The Invitation

Ancient Dijiang had always been exceedingly formidable. The Great Yu Imperial Preceptor had survived ten days of bombardment from the Immortal Celestial only because he had desperately hidden in a corner of space, sustaining minimal damage from the peripheral shockwaves of the self-destructions. When the Immortal Fairy spoke of Ancient Dijiang withstanding ten attacks, he had stood right at the epicenter of the explosions and taken ten blasts head-on—on a completely different level of difficulty compared to what the Great Yu Imperial Preceptor had faced. Besides, how could the explosive might of the Immortal Celestial possibly compare to that of the Immortal Fairy? Now that Ancient Dijiang was on the verge of unifying the Demon Domain, his strength had risen to another plane, elevating him into the top echelon of half-immortals. Even the Second-in-Command of the Immortal Lineage was no match for him, which showed just how terrifying Ancient Dijiang truly was. ... The Dijiang Clan. "Have all the invitations been sent out?" Ancient Dijiang fluttered his wings slightly, radiating a faint, elusive pressure that felt ancient, mysterious, and daunting. The Demon Domain revered strength above all else. Those kneeling below were the strongest experts of various tribes; it was precisely by subduing these supreme figures that he brought those great tribes under his control. A closer look revealed an intricately patterned mark deep in the eyes of these demon race experts: a master-servant imprint planted by Ancient Dijiang. Anyone branded with this imprint was bound to obey Ancient Dijiang's commands, their lives no longer belonging to themselves. The Dijiang Clan's envoy had originally intended to brand Clan Head Jin with this master-servant imprint, but who could have foreseen that the Qiongqi Clan possessed such profound foundations that they shattered the token? The patriarch of the Dijiang Clan looked nervously at the Ancient Ancestor, feeling rather anxious. "Reporting to Your Eminence, invitations have been dispatched to all the major factions. Only the four great demonic cults remain elusive, making it impossible to deliver to them." "The four great demonic cults? Wasn't the Immortal Cult eradicated?" "There is a newly risen power called the Heavenly Court Cult, whose members all hail from the ancient Heavenly Court..." The Dijiang patriarch recounted the deeds of the Heavenly Court Cult in full detail, from Dou Tianzun's debut in Hanshui City to the Young Cult Master throwing the Dao Seeking Sect's celebration into turmoil—all events attesting to the cult's formidable strength. Ancient Dijiang scoffed coldly. "Heavenly Court? A nonsensical fabrication! I roamed the ancient era for tens of thousands of years and never once heard of any Heavenly Court. Much like the Immortal Cult, it is surely nothing more than a fiction concocted by someone. "As for Dou Tianzun, who knows if that wasn't merely a farce put on by Great Yu cultivators? Nothing to fear!" "The Ancient Ancestor is truly wise!" "Furthermore, our Dijiang Clan's prodigy has stayed hidden long enough. It is time the world learned of our clan's might." The corner of Ancient Dijiang's mouth curled into a smile. The prodigy of the Dijiang Clan had been personally groomed by him as his true successor, possessing absolute strength. He then cast a frosty gaze down at the Dijiang patriarch prostrating on the ground. "Who gave you permission to speak directly to this Ancestor? Do you not understand the hierarchy between superior and inferior? Have a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator speak to me instead." ... "You all must have received the invitation sent by Ancient Dijiang. What are your thoughts?" Emperor Xia had summoned the sect masters of the Five Great Immortal Sects. Six invitations lay on the table. Qiu Jin'an shrugged. "What else can we do? Go, of course. Watching a spectacle doesn't cost anything. "Didn't Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi talk to us about this before? Our conclusion back then was that if Ancient Dijiang unifies the Demon Domain, he will actually be able to restrain those demon tribes hostile to humanity. In the future, whether for trade or exchanges between cultivators, it will be much more convenient. The pros outweigh the cons, so there's no need for Great Xia to meddle in this. "As for him revealing himself at this juncture, it's definitely related to the arrival of the Golden Age. Still, Ancient Dijiang isn't strong enough to threaten Great Xia. We might as well just be onlookers." "True enough." ... The Golden Buddhist Kingdom. "Ancient Dijiang intends to establish