Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Grand Gathering in Zhong Zhou
“Esteemed envoys, please follow me.”
A Mount Shu disciple led four cultivators from Zhong Zhou to the main hall of Mount Shu.
Lu Changsheng, having become the Sect Leader of Mount Shu, had to personally meet the envoys from the Star Pavilion.
Among the four Star Pavilion envoys, one was a veiled lady in green, carrying a medium-grade Immortal Sword on her back.
“Is it you?”
Lu Changsheng and the lady in green were both extremely surprised upon seeing each other.
Lu Changsheng had seen this lady in green in the Immortal Ruins of Huang State.
She was Tang Ling’er’s guardian, who had once defeated a Demon General and, with the strength of the Void Refinement Realm Great Accomplishment, was called “Aunt Zhu” by Tang Ling’er.
Lu Changsheng had not expected that the veiled lady and Tang Ling’er actually came from Zhong Zhou’s number one sect—Star Pavilion!
The Star Pavilion, the most formidable sect in Zhong Zhou, teemed with powerful figures; its prime period was even above that of Mount Shu.
Mount Shu had not had much interaction with the Zhong Zhou sects for tens of thousands of years.
The current visit from the Star Pavilion must be for some important matter.
The lady’s identity was most likely that of an Elder at the Star Pavilion.
Of course, now that Lu Changsheng himself had entered the Unity Realm, the lady in green was no longer his match, so there was no need for him to act subserviently.
All four envoys sent by the Star Pavilion were Void Refinement Realm powerhouses, none of whose realms matched Lu Changsheng’s.
The Star Pavilion had only sent these few people to pass on a message; naturally, there was no need to dispatch Unity Realm powerhouses.
The lady in green was even more surprised; she recalled their encounter in the Immortal Ruins, where Lu Changsheng’s cultivation was not as advanced as hers. She did not expect that in such a short time, Lu Changsheng’s aura surpassed hers, and he had even become the Sect Leader of Mount Shu.
With her beautiful eyes gleaming, she showed a hint of curiosity in her bright gaze.
How had Lu Changsheng managed to surpass her in cultivation in such a short time and become the leader of Xia State’s premier sect, Mount Shu?
Lu Changsheng’s rapid progress in cultivation was extraordinary, such that even she, from Star Pavilion, Zhong Zhou’s leading sect, had never seen such a monstrous genius.
She was very curious.
Compared to the veiled lady’s astonishment, the other three Star Pavilion Elders, unaware of Lu Changsheng’s talents, appeared arrogant.
They could tell that Lu Changsheng’s displayed aura was only that of someone who had recently entered the Unity Realm.
With Mount Shu currently in decline, possessing only three Unity Realm powerhouses and lacking anyone at the peak of Great Accomplishment in the Unity Realm to oversee the sect, these worldly Elders of the Star Pavilion sneered at the thought.
If Taiyuan’s master were still alive, with his peak-level Unity Realm cultivation, then the presence of such a peak Unity Realm powerhouse would have earned a higher regard from these three Star Pavilion Elders.
However, coincidentally, three thousand years ago, Taiyuan’s master, the previous Sect Leader of Mount Shu, after spending some time at the peak of the Unity Realm, approached the end of his life and took the risk to attempt the Tribulation. Unfortunately, he failed to overcome the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation and all his efforts came to naught.
At present, Mount Shu was at its weakest, which inevitably led the Star Pavilion Elders to underestimate its strength, believing that Mount Shu had declined since the last Great Gathering in Zhong Zhou.
With numerous powerful figures among the Zhong Zhou sects, the Star Pavilion Elders believed that although Lu Changsheng was indeed stronger than they were, he was still not strong enough as the Sect Leader of Xia State’s number one sect, Mount Shu.
Lu Changsheng, feeling the arrogance of the other three Star Pavilion Elders, simply remained calm and unperturbed.
Lu Changsheng knew that for the Star Pavilion, with its strength, looking down on a sect that only had three early-stage Unity Realm powerhouses was not unusual.
Anyway, he just lacked the time for cultivation.
