Chapter 608 - 338: Shui Wan Zhao: We Are All His People Now...

By the shore of a large, mirror-calm lake, over a dozen male and female Cultivators from the Celestial Derivation Pavilion were forming Spirit Techniques. One by one, Flying Swords shimmering with Spiritual Light plunged gracefully into the water.

In the depths of the lake, a large number of snow-white Spirit Fish were swimming about.

They ranged from three to ten feet in length and were naturally alert and quick to react, but they were powerless against the assault of the Flying Swords and were hunted down in droves.

Other Cultivators went into the forests and mountains further away, hunting and killing a considerable number of soaring and leaping Spirit Beasts and Spiritual Birds.

After these catches were brought back, they were quickly gutted, skinned, and cleaned by the Cultivators. They were then sprinkled with seasoning, placed on roasting racks, and roasted over a Five Colored Spirit Flame until they sizzled and dripped with fat, their aroma filling the air.

The Spirit Beasts and Spiritual Birds in this Ancient Immortal Mansion not only had extremely delicious meat, but also contained abundant Spiritual Qi, making them ingredients highly sought-after by Cultivators.

Ling Changqing focused on the Spirit Beast Meat on his plate, occasionally taking a sip of Spirit Wine Nectar.

Shui Wan Zhao and Yu Qinghuang were now seated beside him, attentively waiting on him. Several other beautiful Female Cultivators had also gathered around.

As time passed, small groups of Celestial Derivation Pavilion Cultivators would occasionally arrive from a distance to join them. Before long, the number of gathered Cultivators had reached a thousand.

Upon seeing the youth in magnificent purple robes among the crowd, these newly arrived Cultivators could not hide the shock and suspicion in their eyes. However, under the strict orders of the Elders, no one dared to say much.

"...Fellow Daoist Ling, even if you can’t join the Celestial Derivation Pavilion, you could at least establish a friendly relationship with the Sect, couldn’t you?"

Zhang Yuanzhen held his wine cup, speaking in a low voice only after pondering for a long time.

Though extremely reluctant, he had to admit that Ling Changqing’s point of view was reasonable.

Once this Child of Destiny appeared at the Celestial Derivation Pavilion, all the powers on the Qingming Continent would go berserk, recklessly gathering all their forces to besiege them.

Even if the Celestial Derivation Pavilion were ten times stronger than it was now, it likely couldn’t withstand the endless siege and relentless attacks from those major powers. Sooner or later, the Sect’s vital grounds would be breached, and none of the Disciples would be safe.

"What do you have in mind, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"

Ling Changqing paused what he was doing and asked gently.

’No matter what he was truly thinking, at least this Sect Leader hadn’t lost his mind yet and was still willing to talk things over calmly and rationally.’

’If it had been one of those ferocious and greedy Demonic Cultivators, they would have attacked directly long ago. Of course, the current Ling Changqing had no need to fear anything. Even if he couldn’t win a fight, he had more than enough ways to escape.’

Zhang Yuanzhen glanced around and spoke to him using his Divine Thought:

"Elder Shui and the Qinghuang Saintess have more than adequate looks and talent. Why not let them follow you? Furthermore, you can take any of the other Female Cultivators present that you fancy. What do you say?"

"..."

’Ling Changqing was rather speechless. This Sect Leader’s arrangement was truly... how should he put it? So thoughtful!’

’Once these female Sect members followed him, their Cultivation would inevitably advance by leaps and bounds. This would, in turn, strengthen the Sect’s strategic power. But more importantly, there was the matter of Destiny.’

’With such an arrangement, the Child of Destiny would appear to be a free agent on the surface, so those major powers wouldn’t have any reason to confront the Celestial Derivation Pavilion. Their attention would remain focused solely on Ling Changqing.’

"Fellow Daoist Ling? You..."

Shui Wan Zhao looked at him with an uneasy expression, while Yu Qinghuang was so nervous she clutched his sleeve.

’Whether they could hope for long life and a future on the Great Dao now rested on Ling Changqing’s decision. It was impossible not to be nervous.’

Seeing him hesitate, Zhang Yuanzhen continued via Divine Thought: "Fellow Daoist Ling, you needn’t worry. I will handle all subsequent matters properly and give no one any opportunity to make an issue of this.

