Northwestern Chenping Continent.
Kongshan Sect, Qingchan Peak, Caijun Tower.
This nine-story dark tower, standing over thirty zhang tall, has been standing here for nearly nine thousand years.
A young man wearing Qingchan Peak's daoist robes, with a lean and refined appearance and an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, suddenly opened his eyes.
For the first time, his eyes flashed with surprise and disbelief, his gaze turning towards the south.
"Immortal energy?"
Lu Li slowly spoke:
"How is this possible..."
Then, the current Caijun Tower Elder raised his hand, performing a quick finger calculation to pinpoint the exact location.
Realman Star-Paying Respects, Nanmen Cang of the Star Heaven Sect, ascended to immortality twenty thousand years ago and fell thirteen thousand years ago.
Meanwhile, True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang of the Kongshan Sect, ascended to immortality fifteen thousand years ago and fell nine thousand years ago.
Kong Yang had met Nanmen Cang, and not just once. In fact, these two could be considered old friends, or rather, acquaintances.
After all, the tenures of these two great powers of the Immortal Ascension Realm overlapped for a full two thousand years.
And just now, from the direction of the Tomb of the Star-Paying Respects, Lu Li actually sensed the aura of immortal energy, albeit only for an instant.
This is impossible.
Within Caijun Tower, Lu Li, who had rediscovered his own dao foundation, is currently only at the Spirit Connection Realm. However, if he wished, he could restore his cultivation to the critical point between the peak of the Dao Union Realm and the Immortal Ascension Realm within a few breaths.
But if he did this, it would mean his life in this lifetime would only have its final twelve hours remaining.
This is also due to the so-called Karmic Backlash.
Under the current causal restrictions of this world, no one's cultivation can break through to the Immortal Ascension Realm.
And immortal energy can only be wielded by cultivators at or above the Immortal Ascension Realm.
Lu Li does not understand why such a thing would happen.
"Elder Lu."
At that moment, a Qingchan Peak disciple who looked to be only around ten years old entered Caijun Tower. He respectfully bowed towards Lu Li, who was sitting on a meditation cushion, and spoke.
"What is it?"
Lu Li asked indifferently.
"The Sword Master Elder requests your presence at Qingchan Hall."
The young Qingchan Peak disciple continued respectfully, addressing Lu Li's direction.
"Understood. You may withdraw."
Lu Li said.
The young Qingchan Peak disciple bowed towards Lu Li's direction once more, then retreated from Caijun Tower with small, quick steps.
Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder, Chu Chen, is the father of the current peak's Chief Disciple, Chu Xiyao.
This leading figure of Qingchan Peak is very close to Qingchan Peak's Martial Elder, Fu Qian. In fact, the vast majority of decisions that should be made by the Sword Master Elder are delegated by Chu Chen to Fu Qian.
Therefore, since Chu Chen assumed the position of Qingchan's Sword Master, practically all affairs of Qingchan Peak have been controlled single-handedly by Fu Qian.
That is, until recent years, when Qingchan Peak's True Dharma Elder, Bai Qiming, began challenging Fu Qian's power and position.
Before Lu Li recovered his memories, he had been a supporter of Bai Qiming's faction.
But now, his relationship with Bai Qiming is not as close as it once was.
Because the so-called conflict between the Qingchan True Dharma lineage and the Qingchan Martial Discipline lineage is nothing more than child's play.
Sooner or later, Lu Li will regain control of the entire Kongshan Sect.
And the arrival of that day will absolutely not be too far away.
...
Qingchan Hall.
A man who looked to be around forty years old sat in the main seat, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exceedingly handsome.
From the brows and eyes of the young woman standing to the side, dressed in pure white with hair as dark as ink, one could also see a faint shadow of the features of the man in the main seat.
The current Qingchan Peak Sword Master Elder, Chu Chen.
Although he appears to be only in his forties, his actual age is over three hundred years old.
He and the current Kongshan Sect Leader, Yun Yichen, were prodigies of the same era.
His current cultivation realm is the peak of the Myriad Transformations Realm, having cultivated nine thousand nine hundred and thirteen strands of innate true energy.
In at most ten years, Chu Chen can step into the upper three realms, becoming a Unity Realm cultivator.
At that time, he will most likely step down from the position of Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder and directly become a Grand Elder, entering one of the four Supreme Courts.
After the fall of Li Haoran and Huo Mu and the reorganization of the Supreme Imperial Law Court, the current four Supreme Courts are in desperate need of fresh blood.
And once Chu Chen steps down from the position of Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder, the candidate for the next Qingchan Sword Master has a very high probability of being Bai Qiming.
The reason is that Bai Qiming has gained the strong support of a Grand Elder.
That Grand Elder is called Qi Yi.
However, Bai Qiming assuming the position of Qingchan Sword Master is something Fu Qian is absolutely unwilling to see.
Fu Qian is too old. He has no qualification to compete for the position of Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder. If not for his years of meticulous management, his deeply entrenched influence on Qingchan Peak, and the fact that Chu Chen almost completely obeys him, he should have long ago stepped down from the position of Qingchan Martial Discipline and obediently become an Offering Elder.
But Fu Qian is unwilling. He is now over six hundred years old and is well aware that his talent makes it impossible for him to step into the upper three realms no matter what.
Therefore, he is addicted to the power in his hands, addicted to his identity as a chess player.
Once Bai Qiming ascends and becomes the next Qingchan Sword Master, he will definitely go all out to uproot all of Fu Qian's chess pieces on Qingchan Peak.
Fu Qian wants to do everything in his power to prevent this.
Thus—
"I pay my respects to Elder Chu, Elder Fu."
Fu Qian looked at the Caijun Tower Elder standing in Qingchan Hall, bowing towards him and Chu Chen.
This lean man, whose expression is always as placid as water and rarely shows any emotional fluctuation, was promoted from the outer court's Scripture Hall by Bai Qiming himself.
And in recent years, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. In just eight years, he rapidly broke through from the peak of the Martial Spring Realm to the late stage of the Spirit Connection Realm.
Before Chu Chen steps into the upper three realms and resigns from the position of Qingchan Sword Master Elder, it is very possible that Lu Li will step into the Myriad Transformations Realm first.
And in recent years, seemingly due to Lu Li's own volition, the distance between him and Bai Qiming has grown much greater.
If, after Chu Chen steps down, anyone still has a chance to compete for the position of Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder, it must be said that the Caijun Tower Elder standing in Qingchan Hall has a very good chance.
But after all, Lu Li was once Bai Qiming's man, making it difficult for Fu Qian to trust him. Therefore, he has secretly observed Lu Li for a full three years and tested him countless times.
Only today did Fu Qian finally decide to extend an olive branch to Lu Li.
"Elder Lu, how is the matter previously entrusted to you progressing now?"
Chu Chen asked Lu Li.
"In reply to Elder Chu, regarding the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art, I have comprehended eighty percent. However, in my view, some fragments seem utterly meaningless..."
Lu Li replied.
After Chen Yan's death, the promotion of the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art did not stop. Instead, the elders of the Kongshan Sect's seven major peaks separately began researching and promoting it.
"Elder Lu is no longer young either. It is time to consider finding a successor to pass on your legacy."
Fu Qian said with a smile:
"Currently, Xiyao is also considering stepping down from the position of Qingchan Peak's Chief Disciple. How about letting the next Qingchan Peak Chief Disciple be Elder Lu's disciple?"