For seven thousand years, no one in the Chenping Continent had ascended to immortality.
At this very moment, these five Dao Union Realm cultivators currently within the Fallen Sword Mountain Range were all born in the era after Su Hongzhen's fall.
They had never personally witnessed the true visage of an immortal.
One could even say that the so-called Immortal Ascension Realm was, in the eyes of these great powers of the Dao Union Realm born in an era where the path to immortality had already been severed, nothing more than a legend.
Li Haoran, the only one who had once shared the same era as Su Hongzhen and witnessed his sharp edge, had also already fallen over a decade ago.
Immortal Qi.
A mysterious existence born from spiritual energy, yet transcending it.
These Grand Elders of the Five Great Sects, who had never even seen an immortal's form, naturally had never seen Immortal Qi either.
But when they saw that wisp of clear light fly out from the jade slip, its might overwhelming, even causing the demonic aura permeating the entire Fallen Sword Mountain Range to thin out in an instant...
Immortal Qi.
Only Immortal Qi could accomplish such a thing.
"Si Chen..."
Meng Shaoyuan, the Supreme Imperial Law Elder of Lingxiao Temple, slowly uttered the name.
"He is an Ascended True Person?"
Meng Shaoyuan's speculation was quite reasonable.
These Grand Elders of the Dao Union Realm, after Li Haoran's death, were already the pinnacle figures of the current Chenping Continent.
Yet they still knew nothing about the Immortal Ascension Realm and the realms beyond.
The reason Li Haoran glimpsed the heavenly secrets and cause and effect, to the point where his Dao Foundation was severely wounded by Karmic Backlash, was that if not for the limitations of the era, he would have certainly long ago become the thirty-second Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator of the Chenping Continent.
But these Grand Elders of the Dao Union Realm were not.
The Dao Union Realm was almost their limit.
Because throughout the Chenping Continent's long history, only thirty-one Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators had ever emerged.
Being able to step into the Dao Union Realm already proved they were among the best of the current era.
"Impossible."
Yu Zhou, the Supreme Pivot Elder of the Mirage Palace, shook his head.
"Ever since the day Su Hongzhen fell seven thousand years ago, the Chenping Continent's path to immortality has been completely severed. This should be common knowledge. Yet now, to say a hidden, anonymous Immortal Ascension Realm rogue cultivator has suddenly appeared... it's impossible."
This kind of thing was indeed hard to accept, even capable of completely shattering the worldview of contemporary cultivators.
"Then, is there a possibility..."
Gu Jiancheng's expression darkened slightly.
"That the Immortal Qi within the jade slip does not belong to Si Chen, but originally existed within the ruined immortal artifact, and is merely a bluff?"
"No."
Upon hearing this, the Supreme Pivot Elder of Wind Ravine Valley denied it.
"This is Immortal Qi, possibly even the last wisp of Immortal Qi in this world. To pay such a great price, only for a bluff... what is his purpose?"
"To have someone carrying a fragment of the Heavenly Summit Mirror enter the Heavenly Summit Palace, uncover the truth of the Heavenly Summit Mountain's destruction, and eradicate the Cause of Calamity..."
Bai Yuze once again picked up the joint letter from Si Chen and dozens of Unity Realm cultivators, speaking slowly.
Currently, only two choices lay before these Dao Union Realm great powers.
One was to activate the Abyssal Tower to suppress and destroy the Great Demon's Egg at the heart of the Fallen Sword Mountain Range.
As for the other...
"Everyone, let's vote by a show of hands."
Finally, Bai Yuze, the Supreme Pivot Elder of Lingxiao Temple, said this.
...
Kongshan Sect, Qingchan Peak.
Within the Caijun Tower, on the central high platform, a meditation cushion was placed. Sitting on it, eyes closed in repose, was a young-looking cultivator.
Though he only looked young.
Now, Lu Li's actual age was already approaching sixty.
Age had little impact on cultivators, especially for those of high realms.
A token engraved with the four large characters "Qingchan Sword Master" hung at his waist.
Soon, a disciple of rather ordinary appearance stepped into the Caijun Tower.
Zhai Yushi, the personal disciple of the Qingchan Peak Sword Master Elder.
Of course, he was not a disciple personally recruited by Lu Li either, but rather a so-called genius forcibly pushed onto him by Qingchan Peak's Martial Elder, Fu Qian.
Hailed as having cultivation talent surpassing even Qin Qingyu, currently the undisputed top genius among the Five Great Sects.
After Yi Ning became the champion of Heavenly Summit Mountain, Fu Qian had clearly tasted the sweetness.
Yi Ning, as a disciple vigorously supported by the Qingchan Martial Discipline lineage, after he became the Heavenly Summit Mountain champion, naturally gave the Martial Discipline lineage an even greater edge over the Qingchan True Dharma lineage.
Since taking up the position of Qingchan Sword Master, Lu Li had always been balancing the factional power between Bai Qiming and Fu Qian.
But anyone with eyes knew his personal disciple, Yi Ning, was actually a person of Fu Qian's faction.
So was Zhai Yushi.
Fu Qian wanted to replicate the miracle of the last Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.
Therefore, he had been building momentum everywhere, spreading the word that Zhai Yushi's natural endowments were even greater than Qin Qingyu's.
He originally wanted to proclaim Zhai Yushi's talent surpassed Si Youyou's.
But a six-year-old Martial Spring Realm... better not overreach.
Zhai Yushi was fourteen this year, having just recently broken through to the Martial Spring Realm. According to Fu Qian's plan, he was definitely to participate in the Heavenly Summit Mountain competition five years later.
"Master."
Zhai Yushi bowed towards Lu Li's direction.
"I called you here this time because there is a task to be handled."
Lu Li said indifferently.
"Depart immediately for Heavenly Summit Mountain. Two Grand Elders from the Supreme Pivot Court will escort you."
"Heavenly Summit Mountain?"
Zhai Yushi was slightly taken aback. But more than immediately going to Heavenly Summit Mountain, what he cared about most was the meaning of being escorted by two Grand Elders from the Supreme Pivot Court.
Lu Li did not answer directly, only telling him he would know when he got there.
To enter the Heavenly Summit Palace, one's identity must be the champion of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry. This was not a written rule, but a customary result agreed upon by the Five Great Sects.
However, that only Martial Spring Realm cultivators could enter the Heavenly Summit Palace was the basic logic established after the fall of Heavenly Summit Mountain.
The Heavenly Summit Palace had once housed twelve Immortal Ascension Realm immortals.
More than sixty thousand years ago, when the Five Great Sects were still dividing the legacy left after the fall of Heavenly Summit Mountain, the most important matter was the Heavenly Summit Palace.
Not one of the Five Great Sects was willing to give up the Heavenly Summit Palace.
Thus, the final result of the Five Great Sects' negotiations was for an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator of that time to seal the Heavenly Summit Palace.
Only Martial Spring Realm cultivators could enter. If cultivators with realms above Martial Spring entered, the Heavenly Summit Palace might very likely collapse and disintegrate.
And Zhai Yushi was the best candidate at present.
"You'll know when you get there."
Lu Li said indifferently.
Whether it was Yi Ning or Zhai Yushi, Lu Li was not particularly fond of either of his two disciples.
Or rather, originally being True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang, he had never even considered the matter of seriously taking disciples.
As for the events occurring within the Fallen Sword Mountain Range, Lu Li had also heard some news.
And he knew about the predicament those five Dao Union Realm cultivators had fallen into.
An Immortal Ascension Realm great demon... utterly unheard of.
Lu Li thought to himself.