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Chapter 319: Chapter 316: Exchange
Gu Jinlai and his companions traversed Green State Province for a while before being led to the Human Immortal Hall by a welcoming Primordial Spirit True Monarch from the Human Immortal Hall.
Compared to the grand and splendid residence areas of the Cold Moon Sect, Netherworld Sect, Purgatory Sect, Yellow Sky Sect, Dragon Sparrow Manor, and such powers, the Human Immortal Hall...
Seemed rather ordinary.
Although it was also comprised of large courtyards, pavilions, and palaces, there were no iconic buildings.
It was quite comparable to the residences of some wealthy merchants and major forces.
There was no helping it, Human Immortal Hall and Earth Immortal Hall, as successors to the collapsed Heavenly Immortal Palace, had always been prime targets of the Daqian Dynasty, and over the last hundred years, their sects had even been directly breached numerous times.
Although in the recent decades, the weakness of the royal family had given the Earth Immortal Hall and Human Immortal Hall a chance to catch their breath, the habits they’d inherited meant they didn’t place much emphasis on their sect’s layout anymore.
Sometimes, even directly requisitioning a wealthy residential district within the city as a sect residence was not considered strange.
While courtyards, pavilions, and palaces may be ordinary, the presence of the Divine Sword Conference meant that Azure Dragon City, where Human Immortal Hall was located, was clouded with strong cultivators.
The Primordial Spirit True Monarchs from Human Immortal Hall itself, as well as those from Earth Immortal Hall.
Plus, the True Monarchs and Divinity Transformation cultivators from the other seven major sects, making the number of powerful figures in Azure Dragon City reach an unprecedented level.
With a sweep of Divine Thought, one could easily sense the presence of dozens, even tens of dozens of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
And without exception, the aura of these people was extremely strong.
"In the Qiantian World, forces tend to be divided into two types, those with Divine Weapons and those without. Though the Earth Immortal Hall and Human Immortal Hall have been suppressed by Daqian for years, they inherited the mantle of the Heavenly Immortal Palace, with profound depths too thick to fathom, and after a hundred years of struggle, a group of Refiners and Divinity Transformation cultivators have grown up to become Primordial Spirits, and even Devas,"
said Jin Hong, who was standing not far from Gu Jinlai, in a reflective tone. "Currently, both powers basically follow the arrangement of duties set by Heavenly Immortal Palace, that is, one Hall Master, two to six Vice Hall Masters, and then a range of Palace Guardian Dharma Kings and Elders. Because the two powers can’t compare in depth with Heavenly Immortal Palace, now Human Immortal Hall’s Hall Master Wu Tiandi, below him there are Kunwu and Bifang, two Vice Hall Masters, all three of them are Devas. Besides them, there are twenty-four Primordial Spirit Realm Palace Guardian Dharma Kings."
"Three Devas!? Twenty-four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs!?"
Fang Daoqian, standing by the side, even though aware that the power of forces with Divine Weapons was on a different level from those without, could still hardly imagine the Human Immortal Hall being this strong.
Three Devas!
Twenty-four Primordial Spirit True Monarchs!
"Human Immortal Hall isn’t that much of a big deal. It’s the Earth Immortal Hall with a Saint sitting in residency, the true inheritor of the Heavenly Immortal Palace’s lineage, that’s formidable. Besides Hall Master Di Luo, there are Chi Yan, Baofeng, and Hai Xiao, the three great Vice Hall Masters, along with forty-three Palace Guardian Dharma Kings!"
Jin Hong said indifferently. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
This statement left Fang Daoqian somewhat agape, and even Gu Jinlai’s expression became grave.
He had come mentally prepared for the strength of the Earth Immortal Hall and Human Immortal Hall, but dozens of Primordial Spirit True Monarchs...
That still far surpassed his imagination.
However, after thinking it through thoroughly, it didn’t seem so exceptional.
Forces with Divine Weapons were a step ahead of those without them.
In its heyday, the Heavenly Immortal Palace had an Earthly True Immortal in residence; equating an Earthly True Immortal to a Deva, a Saint would then be on par with Primordial Spirit True Monarchs like those from Purgatory Sect, and a Deva comparable to a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, with Primordial Spirit True Monarchs themselves on par with Refining God Immortals.
