Only Zhang Jian standing to the side could sense that the elixir could grant everlasting youth, but it could not prevent the erosion of time and the loss of vitality.
The vitality of the organs of the two was gradually waning.
Under the solemn gaze of hundreds of Zhang Clan core members, the two slowly ignited the sandalwood before the great cauldron and moved to the meditation mat to bow to the ancestors’ golden bodies.
"Brother Huang, do Father and Mother still not wish to slumber?"
Beside him, Prince Duan, Zhang Min, wearing a purple python robe, had a questioning look in his eyes.
Prince Duan Zhang Min was slightly younger than Zhang Jian, but also approaching an advanced age.
As Zhang Jian’s most trusted prince, he was also granted spirit medicine for maintaining his appearance, his beard beautifully grown, his sleeves flowing, appearing as a charismatic old prince.
Zhang Jian still saw traces of that youthful brother in his eyes.
He immediately smiled.
"Mother said she wants to see off Granduncle and Second Uncle before sleeping!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Min was slightly taken aback, then nodded, with a sigh in his eyes.
Although many spirit elixirs of the Great Xia Dynasty were received to prolong life.
Mortal life is ultimately finite.
Even with the two uncles being from military noble families and possessing extraordinary martial arts, they cannot withstand the erosion of time.
"Brother Min, what about you?"
Zhang Jian’s gaze turned to his brother who stood by him all along.
Zhang Min, although not a blood brother, had always been close to him. Zhang Jian gave him a spot for freezing his life span when it reached its end.
If he could follow in the ascension, that would naturally be best.
Even if his lifespan ended, Zhang Jian had ways to protect Zhang Min into the Nine Netherworld, transforming into a ghost god.
For a clan as vast as the East Continent Zhang Family, protecting one or two ancestral spirits to become ghost gods, or even a Ghost Emperor, was not difficult.
A decree from him could enshrine a ghost god, even a deity.
But becoming a deity was not the best choice.
After becoming a deity, a minor divine tribulation must be crossed every thousand years, and a great divine tribulation every ten thousand years.
And assessments occur periodically, without progress comes regression.
How could it compare to directly entering the Celestial Palace, receiving the Longevity Immortal Body in the Immortal Transformation Pool, and living freely?
Zhang Min smiled.
"Brother Huang, I don’t want to enter a cold slumber so early, and if I leave, there will be no one to restrain those unruly royal descendants for you!"
He gently stroked his beard, his expression solemn.
After all, they were in the Grand Ancestral Temple.
Once Zhang Yi and Qi Ruolan had finished worshipping, Zhang Jian led the two empresses beside him.
Next was the Crown Prince and Crown Prince Consort.
Then came Prince Duan Zhang Min leading the other princes.
Most of these princes were Zhang Jian’s biological brothers.
Zhang Yi, over these sixty-plus years, had never been idle.
Among them were Zhang Jian’s full brothers, as well as some born to the imperial consorts, numbering nearly twenty or thirty, creating a significant ’expense’ for the imperial family!
There were also many princesses, but they were not eligible to enter the Grand Ancestral Temple.
Then came the third generation, with quite a few Zhang clan members.
Witnessing this scene, Zhang Jian decided to urge Zhang Zhao and his wife to hasten their duty to proliferate.
Branch line overtaking the main line was not a good phenomenon!
...
After numerous Zhang clan members left the Grand Ancestral Temple, Zhang Jian once again set the Map of Mountains and Rivers to seal the perimeter of the Grand Ancestral Temple.
Hill-sized gold and silver ingots were thrown out by him.
This time, Zhang Jian’s preparations were plentiful, far exceeding any previous sacrificial scale.
Even surpassing the great tribulation of the Sea Eye at Qingping Sea level.
A sight to behold as hill-sized gold and silver ingots burned rapidly in the great cauldron, transforming into wisps of blue smoke, ascending into the profound void.
Zhang Jian’s eyes observed, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Within his gaze, the burning gold and silver ingots in the great cauldron had already doubled the previous amount, yet continued to burn rapidly.
This indicated the burning had yet to reach its limit.
The more that burned, typically equating to greater feedback he would receive.
The burning gold and silver ingots increased more and more, quickly exceeding the previous by threefold.
Then surpassed fourfold.
Only after exceeding fourfold, did it slowly come to a stop.
The divine fire of the great cauldron’s sacrifice slowly extinguished, some gold and silver ingots ceased to burn.
Seeing this, Zhang Jian collected them all into the Map of Mountains and Rivers.
Then he took out a special spirit treasure flowing with spiritual light.
It is a long qin.
