The entire Black Flood Dragon Immortal City trembled instantly, countless cultivators were awakened by the Space Domain Gate above, and looked upwards.
The person leading the group was unrecognized, and no aura could be sensed, yet among the Eastern Desolation's five great leaders behind him, quite a few people recognized them and could feel the imposing majesty emanating from them.
"Who is the young master leading the group? Why would the ancestors of the five families be willing to follow him?"
"Eastern Desolation's five great leaders gather at Yan Kingdom once again, what are they planning?"
"The last gathering was twenty years ago regarding Master Chang Chun's matter, could there be something earth-shattering this time?"
"Blessing or disaster?"
...
City Lord Black Flood Dragon True Man felt his heart and mind tremble instantly.
Here again? This time it's even bigger!
Throughout the first half of his life, he was cautious and opportunistic, taking advantage during the upheavals of the righteous and demonic factions, amassing wealth and gathering Core Formation resources, barely managing to occupy the former Qingyin Valley as a dojo. Seeing Yan Kingdom's Nascent Soul True Monarchs decline, he could act mightily with his Golden Core Peak strength. However, this past year he constantly had his assumptions challenged by powerful figures.
A year ago, nine Divinity Transformation figures from the Shangguan family descended upon him suddenly, and he thought they were coming to settle old scores, luckily he ran fast.
Now, this is even more terrifying.
The top five ancestors of Eastern Desolation have personally arrived.
The young master leading them is completely beyond his understanding.
Without any more hesitation, he fled immediately.
Surviving through the century-long war between the righteous and demonic factions and reaching Core Formation relied entirely on caution, bravery, and meticulousness.
As the entire city was shocked at the arrival of the five ancestors, Li Jizhou, along with Ji Yue and Zhao Tianyuan, who were privy to such information, also looked at the young man leading them with dread.
To have the five ancestors willingly follow him so respectfully... even the Saint Emperor of the Central State's royal family can't accomplish this.
Their first thought was of that legendary figure—Immortal Daoist.
The Harmonization Peak's Central Spiritual Sea old immortal!
Typically, elderly figures above Refining Void return from the Central Spiritual Sea with little lifespan left, aware of the futility of their path, coming back to settle their affairs.
But he is different, emerging once every millennium, and each time maintaining eternal youth.
Li Jizhou was not only worried about his Wood Spirit Body talent being noticed in this life, but also concerned about him taking action against Bai Yi in the Fire Domain.
Uncertain if Immortal Daoist, at Harmonization Perfection, could enter the Ninth Layer of the Fire Domain!
Just as he was preparing to flee using a Teleportation Talisman, he suddenly saw Immortal Daoist usher in Yu Ziyu, Ye Jingyu, Zhou Cang, Jiang Li, Qi Yuan... and even a few whom Li Jizhou only recognized after a moment, one was Hua Tianyang, another Zhang Ruoyu, and another Liu Zhengfeng.
Among them, Hua Tianyang was the brother of Hua Yanshi, whom Li Jizhou met in the Golden Sun Sect's Golden Crow Immortal City in his past life, and whom he healed of a dragon-spine injury from childhood so he could walk like a normal person.
In his past life, Hua Tianyang was later discovered to have talent in body cultivation by the Central Domain's Sacred Land Barbaric Prison Sacred Land, and taken back to the Sacred Land.
Zhang Ruoyu was an elder on the Outer Peak of the Golden Sun Sect, and in his past life was the benefactor who helped Li Jizhou gain his first Lifespan Extension Pill, but the last time they met in his previous life was on the road returning to Yan Kingdom from the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, when he saved his life, settling their karmic ties.
As for Liu Zhengfeng, Li Jizhou did not immediately recognize him, but felt intense emotions transmitted from Liu Hongling within the Dharma Realm. He was the clan leader from the Liu family, who in the past life, in the swamp, Liu Zhengfeng pleaded with Li Jizhou to elevate Liu Hongling to a Tier Three Earth Spirit Master to capture the Gilded Earth Dragon Beast.
...
"All the people associated with my past life have been brought here? Could it be... he's not after Bai Yi in the Fire Domain, but my past self?" Li Jizhou instantly realized Immortal Daoist's intentions.
This surprised him greatly.
Why would a Harmonization Divine Venerable be interested in his past life? Could he also be intrigued by the Guanghan Seal?
"Buzz~" While pondering, suddenly, spatial fluctuations appeared again above the Immortal City.
In the next instant, the domain gate opened, and another group emerged from the gate.
Immediately, they headed towards Immortal Daoist.
Among the group, Li Jizhou raised his eyebrows slightly.
Another old acquaintance was among them.
An Liuli!
It was the Chancellor of the Cangming Dynasty personally bringing An Liuli to Immortal Daoist.
This time, they've truly gathered everyone Li Jizhou interacted with in his past life.
Shortly thereafter, Immortal Daoist waved his hand courteously, the others respectfully bowed and vanished without a trace, leaving only him with Li Jizhou's acquaintances from his past life, dropping into the Black Flood Dragon Immortal City.