And speaking of Purgatory Sect...
There’s far more than forty-three Refining God Immortals.
For sects like Dragon Sparrow Manor and Yellow Sky Sect, there are nearly a hundred Refining God Immortals.
"Hai Xiao, that’s Xiao Quan, right?"
Lu Zhanxian said, "Unexpected that he would actually attain the level of a Deva."
His expression turned somewhat dispirited.
In the top ten masters of the Demon Path, Di Luo was undoubtedly the foremost, followed by persons such as Wu Tiandi from Human Immortal Hall, Gaia from Earth Mother Divine Sect, and then the six Devas: Kunwu, Baofeng, Bifang, and Chi Yan.
Next in line, ranked as the eighth, was Ying Wuqing, who pursued the way of the Demon God Warriors, and in ninth place was he, Lu Zhanxian.
Behind him was Di Luo’s eldest disciple, Di Chen.
At that time, Xiao Quan didn’t even have the strength of a Top True Immortal, but because he achieved Deva status three years ago, he rocketed up and stepped into the realm of true powerhouses.
"A Saint, seven Devas, one Demon God Warrior, this is the very pinnacle of strength within the Ten Demonic Sects."
Gu Jinlai carefully accounted for it.
The Human Immortal Hall and Earth Immortal Hall alone accounted for eight of those positions.
Forces with Divine Weapons...
They really don’t leave much room for ordinary powers.
"Hahaha, Lu Zhanxian, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other."
Just as Gu Jinlai and his party entered the Human Immortal Hall, a hearty laugh came from inside.
Immediately after, a tall and sturdy man, seemingly over two meters in height, came walking out from inside.
As he moved, there seemed to be a special rhythm with the heavens and earth surrounding him, as if his mere walking stirred the wind.
"Kunwu."
Lu Zhanxian uttered his name, then he responded with a somewhat unnatural expression, "Long time no see."
Kunwu!
Vice Hall Master of Human Immortal Hall.
A truly formidable Deva.
Moreover, unlike Hai Xiao and Xiao Quan, this was a top-tier Deva.
Although he did not possess Dao Artifacts like Wu Tiandi, his control over the momentum of Heaven and Earth and his understanding of Divine Skills had both reached the pinnacle for a Deva.
If he were also equipped with a set of Dao Artifacts, his combat prowess would definitely not be inferior to Wu Tiandi’s.
"So this is the Supreme Elder of the Purgatory Sect, the current ruler of Tian Nan, Gu Jinlai, Heavenly Monarch Gu, right? I’ve long heard of Heavenly Monarch Gu’s great reputation. Starting from Taihe City, devils have been repeatedly defeated by the forces of Heavenly Monarch Gu’s Lingxiao City, and the battle of Yuntian City was even more awe-inspiring. You turned the tide and slew the enormous scourge that was Champsosaurus King, greatly uplifting the morale of our Human Clan. If there were more experts like Heavenly Monarch Gu in our race, why would we ever worry about not exterminating all the devils in the world?"
Kunwu laughed heartily, greeting Gu Jinlai the moment he arrived.
"You flatter me. Compared to the numerous devils around the Qiantian territory, my contributions are trivial," Gu Jinlai said.
"But at least, Heavenly Monarch Gu has embarked on the path of slaying devils. On this alone, you are stronger than everyone else, especially those sanctimonious ones from the Sanqing Hall. They enjoy the most precious resources in the world, yet they’re busy with internal power struggles all day long, ignoring the threat of devils. Compared to them, you are more than ten, a hundred times stronger," Kunwu stressed emphatically.
"Internal struggles..." Gu Jinlai sighed sincerely: "If the cultivators of our Qiantian World could unite against the threats of devils, how could there be the chaos of devils in Sun State, Gold State, and Mu State?"
"It seems that Heavenly Monarch Gu and we have come to the same conclusion. Humanity really should not continue these internal conflicts. We received news not long ago that a powerful kingdom situated on the other side of the Endless Mountain collapsed completely a year ago. Supposedly, it was a colossal power that was only slightly inferior to our Qiantian, and even such a force was obliterated by devils. If the people of our Qiantian World do not unite, there will truly be no chance left," Kunwu explained, then quickly added, "The reason for convening this Divine Sword Convention is precisely because both Hall Master Di Luo and Witch Palace Master hope that all of our sects can unite, fully cooperate, and seek a way of survival for the Devas Qian Race, rather than continue on with each fighting our own battles and needlessly dwindling our strength."