At first glance, this long qin appears no different from other guqins, but when observed closely, its seven strings are actually formless and colorless. Only with magical power can one see its silvery-gray texture, as if resembling the relentless flow of time, the surge of ages.
It is called the Flowing Light Zither.
Crafted by Zhang Jian using precious Time Divine Materials, it embodies a portion of the intricacies of the Nine-Turns Wishing Space-Time Great Technique, capable of influencing the power of time.
This time, its material and refining techniques have elevated it above other Spirit Treasures.
This also marks Zhang Jian’s artifact refining technique becoming increasingly mature.
The ancient qin is still covered with countless complex flowing runes, as if fished out from flowing water.
At this moment, this Spirit Treasure fell into the great cauldron and slowly transformed into a wisp of blue smoke that flew up into the sky.
Zhang Jian watched this scene, a smile surfacing in his eyes.
It seems like this time’s harvest will not be small.
Zhang Jian was in a good mood when he had just stepped out of the Grand Ancestral Temple, he encountered the elegantly dressed Imperial Consort Ji.
Zhang Jian looked at the radiant and beautiful noble lady before him and smiled.
"Why is my beloved consort not meditating in the palace today, contemplating the True Immortal Dao, but instead waiting for me?"
He vaguely already guessed Ji Xueqiong’s intention.
Ji Xueqiong bowed gracefully.
"I have been waiting here specifically for Your Majesty. I have a secret I wish to share with Your Majesty. Would Your Majesty be willing to hear me out?"
Her beautiful face smiled like a blossoming flower!
Her appearance was already extraordinarily striking, and now, with a hint of a radiant smile on her jade-like face, it could melt even the hardest of hearts.
Zhang Jian, in a good mood, laughed.
"Then I must listen carefully to the secret from my beloved consort’s lips!"
Immediately, palace maids and eunuchs led the way forward, heading towards Jixian Palace.
Ji Xueqiong’s beautiful eyes fell upon Zhang Jian, her gaze holding a gentle and charming glimmer.
Such a woman, once truly surrendered, could indeed make anyone fall for her.
Zhang Jian only offered a slight smile. He and Ji Family had cultivated together, so he was naturally very aware of the secret deep within Ji Family’s primordial spirit.
But everyone has secrets. As long as it doesn’t harm the Great Xia Dynasty or the East Continent Zhang Family, he wouldn’t pursue it further.
Now it seemed that Ji Family was preparing to voluntarily confess to him.
...
Meanwhile, in the Celestial Immortal Realm
’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’ was diligently absorbing the Incense Fire Gold Brick, transforming it into her own Incense Fire Divine Power, and condensing the Incense Fire Divine Body.
She appeared composed at this time.
With guidance from her true form, she retrieved treasures from her private collection in the Earth Realm, gaining some confidence.
Her Incense Fire Divine Body was gradually taking form.
With the vast support of Flawless Incense, her recovery speed was rapid.
The Incense Fire Divine Dao is advantageous in this regard compared to other paths.
As long as there is incense, the obstacle to Realm Breakthrough is much smaller compared to other paths.
Of course, this is also because she herself is an avatar of a Daoist Monarch, possessing a Daoist Monarch Realm, allowing her to grow so quickly.
A moment later, ’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’ sensed something amiss, her gaze falling upon the Two Realms Pool.
In an instant, she detected an anomaly about to emerge from the Two Realms Pool.
"So soon!"
’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’ muttered to herself.
Rumbling sounds akin to thunder erupted from the Two Realms Pool at the same time.
This sound resembled the collapse of the Great Dao, as if this Two Realms Pool was about to be shattered by such turmoil.
This scene immediately changed ’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’’s expression.
This sacrificial ceremony might far exceed her expectations.
This anomaly is more intense than any previous one!
"This is truly troublesome!"
Upon sensing this change, ’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’ inwardly lamented.
Yet, she still concentrated a divine power, channeling it into the Two Realms Pool to stabilize this most ancient of Two Realms Pools in the world.
Within the Two Realms Pool, the nine-colored red water transformed into a massive vortex, and in the next moment, a vast golden light erupted like a geyser from the pool.
Akin to countless torrents of Incense Fire Golden Light surging forth.
’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’ upon seeing this scene, immediately became serious, quickly employing Daoist Monarch Techniques to suppress the golden light, instantaneously refining it into numerous Incense Fire Golden Bodies, while also extracting the Incense Palace Lamp to absorb it.
However, this grand and terrifying flood of golden light still stirred intense waves in ’Daoist Monarch Qingxia’s’ previously calm Dao Heart.
The scale of this sacrifice is truly astonishing!