a Demon Empire?" The Lord of the Buddhist Kingdom was tall and imposing, his bald head gleaming. Bare-chested from the waist up, he sat upon a lotus throne, behind which was a statue of the Buddha cast from immortal gold. Looking at the delivered invitation, he turned his prayer beads, saying nothing. He wrote the names of those eligible to attend on a sheet of paper, tore them into strips, crumpled them into little balls, and began drawing lots. "Whatever, just pick anyone to go." ... The East Sea. The Old Dragon Emperor coiled around a stone pillar. His body spanned nearly ten thousand meters; his azure scales showed signs of age, and his talons were covered in thick calluses. Yet no one dared underestimate this old dragon. Whether in the East Sea or the Demon Domain, there was likely no living member of the demon race older than him. In his youth, he had single-handedly quelled the Nine Dragons Civil War that had nearly fractured the entire East Sea. "It has been a while since we had any contact with our kin in the Demon Domain anyway. Sending a few young dragons over to reminisce will do nicely, and they can inquire if there's any news about the Ancient Ancestor." ... The Nine Nether Cult. Mu Baiyi was cheerfully reviewing the barbecue restaurant's revenue. At this rate, he would definitely be able to pay off the loan in his lifetime, and even have enough left over to finish building Fengdu. "It's all thanks to the Heavenly Court Cult." Right as his spirits were at their peak, a subordinate brought a piece of intelligence that shocked him to the core. "The Demon Domain is establishing a Demon Empire and broadly distributing invitations to major factions to come witness it? "Why didn't we in the Nine Nether Cult get one? Oh, right, they can't find our location." How had such massive news not leaked even the slightest rumor beforehand? Was Ancient Dijiang's information blockade really that impenetrable? Mu Baiyi found himself in a dilemma. By rights, they should follow Young Cult Master Lu's plan—peacefully making money running barbecue shops and not getting involved. Then again, missing out on a historic milestone like the founding of the Demon Empire felt like something they would regret forever looking back. After pondering for a moment, he summoned Shi Huagu. "Ask Young Cult Master Lu what the Heavenly Court Cult thinks about this." Shi Huagu was equally shocked upon learning that Ancient Dijiang was founding an empire. He hurriedly took out his Nine Nether Token and entered a long message to consult Young Cult Master Lu. Before long, Lu Yang's reply came: *I've been in the Demon Domain the whole time.* Mu Baiyi and Shi Huagu sucked in a sharp breath. Who would go to the Demon Domain for no reason? This Young Cult Master Lu had surely known long ago that Ancient Dijiang was going to found an empire and had gone ahead in advance! Such was the profound foundation of the Heavenly Court Cult! ... "Junior Brother, who are you replying to?" Third Senior Sister sensed Lu Yang writing something. Lu Yang replied casually, "Oh, folks from the Nine Nether Cult. They were asking where I am." "...The Nine Nether Cult?" Third Senior Sister fell silent for a moment before repeating the words in disbelief, doubting her own hearing for the first time. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou proceeded to lay out the whole story of the Heavenly Court Cult in detail, emphasizing that Eldest Senior Sister was the Cult Master, while the eight elders and Daoist Buyu served as the Protector Heavenly Kings. In return, they received an even longer silence from Third Senior Sister. *Each generation truly surpasses the last. Master never pulled off anything like this in his youth.* At this moment, the three of them were seated upon an animal hide, not in any rush to head toward the Dijiang Clan. There was still a month before the Imperial Palace would be completed, so there was no need to arrive early. They were bound for a different destination—the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune. Had it not been for the founding of the Demon Empire, the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune, which opened once every century, would have been the Demon Domain's most watched and celebrated event. When the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune opened, all prodigies of the Demon Domain would participate. Aside from cultivation restrictions, there was only a single requirement to enter the Ancient Realm of Good Fortune: pure blood. As luck would have it, both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were pureblood humans, perfectly meeting the criteria.