciting topic among low-stage cultivators over the past two months had been discussing who would stand out in the grand competition, then the topic most frequently debated among high-stage cultivators was Dou Tianzun, who had appeared during the battle of Hanshui City and styled himself the Supreme Grand Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court Cult.
He was the very first celestial to make a public appearance outside of the Four Ancient Celestials.
Whether in Great Qian or Great Yu, there were only legends of figures who might have been celestials. It was the same for Great Xia, where rumors claimed an immortal oversaw the forbidden grounds of the Imperial Palace, yet no one had ever seen such a being with their own eyes.
Dou Tianzun's emergence had caused a massive uproar in the outside world. Cultivators at both the Body Integration stage and the Tribulation Transcendence stage were discussing who Dou Tianzun was and what the Heavenly Court Cult was.
Opinions on Dou Tianzun and the Heavenly Court Cult varied widely, and no definitive consensus had ever been reached.
Some claimed the Heavenly Court Cult was an ancient organization that had only recently awakened, while others said the Heavenly Court Cult had existed since ancient times, lurking behind the scenes throughout history, driving the rise and fall of dynasties as the mastermind in the shadows.
Who could have thought that today, at this grand tournament hosted by the imperial court and during the Dao Seeking Sect's 120,000-year celebration, the Heavenly Court Cult would arrive uninvited and reveal themselves so blatantly? What sheer arrogance!
Those with quick wits could already smell the thick scent of gunpowder in this move.
The Heavenly Court Cult had clearly come with ill intent.
"Who are you?" As the Acting Sect Master, the Immortal Fairy took control of Lu Yang's body and shouted in a stern voice.
A decisive murderous aura faintly seeped from her tone.
Standing upon the arena platform and surrounded by the multitude of heroes, the Heavenly Court Cult youth showed not the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he clasped his fists and spoke clearly:
"You must be the renowned Sect Master Lu Yang, riding the crest of the wave. Sect Master Lu rose to fame at a young age and possesses a solid foundation. If you were to participate in this competition, you would surely seize first place with ease. What a coincidence—we share the same family name. I am also surnamed Lu, and I am this cult's Young Cult Master."
The Immortal Fairy narrowed her eyes. Ignoring his flattery, her voice turned slightly cold. "So it is Young Cult Master Lu. May I ask what business brings Young Cult Master Lu to my Dao Seeking Sect to disrupt the tournament, and what business brings those individuals in the sky?"
Dark clouds drifted above the arena platform, and atop the clouds stood five figures, solemn and unsmiling, like ghosts and deities.
"I am a Protector of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Nether Heavenly King."
An ominous black aura emanated from the Nether Heavenly King, as though he had awoken from an ancient tomb, resurrected bearing the grievances of the dead to bring endless calamity upon the world.
"I am a Protector of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Hundred Herb Heavenly King."
A fragrance of herbs wafted from the Hundred Herb Heavenly King. One whiff was enough to tell that this herbal fragrance possessed an extraordinary origin; without prolonged contact with Little Medicine Kings, such an aroma would never develop.
"I am a Protector of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Unbroken Heavenly King."
The Unbroken Heavenly King resembled a golden-bodied Arhat from Buddhist tales—or perhaps he was the original template of the golden-bodied Arhat!
His physique was sinewy and powerful, without a single vulnerable aperture to be found anywhere on his body, representing the pinnacle of body cultivators.
"I am a Protector of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Heavenly King of Many Treasures."
At the waist of the Heavenly King of Many Treasures hung a string of magical treasures. The most conspicuous among them was a top-tier treasure that even cultivators in the Tribulation Transcendence stage would covet. It had already birthed an artifact spirit, formed by refining the soul of a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator—terrifying to the extreme!
"I am a Protector of the Heavenly Court Cult, the Golden Flame Heavenly King."
From time to time, wisps of golden flame flared from the Golden Flame Heavenly King's body. This flame belonged to none of the one hundred and eight True Fires; rather, it seemed as if all one hundred and eight True Fires had been melded together, pushing True Fire to a brand-new realm!
The five figures stood like towering mountains, lofty and unattainable. Their auras were ancient, as if hailing from primordial antiquity.