Upon landing, he still restrained all magical power, devoid of any detectable aura, with a kindly smile and engaging in a gentle exchange with the nine individuals behind him from time to time.
He did not wield any Mana Shield or Divine Sense isolation, genuinely like a mere mortal.
Yet, the nine individuals behind him were all solemn and tense.
Watching him lead the nine into the City Lord's Mansion, arriving at Black Flood Dragon True Man's core training ground, Li Jizhou became more certain of his conjecture.
Indeed, Immortal Daoist is here for his past self.
Because the training ground presently occupied by Black Flood Dragon True Man was the site where Li Jizhou previously formed his Immortal Golden Core, encaged by the falling Golden Core from heaven.
Yet Immortal Daoist did not shield Divine Sense detection nor communicate through sound transmission, simply asking Zhou Cang calmly.
"Did anything peculiar happen when Little Friend Chang Chun formed his Core back then?"
"There's array shielding, specifics unknown, only the duration was notably long, Core formation took two months, with celestial music and five-colored spiritual light." Zhou Cang seemed influenced by a secret technique, speaking somewhat mechanically.
Immortal Daoist nodded with a gentle smile, then walked alone to the place where Li Jizhou had formed his Core, closing his eyes to carefully sense.
It wasn't long before he abruptly turned, gazed around, and facially expressed disappointment.
"Let's go, let's visit Sky Immortal City." Subsequently, Immortal Daoist tapped the void underfoot, and with the nine individuals, vanished instantly.
Sky Immortal City was where Li Jizhou was driven to self-destruction by Shangguan Qingming in his past life.
The group arrived quickly and left just as swiftly, leaving Black Flood Dragon Immortal City's inhabitants in a daze, somewhat disappointed that evidently such formidable strength exceeded their comprehension, yet nothing of Master Chang Chun's secrets was discovered.
Li Jizhou, however, now felt a vague intuition in his heart.
Throughout this year, Celestial Punishment Order transmitted many messages to him.
Linking together stories about Immortal Daoist, especially witnessing him exploring his past life's path today, suddenly formed a series of associations.
"The ability for infinite possession is unheard of in this realm from ancient times to the present, no concrete evidence exists, and attempting to break through the Primordial Spirit for a second possession is strictly forbidden by the Celestial Dao, it supposedly cannot be genuine."
Conversely, Li Jizhou felt more convinced that the "Evergreen Skill" he practiced in his past life, the Taihao Sacred Land's Sect's Immortal Scripture "Hundred Transitions Immortal Skill," perhaps indeed held the possibility of allowing Immortal Daoist five thousand years of immortality.
"Yet it's not right, merely practicing 'Evergreen Skill' can extend lifespan by fifty percent, but rumors claim Immortal Daoist repeatedly failed to advance to Mahayana, damaging his Dao Foundation, only to emerge whole every millennium without any cosmic scar, this doesn't match."
Furthermore, if he solely relied on practicing 'Evergreen Skill,' there'd be no need to seek Li Jizhou's past life's secrets.
In his past life, Li Jizhou merely reached Golden Core Peak, comparing to Harmonization Realm is like ants to dragons, hardly warranting investigation.
With Immortal Daoist's arrival, Li Jizhou felt worried, even considering leaving this vortex behind, willing to forsake the Qilin Immortality Pill.
However, the messages returned from Jiuli Dynasty this year urged him to endure.
A year ago, Dragon Aspect retired, the Ninth Prince was placed under house arrest, the Crown Prince was despised by the Saint Emperor, seemingly there wasn't a single winner.
This past year, Gongsun Dang, under Li Jizhou's arrangement, exerted effort to eradicate Dragon Aspect's hidden agents, but progress was not smooth.
With the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince both sidelined, and Dragon Aspect away from the Imperial City, Li Yuan faced no pressure, nor was there hurry for royal succession.
If he resurrected back to court at this time, the Crown Prince and Ninth Prince's matters might arouse Li Yuan's suspicion, making it difficult to ensure smooth royal succession.
Moreover, this past year he diligently nurtured three women; although he hadn't practiced cultivation, he broke through Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, now requiring a Seventh Grade Cyan Lotus to deepen the Heaven and Earth Seal, yet neither Duke Zhen nor Gongsun Dang had found one.
This heightened Li Jizhou's urgency to use Qilin Immortality Pill's essence as a substitute for the Seventh Grade Cyan Lotus.
"The Qilin Immortality Pill cannot be abandoned!"
Three months later, the whole Yan Kingdom stirred, with rumor of Immortal Daoist descending upon the Fire Domain, claiming he would extinguish the ten thousand-year unyielding Fire Domain.
Within it surely lies the secrets of Master Chang Chun's past fortune.
Virtually half of Yan Kingdom's cultivators hastened to the Fire Domain, hoping to seize the opportunity.
That day, Ji Yue and Zhao Tianyuan jointly invited Li Jizhou to join them.