2 years later.
In a deep and dark valley gathered several figures with a strange, yet powerful presence.
They were all floating in the air in lotus positions, looking at Ma Guozhi who was sitting on a higher platform, his eyes closed.
Suddenly, one of them spoke up, "How long do we have to wait!? I’m already getting tired from all this waiting! All 17 of us are powerhouses at the peak of the Innate Realm, not to mention the 2 Golden Core Realm seniors with us! Should we really be afraid of that mere Yan Immortal Dynasty?" His voice was filled with rage.
"Calm Down, Chen Yusheng. We’re all impatient, but that doesn’t mean we can act recklessly. Don’t forget that the Golden Core Realm seniors are not going to make any moves as of now because of the recent involvement of the Qingyun Sword Sect’s Mo Yuxin.
She is currently residing within the Heavenly Spirit Pavillion and annihilating all the demonic cultivators at sight." Replied a woman in a cold and calculating tone of voice.
"Yeah, why don’t we just wait for a few more decades till fellow daoist Ma here breakthroughs to the Golden Core Realm? We’ll have more certainty in destroying the Yan Immortal Dynasty then." Another old man nodded, stroking his beard.
Suddenly, a middle-aged old man spoke up, "I agree. Chen Yusheng, you always act rashly and expect things to go your way. That is not how one should operate in this ruthless world of cultivation. I’m surprised you even managed to survive till now with that stupid mindset." He said with a hint of ridicule.
"Chen Qi, you dare mock me!? Do you think you’re qualified for that, just because you have the same family name as me!?"
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"I’m simply stating some facts that you cannot deny. Stop being so childish, Chen Yusheng, you’re more than two thousand years old. Just because you’re considered a powerhouse among small sects doesn’t mean you can act arrogantly everywhere. You have to understand that the moment you chose to speak to a mighty figure with that tone, you’ll die before you even know it."
"Enough, the two of you!"
Suddenly, another old man sitting right in front of Ma Guozhi spoke in a deep voice. His voice rang like thunder in the ears of all the people present.
Immediately afterwards, the entire place turned quiet as everybody froze in place, the sound of wind howling through the valley.
They all looked at Ma Guozhi, waiting for him to speak. The old man who had just spoken up also looked at him.
Ma Guozhi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping through all of them.
"Hahaha, I see you’re all quite impatient, fellow daoists. But I assure you that you won’t be waiting for too long. In less than a hundred years, I would have entered the Golden Core Realm and we’ll begin our attack on the Yan Immortal Dynasty." He laughed heartily as he spoke.
"Fellow daoist Ma, I have a question if you don’t mind it. How are you so sure that you’ll enter the Golden Core Realm within a hundred years? What if you fail and your cultivation base regress, or if you fall into Qi Deviation? In the worst case scenario, you might also die. Do you have any precautions against these things?" The old man floating in front of Ma Guozhi asked calmly.
"Ahahaha, of course I have precautions, fellow daoist Tian Yunchen..."
Ma Guozhi flicked his sleeves as a golden colored pill appeared in his hand.
"This here is a Core Formation Pill which I obtained from a Void Refinement Realm mighty figure after staying by his side and serving him for 500 years. I also have a few other precious materials, pills and items such as the Consciousness Elevating Pills and Celestial Starlight Water which are helpful in making breakthroughs to major realms.
So, you don’t have to worry about me." He continued with a smile on his face.
Hearing his words, everyone present was tempted. They had all been stuck at the peak of the Innate Realm for many years, and some of them had even reached the end of their lifespan with only a few centuries left to live.
However, they dared not act rashly in front of him. They all knew that Ma Guozhi had a powerful background, and he also just mentioned a Void Refinement Realm mighty figure.
"Then, I hope you breakthrough safely and attain the Golden Core Realm." Tian Yunchen nodded at him slightly.
Ma Guozhi just smiled at him as he went back to his meditative state.
...
At the same time, in Yan Immortal Dynasty.
Infernal Blaze Sect.
In the Supreme Elder’s abode of the Infernal Blaze Sect sat an old man in a lotus position with an extraordinary bearing, heat radiating from his body.
At this moment, a middle aged man was bowing in front of him with cupped fists. There was a fiery aura surrounding him.
The old man nodded at him solemnly, "Yun Ping, the reason why I’ve called you here today is because of the recent events at the Sword Seeking Sect. As you may already know, I have been stuck at the Sixth Stage of Innate Realm for over 300 years, not to mention that I’m already more than 3,500 years old.
I have less than 500 years of lifespan left even after consuming a Rejuvenation Leaf which I chanced upon in my younger days. Just a few decades ago, that old fellow from the White Firmament Sect broke through to the Seventh Stage of Innate Realm and the Supreme Elder of Sky Sword Sect has also entered seclusion." He said with a serious expression on his face.
"Child, let me tell you something. Power corrupts the mind of living beings. One’s desire increases with their level of possession. The greed of a living thing knows no bounds."
"I’m sure that either today or tomorrow, we will be surrounded by those two factions. The entire Yan Dynasty is on the verge of a large scale war right now. In this chaotic period of time, we need a powerful backer to get by." He added.
"Then, grandmaster, what do you suggest I do as the Sect Master of Infernal Blaze Sect?" The middle-aged man named Yun Ping asked, with a hint of hopelessness in his tone.
As a high ranking figure of the Yan Immortal Dynasty and expert at the Eighth Stage of Acquired Realm, he also knew about these problems and had been contemplating over them for quite some time now.
The old man took a deep breath before continuing, "Ally with the Yan Immortal Family and go seek out the Master of Eternal Peak! I’ve heard that the seventh princess has become his disciple, so it will make things even easier."
"But grandmaster...isn’t he only in the Acquired Re-"
The old man cut Yun Ping’s words off as he continued speaking, "Have you witnessed his strength yourself? No, right? He killed a Innate Realm expert all by himself despite only being at the Acquired Realm as the rumors say. He certainly is an extraordinary person with a great background. Right now, this is the only way our Infernal Blaze Sect can be saved."
"...I understand, grandmaster. I’ll visit the Imperial Palace to talk with Yan Zhangwei right away." Yun Ping said as he bowed to him, disappearing the next moment.
"This is the final hope for the sect that I, Han Changqing, created, cherished and protected for more than half of my life...only if the heavens don’t let me down.."
The old man calling himself Han Changqing sighed deeply as he closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting away.