Given the speed of Lu Changsheng’s cultivation, reaching the summit of the Unity Realm was at most a matter of several hundred years.
Several hundred years, when compared to the lifespan of up to twenty thousand years for strong practitioners of the Unity Realm, was merely a blink of an eye.
The Star Pavilion underestimating Mount Shu’s strength might even be a good thing.
After all, Lu Changsheng did not want to draw too much attention.
Staying in Mount Shu and cultivating in peace until ascending after crossing the Tribulation was the best strategy.
As for the Star Pavilion, once his cultivation reached the summit of the Unity Realm, naturally it would no longer be considered an unattainable Sect.
An elder of Star Pavilion cleared his throat and took out a gold-embossed invitation: “I have been ordered by the Sect to distribute invitations to the Zhong Zhou Assembly in Xia State. Since your Mount Shu is the number one Sect in Xia State, you should have one.”
The elder of Star Pavilion was unreserved as, with a slight use of energy, the gold-embossed invitation flew into Lu Changsheng’s hands.
“The Zhong Zhou Assembly? What is that?”
Lu Changsheng took the invitation, which only mentioned the time and location of the Zhong Zhou Assembly and bore the seal of the Star Pavilion.
However, Lu Changsheng had never heard of the Zhong Zhou Assembly.
The several elders from Star Pavilion looked at each other in disbelief. How could the Sect Leader of Mount Shu be completely unaware of such an important event as the Zhong Zhou Assembly?
A woman in green explained patiently, her voice gentle: “The Zhong Zhou Assembly is attended by strong practitioners from all major states. They exchange insights and discuss the Dao to enhance everyone’s enlightenment, thereby increasing the chances of successfully ascending to the Immortal Realm. Due to the huge number of Sects and powerful Loose Cultivators involved, it is difficult to organize, and happens only once every fifty thousand years. Every fifty thousand years, our Star Pavilion will send out invitations, inviting Sect Leaders from major Sects, as well as powerful Loose Cultivators from various retreats to participate in the Zhong Zhou Assembly. At every Zhong Zhou Assembly, a ranking of the major Sects is also established to encourage them to diligently cultivate.”
“I see,” said Lu Changsheng, as he came to realize.
This Zhong Zhou Assembly wasn’t just an event for exchanging insights and discussing the Dao; it was clearly a battleground for the major Sects to compete for fame and strength!
The Star Pavilion’s holding of the Zhong Zhou Assembly every fifty thousand years was somewhat similar to the Spring and Autumn Period’s Gathering of the Lords in ancient Huaxia, likely aiming to overshadow the many geniuses and assert their dominance as the number one major Sect.
Otherwise, why would the Star Pavilion go through the trouble and thanklessness of calling together all the major Sects in the realm for a discussion of the Dao?
Lu Changsheng was astute and quickly understood the underlying implications of the Zhong Zhou Assembly.
As the foremost Sect of the Righteous Dao in Xia State for tens of thousands of years, Mount Shu was inevitably invited to the Zhong Zhou Assembly.
Could it be that Taiyuan had handed over the Sect Leader position to him ahead of time in order for him to make a stand at the Zhong Zhou Assembly?
The more Lu Changsheng thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Indeed, the position of Sect Leader of Mount Shu was not so easy to occupy.
Thus, it was possible that Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, Immeasurable Temple, Martial Alliance, Hidden Dragon Temple, and other major Sects also received invitations to the Zhong Zhou Assembly.
With the realm’s strong gathering in Zhong Zhou, it was sure to be a grand event. It would not be amiss for him to go and witness the strengths of other major Sects in the realm.
The start of the Zhong Zhou Assembly was in 145 years.
“When the time comes, I will definitely go to the Star Pavilion on time to participate in the Zhong Zhou Assembly,” said Lu Changsheng, putting away the invitation.
With some time left before the Zhong Zhou Assembly, Lu Changsheng could continue cultivating. By then, his cultivation would undoubtedly surpass the current level, so he agreed to attend.
“That’s good.”
Apart from the woman in green, the other three elders of the Star Pavilion still spoke without much politeness.