"From now on, they will have no official connection to the Celestial Derivation Pavilion. They will not return to the Sect for the next three hundred years. You are free to decide their fate."

Sighing inwardly, Ling Changqing silently replied, "Very well, then."

’Zhang Yuanzhen felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. With Ling Changqing’s promise, a karmic bond had been formed between the Child of Destiny and his Sect. When the future Immortal Dao Heavy Tribulation arrived, perhaps the Celestial Derivation Pavilion would have a chance to fight for its survival?’

’Shui Wan Zhao and Yu Qinghuang were overjoyed, but they couldn’t let it show, lest the surrounding Disciples notice anything unusual.’

After chatting for a little longer, Ling Changqing rose to leave, his expression unchanged. Zhang Yuanzhen did not object, allowing the Child of Destiny to depart alone and drift gracefully into the distance.

"Sect Leader, how could you..."

A few high-ranking Elders who were not in the know could no longer hold back, their faces ashen as they demanded.

"That’s the legendary Child of Destiny, and the Sect Leader just let him leave like that? And just now, you sent a Divine Thought transmission, strictly ordering us not to obstruct him."

"Regarding this matter, I must first be responsible for the survival and prosperity of the Sect,"

Zhang Yuanzhen said faintly. "The Celestial Derivation Pavilion has limited strength. We simply cannot protect such a peerless opportunity. Do you want to bring a catastrophic disaster upon our Sect?"

"..."

The Elders looked at each other in dismay, speechless for a long moment.

They were not fools, of course. They understood that if the Celestial Derivation Pavilion took control of Ling Changqing, they would be unable to withstand the frenzied sieges from the major powers. Letting him go was the most rational and pragmatic choice.

"What a pity..."

In the end, they could only wring their hands and sigh helplessly.

"Alright, let’s continue on our way,"

Zhang Yuanzhen said. "There are many opportunities in this Ancient Immortal Mansion, and they are rare. We can’t afford to miss them."

And so, the Disciples packed up and continued on their journey under Zhang Yuanzhen’s lead.

Midway, Shui Wan Zhao, Yu Qinghuang, and six other outstandingly beautiful women quietly disappeared. No one knew where they had gone.

Zhang Yuanzhen pretended not to notice and hurried on with the Disciples, heading deeper into the Immortal Mansion.

A moment later, on the other side of the great lake, eight stunningly beautiful figures appeared.

"Master, he... he won’t break his promise, will he?"

Yu Qinghuang said nervously, looking left and right.

They had arranged this with Ling Changqing beforehand: to split up on the surface but secretly agree to meet here.

"I doubt it. He already promised, so we belong to him now!"

Shui Wan Zhao said softly.

’Since the Child of Destiny truly has a penchant for beautiful women, there was no reason for him to pass them up. As long as they served him sincerely in the future, it wouldn’t be difficult to win his favor.’

After waiting a little longer, Ling Changqing’s figure quietly appeared, smiling as he looked at them.

Shui Wan Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, her beautiful face flushed red. She stepped forward and said with a charming pout,

"You’re finally here! We were starting to think you didn’t want us anymore, Husband!"

Ling Changqing nodded. "This is no place to talk. Cultivators from other powers will be here soon. Come with me first."

"Yes, of course, Husband. Where are we going now?"

Yu Qinghuang said softly, her lustrous eyes shimmering. ’As long as she could be with this man, she didn’t care where they went.’

"I have a Pocket World Spiritual Treasure. You can all go inside and rest for now. I’ll let you out when I need you."

As Ling Changqing spoke, the illusory image of the Era Star Palace appeared above his head and drew the eight beauties inside.

"Huh? So our husband has such a great treasure with him?"

「Inside the Pocket World.」

Seeing the stunningly beautiful Spirit Vein Blessed Land and the abundant Spiritual Qi before her, Shui Wan Zhao was amazed.

Before Yu Qinghuang could speak, a soft, heavenly voice drifted over from the side. "Oh, more new sisters have arrived? That guy really is a dyed-in-the-wool lecher!"

Amidst a dance of light and shadow, the breathtakingly beautiful Bai Qingyi, Meng Feiyu, and Xue Qingtan gracefully descended.

...

