The Purpose of Becoming Strong

The Great Emperor of Southern Nirvana was the collective crystallization of wisdom among the three members of the Immortal Fairy's sect lineage. "Southern" was the prefix the Immortal Fairy had concocted, "Nirvana" was the defining trait Lu Yang had suggested, and Jiang Lianyi, considering that Ancient Dijiang dared to call himself the Demon Emperor, felt her own title could hardly sound weaker than his, so she adopted the honorable title of "Great Emperor." Before setting out, the five elders had prepared themselves to witness the legendary Ancient Dijiang—a living ancient half-immortal, a truly momentous figure. With several days still remaining until the founding ceremony, they had merely stopped by on their way to pick up Lu Yang so he could broaden his horizons in Demon City. How had the tables turned in the blink of an eye? And why had the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor joined the Heavenly Court—as one of the Four Sovereigns, no less? Could it be that the Heavenly Court wasn't made up after all? Did a Heavenly Court truly exist in ancient times, and was their Heavenly Court Cult genuinely an ancient organization? Even though the five elders had traveled far and wide and witnessed numerous immortal vestiges, this was the very first time they had ever encountered a half-immortal powerhouse. Especially at such close quarters. Jiang Lianyi raised a hand, gesturing for the five elders not to be so nervous. "The continuation of the Heavenly Court Cult will still require the support of you seniors." "We dare not, we dare not!" Before, when they were in the dark, they could still satisfy the itch of calling themselves seniors. But now that they knew Jiang Lianyi's true identity, who would dare play the senior before such an august presence? Inside the spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy watched this scene unfold and rolled all over the ground in stitches. "Yes, yes, yes! That's the exact reaction! Back then, the three of us—me, Lianyi, and Xiao Ling—hid our identities and went to auctions and places like that just to do this!" Lu Yang: "..." While Jiang Lianyi had been talking with the five elders, the kindhearted Lu Yang had tried multiple times to introduce her true identity, only to be stopped by the Immortal Fairy each time. So this was why. Senior Lianyi truly lived up to being her unrecorded disciple. Even after forgetting that period of her life, she could still make the five elders wear expressions like that. Was it an innate talent, or simply muscle memory? With a hearty heave, the Immortal Fairy kipped up from the ground, dusted off the dirt, and earnestly instructed her Second-in-Command, guiding him in cultivation. "See that? This is the purpose of becoming strong." Listening to the celestial's teachings, Lu Yang fell into contemplation. It seemed his state of mind was still not sufficiently tempered. Even now, he could still be easily swayed by a celestial, actually believing the Immortal Fairy was capable of uttering something profound. Having finally encountered an ancient luminary, the Third Elder happened to have a question to ask. Lately, he had been diligently reading books to elevate his self-cultivation so as not to make a fool of himself when out and about. "I've been reading recently, and the books say that Immortal Ying Tian favored married women, had a penchant for marriage and childbirth, and impregnated countless women. Is this true?" Jiang Lianyi: "..." How did such a rumor ever start spreading? Were the people who spread it not afraid of courting disaster during their heavenly tribulations? To say nothing of anything else, how could the offspring of an immortal be conceived so easily? If it were truly that simple, she would have long since borne her husband's child. Jiang Lianyi shook her head gently and denied the claim. "Immortal Ying Tian maintained moral integrity and held himself to high standards. He harbored no such proclivities." "I also heard that the Nine Nether existed in ancient times, governing life, death, and reincarnation, and determining the lifespans of all living beings?" This was the newest promotional dogma crafted after the Nine Nether Cult allied with the Heavenly Court Cult. "False. In ancient times, there was no such thing as the Nine Nether, nor was there reincarnation. When a person dies, it is like a lamp going out; no one lives a second life." "Then what about Buddhism? The books also say Buddhism already existed in ancient times, with countless devotees spanning the cosmos, making it one of the premier major factions of the ancient era, and that a Buddha of Buddhism was equivalent to an immortal." Jiang Lianyi shook her