The Legend of the Great Desolation: I Am the Fortress

"Huh?" Lei Zhan was taken aback.

Is this another person arriving?
Inside Star Island, Lei Zhan's perception was very clear.

Two figures suddenly appeared on Star Island. One was a thin, white-haired middle-aged man, and the other was a young man dressed in a silver-white robe.

The aura emanating from these two cultivators was at the same level as that of Daoist Lanzhou.

Even the threat posed by that young man in silver robes to Lei Zhan was faintly greater than the threat posed by Daoist Lan Zhou.

"Are these two more Dao Lords on the verge of Dao Integration, the Fourth Step?" Lei Zhan muttered to himself. "They've all gathered together, and they're all here for me?"

"However, a new palace master has already arrived at the Time and Space Palace. It's just unknown which of the twelve palaces this time it will be."

Although Lei Zhan had some doubts, he also vaguely understood.

These two Dao Lords, like Dao Lord Lanzhou, are very likely also here to invite me to join the Twelve Palaces of Mangya.

Furthermore, the strongest among them are likely to be the experts from the Heart Power Palace.

"I suppose it was my battle with Betalieu that allowed these powerful beings to witness the strength I displayed. And when I finally opened up the World of the Heart, I didn't hide it either."

"These two Dao Lord experts who arrived after Dao Lord Lanzhou are very likely from the Heart Power Palace. Perhaps..." Lei Zhan pondered, subconsciously glancing at Dao Lord Lanzhou sitting opposite him.

"Hmm?" Daoist Lanzhou also looked over.

"Senior Lanzhou..." Lei Zhan smiled and said, "My Star Island has not received distinguished guests for a long time. Now we have received you, senior, as well as two other seniors from outside. Please forgive us for any shortcomings in our hospitality."

"It's alright. The two people outside are Xingyun and Fuyi, the two palace masters of Xinli Palace."

Lan Zhou Daojun remained calm and looked at Lei Zhan with a smile, saying, "The two palace masters have come together, probably for the same purpose: to invite you to join the Twelve Palaces."

"Palace Master Xingyun, Palace Master Fuyi?" Lei Zhan nodded.

“Let’s go, I’ll go with you and welcome these two palace masters in,” said Daoist Lanzhou.

“This…” Lei Zhan paused for a moment, then nodded and said, “Okay.”

……

"Hahaha. Xingyun, I didn't expect Fuyi to actually bring out your Dharma body."

Lan Zhou Daojun looked at the young man in the silver-white robe with a smile, "Didn't your true form go into the Yu Xinghai to explore? You still have the energy to deal with the affairs of the Xinli Palace."

"Although Yu Xinghai is fraught with danger, there are always moments when he can steal a breather."

The silver-robed youth spoke up: "As you, Lan Zhou, know, our Mind Power Palace has the fewest number of cultivators among the twelve palaces. Naturally, every Mind Power cultivator deserves our Mind Power Palace's attention."

"What an old fox!" Daoist Lanzhou cursed inwardly. "There are so few of you, does every single mental power cultivator deserve your attention? Even the Palace Master of my Time-Space Palace came in person, doesn't that count as showing respect?"

Of course, Daoist Lanzhou was somewhat displeased, but he couldn't possibly make a fool of himself in front of Lei Zhan.

“Guiyi, let me introduce you.” Daoist Lanzhou raised his hand and pointed to the silver-robed youth in front of him, looking at Lei Zhan. “This is the Palace Master of Xinli Palace, Palace Master Xingyun. And the one next to Palace Master Xingyun is the Vice Palace Master of Xinli Palace, Daoist Fuyi.”

"Guiyi greets Palace Master Xingyun and Palace Master Fuyi," Lei Zhan said, bowing to the two powerful figures before him.

"Hmm." Palace Master Xingyun glanced at Daoist Lanzhou, who was walking side by side with Lei Zhan, and then her gaze lingered on Lei Zhan. "In the future, we will be brothers, so there is no need for formalities."

"Hahaha." Fu Yi Dao Jun also looked at Lei Zhan and smiled. "I heard that you have only been on Star Island for less than three months, yet you fought Beta Leer and completely crushed him. You even opened up a world of the heart... So I invited Brother Xing Yun to come over immediately."

"Guiyi, you are truly dazzling! Although the Great Ruler has created Star Island for countless years, and many powerful individuals have emerged in the past, there are few as monstrous talents as you."

"You flatter me, Palace Master Fu Yi." Lei Zhan smiled. "When I fought with Betalieu before, if Betalieu had used all his strength, I might have been the one who lost."

"Hmm?" Master Fuyi blinked and shook his head, saying, "Even though he was hiding his strength, you still went all out?"

"If he could comprehend one or two more of the strongest paths, the outcome between you two would be truly uncertain. But in the end, you were the one who won."

Although Lord Fuyi had not witnessed the battle firsthand, he had seen what Betalieu looked like when he unleashed his full power, and naturally had his own standard of measurement in mind.

"Let's not talk about that. Since you two seniors have come to my Star Island, please come in and have a seat." Lei Zhan said, pointing to the open courtyard gate. "I have prepared some light wine. If you seniors would like, let's go in and sit down so we can drink and chat."

