Everything that happened in the Ancestral Hall was never shared outside; it was classified as a top secret of the Tongshan Dao Lineage.
Zhang Jian had yet to fully mature.
His status as the Divine Dao Emperor was best kept hidden for as long as possible, ideally until he became an Immortal and fully mastered the Divine Dao Emperor’s Authority.
Otherwise, if this matter became known to those powerful beings, it could inevitably lead to disaster.
Zhang Jian went to the Ancestral Hall to read the handwritings of the ancestors, while guests of honor from various places gradually arrived over the two days.
For many Immortal Dao Sects, this was an event not seen in thousands of years.
To attain the Celestial Immortal Body through enlightenment and validation.
This was a myth from legends mirrored into reality.
Even some Immortal Sect Dao Lineages that had friction with the Tongshan Dao Lineage came shamelessly with generous gifts to enter the Divine Mountain’s domain to witness the ceremony.
A massive Ascension Platform was erected in front of the Divine Mountain.
This spot was vast, and more importantly, it was an exceptionally auspicious Treasure Land in terms of feng shui.
As the auspicious time drew near, a nine-colored radiance rippled across the Ascension Platform, and silhouettes emerged from the void.
The second-generation ancestors of the Tongshan Dao Lineage led some third-generation disciples, fourth-generation, and even some fifth-generation High-Tier Cultivators to reveal their true forms.
The two second-generation ancestors were Qing Yuan Ancestor and Zidian Ancestor.
The true forms of these two second-generation ancestors appeared, causing the expressions of high-ranking visitors to change slightly below.
"Those two old fellows are indeed still within Tongshan..."
Many of the ancient, dignified Great Cultivators had a slight change in their expressions, remaining solemn in demeanor.
True Monarch Zhanmo and Zhang Jian also manifested within the crowd.
True Monarch Zhanmo surveyed below, meanwhile introducing to Zhang Jian the identities of some ’honored guests’ who had come to witness the ceremony.
"Many cultivators have come to our Tongshan to witness the ceremony this time, and we not only invited some allies, including the ’Si Family’ and ’Jiang Family’ from the Eight Great Saint King Families, as well as the Profound Origin Sect and the Celestial River Sect.
There are also some very ancient True Immortal Clans, or Immortal Gods who have personally arrived.
For example, among the four inspection envoys of the Sheji Divine Dao, the Human Element Patrol Envoy is present!"
Upon hearing these words, Zhang Jian’s gaze followed True Monarch Zhanmo’s line of sight, landing on a dozen special seats before the observation platform below, where a figure in a purple robe, enveloped in a large swath of starlight, was conversing with numerous Daoists amidst flowing Immortal Light.
"Is this a Star Monarch?"
Zhang Jian’s eyes showed some surprise.
He knew the Divine Dao was divided into seven grades.
Among them, the Third-Grade Gods were equivalent to Primordial Spirit Masters.
Second-Grade Gods were generally referred to as Star Monarchs, or Celestial Gods, depending on the path they chose.
However, most gods would take the path of the Star Monarch.
The path of the Star Monarch was a well-established Great Dao within the Divine Dao, not only powerful and ancient but also facilitating the transition to other Divine Daos.
Zhang Jian merely glanced before withdrawing his gaze.
True Monarch Zhanmo laughed:
"Hmm, you will have the opportunity to interact with the four inspection envoys in the future!"
Zhang Jian’s eyes flickered.
The Sheji Divine Dao revered the Sheji Emperor above all, followed by a number of unknown First Grade Star Lords under his command.
Most of those First Grade Star Lords held nominal positions, ranking just below the Sheji Emperor.
A First Grade Star Lord was essentially equivalent to a Celestial Immortal in the Immortal Dao.
And as Celestial Immortals ordained by the Divine Dao, their power would be somewhat stronger.
And the most active ones were primarily the four inspection envoys.
The four inspection envoys—Celestial Essence, Earth Element, Human Element, Netherworld—were responsible for monitoring the Divine Dao Gods of Sheji, while also ensuring the normal operation of the Sheji Divine Dao.
Zhang Jian merely glanced before retracting his gaze; staring intently at other Immortals was considered extremely impolite behavior.
"This time, of the four inspection envoys, only the Human Element Patrol Envoy came, while the other three are reportedly investigating an unknown change within an ancient relic. That alien immortal next to them is the Qingping Dragon Monarch, the leader of the True Dragon Race in Qingping Sea. You should not underestimate the power of the Dragon Race, a considerable number of True Dragons exist within our Great Realm. However, among the dragons, this Immortal is not the strongest; the most powerful within the Dragon Race are in the forbidden zones of this realm, among those old beings unwilling to ascend..."
Zhang Jian’s brows moved slightly.
"Master, are there Immortals who forcibly stay and refuse to ascend?"
His eyes revealed surprise.
True Monarch Zhanmo nodded lightly.
"Indeed, and there are quite a few. After the catastrophic War of the Middle Ages, when the last Middle Ages Saint King emerged and enforced secret techniques to compel many Immortal beings to leave this realm, still some Immortals hid away. Be cautious in the future; those Ancient Immortals, although their powers are limited due to the constraints of heaven and earth, have far surpassed their peers in Daoist techniques..."
Zhang Jian nodded upon hearing these words. It was his first time hearing such a secret tale.
They could still forcefully remain?
This Great Realm seemed to harbor even more secrets!
Zhang Jian thought to himself, but the fact that it could nurture so many Ancient Saint Kings and Ancient Immortals was evidence of this Great Realm’s inherent allure.
True Monarch Zhanmo smoothly continued introducing other Immortals around him to Zhang Jian.
Zhang Jian quietly committed them to memory.
Seeing Zhang Jian’s expression, True Monarch Zhanmo could not help but smile again, "Most of these Immortal Ancestors usually roam the Outer World, so your chances of encountering them are very slim; you don’t need to be overly cautious!"
Then he heard True Monarch Zhanmo say:
"And there are some who arrived uninvited, like De Yang Ancestor from the Five Elements Immortal Sect, Supreme Master Yuanji from Yuanji City, the Celestial Wu Goddess from the Witchcraft Sect, and the Copper Drum Immortal from Extreme Immortal Island in Celestial Wind Sea... These are all sect ancestors, individuals with profound Daoist Magical Power, and some have been confirmed to have cultivated an Immortal Body, like the Copper Drum Immortal!"