"...I wonder where our husband is right now?"

「In a primeval forest sealed for countless ages, ancient trees towered to the sky and valleys ran deep and secluded. All kinds of Spirit Beasts and Spiritual Birds could be seen everywhere in the mountains and woods.」

The over twenty thousand Female Cultivators from Xuannü Palace and the Ye Family had now been transported out of the Treasure Mountain Secret Vault and had temporarily settled deep within this forested valley.

By a campfire, the incomparably beautiful Qin Yanran, her face as lovely as a peach blossom, muttered wistfully. Having just become husband and wife with Ling Changqing only to be forced to separate, her mood was naturally quite sour.

"Don’t worry, our husband will definitely be fine. I’m just worried some fox spirit from another power will find him."

The stunningly beautiful Ye Binghua, as radiant as a peony in full bloom, huffed.

The glamorous and poised Ye Xinglan smiled and said, "With our husband’s Destiny, we don’t need to worry about his safety. In any case... the cultivators from those other powers suffered heavy casualties this time, so our path ahead will be much smoother!"

Earlier in the Treasure Mountain Secret Vault, the women had not only collected a large number of Magical Treasures but had also slaughtered many of the other cultivators who had broken in, especially those from the Chiying Demon Sect, the Li Huo Divine Palace, and the Yu Family.

The more people from these enemy powers died and the weaker they became, the better the situation for the female cultivators of their two families would naturally be on the Qingming Continent.

...

「On the plaza, the brutal free-for-all had finally come to a close.」

Fewer than half of the Li Huo Divine Palace’s Cultivators were still alive, and many of them were injured, their ferocity greatly diminished.

Qin Tianyang led his Disciples to a corner of the plaza. With several Spiritual Treasures as the core, they set up a defensive formation and began to heal and recuperate.

The many Cultivators of the Qingchen Divine Dynasty did the same, occupying another large area and forming a Grand Array. Divine Emperor Ji Xuanchen’s face was grim as he conferred in low voices with several Royal Elders.

"How many of our people have yet to arrive?"

Ji Xuanchen asked.

"Over three thousand, I’d say. But the situation deep within the Immortal Mansion is complex. Even with a High Grade Communication Treasure, contact is difficult and intermittent. We don’t know their exact location right now!"

One of the Elders said helplessly.

Ji Xuanchen surveyed his surroundings. The Qingchen Divine Dynasty’s forces were still relatively abundant, and with their formidable strength, they hadn’t suffered much of a loss in the earlier chaos.

However, if another great battle were to break out, it was hard to say what would happen.

In the southwestern corner of the plaza was a large group of radiant Female Cultivators. They were the disciples of Nixiang Palace who had just arrived, led by Ji Minghui.

In addition, cultivators from the Vast Sea Immortal Alliance, the Shaohao Immortal Sect, the Yan Family, the Yu Family, and the Chiying Demon Sect also occupied their own areas, warily watching one another.

As for the cultivators who had died in battle, most had been obliterated, with not even their bones remaining. Their Magical Treasures and valuables had long since been looted, leaving nothing behind.

"...A complete mess! An absolute, complete mess!"

In the Chiying Demon Sect’s contingent, Supreme Elder Rong Tiande had an ugly expression on his face as he cursed viciously.

In the chaotic battle just now, nearly a thousand of the Chiying Demon Sect’s Disciples had died, and hundreds more were injured to varying degrees. A few of them were even direct descendants of Rong Tiande’s own lineage. How could he not be furious?

Another Supreme Elder, Pan Ruyu, said in a low voice, "Are we still unable to contact the scattered disciples? And where has the Sect Leader gone? This situation... it’s going to be very difficult to handle from here on out!"

At this point, they were left with fewer than two thousand cultivators, with only a little over a thousand uninjured. The number of experts at the Divinity Transformation realm or above was even smaller, leaving them powerless to deal with what might come next.

Suddenly, Pan Ruyu took out a Jade Talisman from her robes. After sensing it for a moment, her expression became indescribably complex.

"What is it?"

Rong Tiande noticed her strange expression and asked.

"Our agent within the Ye Family and Xuannü Palace has sent a message," Pan Ruyu replied using her Divine Thought. "They’ve found traces of the Child of Destiny."

"..."