head in denial once more. "False. While Buddhism indeed existed in ancient times, and all Four Celestials participated in its affairs, making it count as a premier major faction, it did not exist in the manner you imagine." "I also heard that when you and the Dragon Clan Ancient Ancestor were half-immortals, you fought an earth-shattering battle where meteors filled the skies, stars were pulverized, and even cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage dared not spectate from nearby. Moreover, you unleashed the technique of nirvanic rebirth, reviving amidst flames while your phoenix cry resonated throughout the universe?" "That one is true," Jiang Lianyi said with certainty, her expression solemn. With that, she fell into deep thought, seemingly reminiscing about that arduous battle. She let out a long, quiet sigh, lamenting that the past could never be retrieved. The five elders froze, sensing the immense weight of history in Jiang Lianyi's sigh. It was a profound loneliness that no one else could truly empathize with. The Immortal Fairy remarked to Lu Yang, "She's captured thirty percent of Ying Tian's essence." Snapping out of her reverie, Jiang Lianyi asked, "I have only recently awakened and know nothing of the current cultivation world. There is a matter I must ask of you." "Senior Jiang, please ask. Whatever we know, we will hold nothing back." "Do you know where my husband—that is, the Demon Celestial—might possibly appear?" The five elders shook their heads in unison. "We are afraid we must disappoint Senior Jiang. What kind of mysterious existence is the Demon Celestial? Never mind where he might appear, we don't even have the faintest clue... Wait. Did you just call the Demon Celestial 'husband'?" The five elders stared at Jiang Lianyi as if they had seen a ghost. The Demon Celestial and the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor actually shared such a relationship? Was this the lore of ancient great demons? Any casual revelation was enough to overturn their entire worldview. Third Senior Sister had a muted reaction; while steering the beast hide earlier, Jiang Lianyi had already mentioned this matter to her. When she had first learned of their relationship, she had nearly plummeted from the sky along with the beast hide. Jiang Lianyi had merely asked on the off chance they might know something, so she was not surprised by the lack of useful information. "It seems I will have to ask the Dragon Clan, then." Major factions from all over had gathered here, and among them were notably both the Demon Domain Dragon Clan and the East Sea Dragon Clan. "Nephew Meng, I heard you were here?" Footsteps and hearty laughter echoed from outside the door. It was none other than Clan Head Jin of the Qiongqi Clan. Clan Head Jin had instructed his subordinates to report to him at once if they spotted Meng Jingzhou in Demon City. Living up to expectations, his subordinate had spotted Meng Jingzhou on his way to the inn. Meng Jingzhou had been accompanied by five elders of the Dao Seeking Sect; it would have been hard not to stand out. The moment he heard Meng Jingzhou had arrived, Clan Head Jin rushed without hesitation to the inn arranged for the Dao Seeking Sect. The thought that his Qiongqi Clan was about to have money filled Clan Head Jin with immense excitement. When he had approached the Meng Family Clan Head, the man had agreed right away. For the Qiongqi Clan to successfully borrow money, Meng Jingzhou must have put in a good word for them. True to his impetuous nature, upon hearing Meng Jingzhou's voice coming from a guest room halfway down the corridor, Clan Head Jin shoved the door open without a second thought and boomed jovially, "It's all thanks to you, Nephew, that our Qiongqi Clan was able to borrow those spirit stones!" Then his eyes fell upon Jiang Lianyi standing in the middle of the room, having lowered her hood and looking exceedingly conspicuous. Their eyes met. Clan Head Jin silently stepped back, exited the guest room, and closed the door. Jiang Lianyi hooked a finger. The door flew open, and Clan Head Jin was dragged into the room by an invisible force, his desperate struggles utterly futile. Without hesitation, Clan Head Jin squeezed his eyes shut and raised his hands in surrender. "I know the rules! I saw nothing today! I know nothing! I beg Ancient Ancestor Jiang to spare my life!" Jiang Lianyi was momentarily struck silent. In her memory, the Qiongqi Clan had always been stubborn and unyielding. Had three hundred thousand years brought about this much change? Meng Jingzhou was baffled. Ever since leaving the Qiongqi Clan, he had been traveling through the Demon Domain and hadn't sent word back home yet.