Yet it was only their auras that were ancient. Anyone could see that these five Heavenly Kings were in the prime of life, far from senile, and perhaps their current state was not even their peak.
"It feels like these five haven't undergone tribulation yet. Why haven't the Old Ancestors moved to intercept them?" the Sect Master of the Qi Controlling Sect muttered in a low voice. He was exceptionally sensitive to auras, and none of these figures were in the Tribulation Transcendence stage.
Venerable Yiqi glared at his junior, frightening the Sect Master of the Qi Controlling Sect into realizing he had spoken out of turn, and he hurriedly fell silent.
Only then did Venerable Yiqi explain via voice transmission: "Think you're the clever one? Are all the Tribulation Transcendence cultivators present inferior to you?"
"Please enlighten me, Old Ancestor."
"Do you know that to enter the Dao Seeking Sect, one must pass the river spirit? The river spirit's methods rival the Tribulation Transcendence stage. To sneak past him into the Dao Seeking Sect is absolute nonsense for mere Body Integration methods!"
"Do you think the ones who have revealed themselves are everyone the Heavenly Court Cult brought today?"
"In my view, there is at least one half-immortal from the Heavenly Court Cult lurking in the shadows."
"Furthermore, the Dao Seeking Sect stated that they possess means to handle half-immortals, yet they haven't taken action. I fear this is the worst-case scenario: Dou Tianzun is also here, perhaps right under our noses, and not a single soul has noticed him!"
The Sect Master of the Qi Controlling Sect felt his heart quiver and a chill run down his spine.
"Pardon our intrusion," the Nether Heavenly King said in a deep voice, appearing to be the leader of the Heavenly Kings.
The five Heavenly Kings descended from the sky. Frightened, the surrounding crowd hurriedly cleared an open space, not daring to approach them.
Feeling their terrifying auras, some of the prodigies could barely keep their footing.
Young Cult Master Lu seemed oblivious to the hostility radiating from the Immortal Fairy. With a smile hovering at the corner of his lips, he replied, "Having slumbered from antiquity until now, I have never encountered a rival at the same cultivation stage since awakening. Having heard by chance that your noble sect was holding a competition, I came to join the commotion. I arrived uninvited, and I hope Sect Master Lu will forgive the intrusion."
*Slumbered from antiquity until now?*
Hearing Young Cult Master Lu's self-introduction, the guests were shocked once more.
So the Heavenly Court Cult truly hailed from antiquity!
Young Cult Master Lu glanced at the two prodigies on the arena platform and continued, "These two are both in the mid Golden Core stage, and I happen to be in the mid Golden Core stage as well. I shall take the two of them as my opponents. If I lose, my cult will withdraw immediately. If I win, it will prove that my strength is respectable, and I shall continue in the tournament. What do you think?"
"Taking on two at once—Young Cult Master Lu boasts quite a big mouth," the Immortal Fairy snorted coldly.
"If I refuse your challenge, it will make our Great Xia appear petty instead. Very well. If you win this match, I shall grant you a spot to compete. If you lose, then get lost from the Dao Seeking Sect!"
Toward the end, the Immortal Fairy's tone grew heavy, carrying an implicit murderous intent.
Below the stage, the prodigies secretly cheered, wanting nothing more than to applaud on the spot. Young Cult Master Lu was domineering, and his words showed complete disregard for them, the prodigies. Yet Sect Master Lu faced the formidable Heavenly Court Cult without the slightest fear, and even threatened the Heavenly Court Cult in turn.
On this courage alone, he surpassed every single one of them!
"Well said, Sect Master Lu! I, Qiu Jin'an, support Sect Master Lu's view! Since ancient times, the victor is king and the vanquished is a bandit. If you lose, roll back to wherever you came from!"
The masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects and the First Prince stepped forward to back the Immortal Fairy.
Watching the six righteous factions—the Five Great Immortal Sects and the imperial court—join hands to confront the enemy, the crowd clenched their fists in excitement.
Only Meng Jingzhou, from start to finish, stared at this so-called Young Cult Master Lu with dead-fish eyes.
The First Prince felt quite nervous inside. *It's my first time doing something like this... I didn't leave any flaws, did I?*
*Why does it feel like the people of the Five Great Immortal Sects are so well-practiced at this routine?*
Chapter 493