"I wholeheartedly agree with this," Gu Jinlai responded, "Hall Master Di Luo from the Earth Immortal Palace has generously brought out the True Understanding of Celestial Immortals for us all to comprehend. It seems he plans to put words into action and enhance everyone’s strength with this magical technique. I am indeed eager to glimpse the mysteries of the True Understanding of Celestial Immortals."
"Hahaha, naturally, we won’t disappoint Heavenly Monarch Gu and all the gentlemen here. Once everyone has arrived, we will delve into the True Understanding of Celestial Immortals together," Kunwu said with a wide smile. "It seems we and Heavenly Monarch Gu will have much to talk about then."
"Of course, in terms of enhancing the strength of Qiantian and eradicating devils, I have always felt it’s my undeniable duty," Gu Jinlai declared.
After exchanging pleasantries, Gu Jinlai and his group were quickly arranged into an extremely elegant courtyard.
Although the courtyard wasn’t opulent, it was a prime choice in any city.
After Kunwu left, Lu Zhanxian said, "The intentions of Earth Immortal Palace and Human Immortal Palace have become almost transparent now, to unify the Demon Powers in the guise of resisting devils, to listen and be used."
Gu Jinlai nodded, "Let’s ignore the others for now and talk about it after seeing the True Understanding of Celestial Immortals."
"Just afraid that without paying some price, we won’t get to see the real True Understanding of Celestial Immortals," Fang Daoqian chimed in.
Gu Jinlai did not continue on this topic.
Having come all this way, it wasn’t for them to back down.
Lu Zhanxian glanced to the sides, "I’ll go visit other forces like Earth Mother Divine Sect and Purple Night Sword Sect to gauge their attitudes."
"Alright," Gu Jinlai nodded in consent.
Just as he was about to say more, suddenly his heart stirred, "We have visitors."
Before long, Gu Lanxin, a Demon God Warrior who came with Gu Jinlai, reported, "Sect Leader Zhao Wuya of Demon God Sect is here to visit."
"Zhao Wuya? The chief disciple and Vice Sect Hierarch of Sect Leader Ying Wuqing of the Demon God Sect?" Fang Daoqian sounded somewhat surprised.
Then he glanced at Gu Lanxin and the Demon God Guards beside Gu Jinlai and quickly understood.
The Demon God Sect.
It was a sect created by the Demon God Warriors, among the top-notch powers of the Qiantian Territory in the path of the Demon God.
"It seems he thought the same as I did," said Gu Jinlai, not surprised by the visit of this Vice Sect Hierarch, and even...
Looking forward to it.
"Please let him in," he said.
As he spoke, he took Gu Lanxin with him to the parlor.
Like most cultivators who practiced in the way of the demon martial artists, Zhao Wuya had an extremely robust physique.
Given that he was almost equivalent to a devil martial artist just below Sect Hierarch Ying Wuqing, with a physical strength comparable to an upper-level Great Demon, he stood three meters tall. Even seated in the parlor, his huge size still exerted a tremendous pressure.
Upon seeing Gu Jinlai, the giant-like man immediately stood up, showing not a hint of arrogance, "Heavenly Monarch Gu, I have admired your great name for a long time. It should be my Master who personally visited Heavenly Monarch Gu, but the situation presently is somewhat severe... For any disrespect, please forgive me, Heavenly Monarch Gu."
"It’s fine, being in a foreign land, I surely can understand," Gu Jinlai responded with a gesture to sit and then said, "Vice Sect Hierarch Zhao’s visit this time..."
"To be frank, I come on behalf of my Master, wishing to ask Heavenly Monarch Gu to bestow a complete look at the Great Sun Demon God Body Refining Method," Zhao Wuya took a deep breath. "In exchange, the Sect Suppressing Technique of our Demon God Sect, the Chaos True Demon Body, is willing to be fully disclosed to Heavenly Monarch Gu."