"Alright." Palace Master Xingyun glanced at the furnishings in the courtyard, and followed Lei Zhan into the courtyard with Dao Lord Fuyi and Dao Lord Lanzhou. The four of them sat down again. "Three seniors, please!" Lei Zhan sat down at the wooden table and poured wine for the three Dao Lords.

"Xingyun, Guiyi is here too, let's make some arrangements first." Daoist Lanzhou sipped his wine leisurely and glanced at Palace Master Xingyun, who was also sipping his wine at a leisurely pace.

"Hmm?" Palace Master Xingyun put down her wine cup and looked at Daoist Lanzhou's calm face.

"Whether you want Guiyi to join the Time and Space Palace or your Mind Power Palace, we will still use our own methods and let him choose for himself in the end." Daoist Lanzhou didn't bother with subtle communication and openly discussed their competition.

After all, Lei Zhan wasn't stupid. He was one of the most monstrous and heaven-defying cultivators. No matter where he went or which faction he joined, he was an irresistible hot commodity.

To attract such geniuses to join one's team, one must offer tangible benefits.

"Hmm." Palace Master Xingyun nodded slightly. "Both of us want Guiyi to join us, and naturally we'll each use our own methods."

Lei Zhan blinked. "Each relies on their own methods?"
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Similarly, when the Palace of Mental Power fights the Palace of Time and Space, the only one who will ultimately benefit is himself.

but……

Lei Zhan felt a sense of helplessness. "I am deeply honored to be valued by the three seniors. But to be honest, I have already comprehended the four strongest paths of the Dao of Time and Space, which means that mental cultivation can only serve as a supplement..."

"Huh? Four?" Daoist Lanzhou, Palace Master Xingyun, and Palace Master Fuyi were all taken aback.

The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to myriad Taos.

In reality, although it requires embarking on multiple paths to the strongest, the difference in strength between comprehending two and comprehending three or four is not significant.

However, the fact that he was able to comprehend four of them in a row is enough to demonstrate Lei Zhan's talent.

If one were to relinquish one's achievements in the realm of time and space and instead dedicate oneself to cultivating mental strength...

"Alright, I understand." Palace Master Xingyun looked at Lei Zhan, a hint of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

Both he and Daoist Lanzhou are masters of one of the twelve palaces, and the resources they can provide are the envy of even some Eternal Daoists.

But Lei Zhan, standing before him, had already made his decision.

It is known that cultivators who can stay true to their original aspirations and persevere are destined for extraordinary achievements in the future, which naturally earned the admiration of Palace Master Xingyun, who had seen too many storms.

"Hmm?" Daoist Lanzhou also looked at Lei Zhan and said with a smile, "Do you know how much benefit Xingyun and I can offer? That is an extremely valuable resource. Even if you reach the fourth-step Daoist level in the future, you will still be envious when you see it."

"The Dao Lord of Life and Death is a journey of life and death, and naturally, there is no room for hesitation." Now that he has opened up the world of his heart, how extraordinary is his Dao heart? He smiled and said, "I cannot even follow my own Dao to the end, so how can I talk about reaching the level of a fourth-step Dao Lord, or how can I reach the edge of the Dao Integration stage?"

"Furthermore, if the two seniors win the competition, the resources generated will indeed be very valuable to me. But if I directly join the Time and Space Palace, will Senior Lanzhou not give me these resources that I should have?"

"Hahaha." Daoist Lanzhou laughed immediately. "Good! Good! Good! Your Dao heart is indeed extraordinary."

"It seems you are very clear about your future path." Palace Master Xingyun also smiled and said, "In that case, Fu Yi and I will not try to persuade you any further. The twelve palaces are all of one mind and advance and retreat together. Even if you join the Time and Space Palace, you can still cultivate your mental strength."

"Yes." Lei Zhan smiled, picked up his wine cup, and toasted the three Dao Lords one by one.

"This is a Dao talisman I refined." After a meal, a strange, silvery-white leaf appeared in the hands of the Palace Master of Xingyun Palace. The leaf was incredibly beautiful and emitted waves of strange energy.

"With this talisman, you can save your life or kill your enemies. This talisman contains the power of my full mental strength secret technique. Even if you encounter those powerful fourth-step Dao Lords, you can kill or seriously injure them with this talisman."

"However, precisely because this talisman is so powerful, it can only be used once. Once used, its internal power is completely exhausted, and it cannot be used again."

"Use the full power of the Mind Power Secret Technique?" Lei Zhan's eyes lit up. "This..."

Mental power cultivators are inherently unpredictable, and the Palace Master of Xingyun Palace ranks among the top ten Dao Lords in the Endless Territory.

His full-force attack using his secret technique could probably even threaten some Eternal Emperors with weak Dao hearts.

"Take it! I made these for the little ones in the Heart Power Palace to protect their lives. It's just that they're a bit troublesome to make." Palace Master Xingyun laughed. "I only did this because I like you, Guiyi. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have had the chance to get this talisman from me!"

"Take it," said Daoist Lanzhou. "This talisman is nothing to Xingyun. Don't let his easy-going nature fool you; among the many Daoists in the Endless Territory, his strength ranks among the top."

"Hmph." Palace Master Xingyun glanced at Daoist Lanzhou, who was leisurely sipping his wine. "Don't flatter me! Even I've brought out my treasures. After Guiyi, I'll be joining your Time-Space Palace. Aren't you going to bring something out too?"

...(End of chapter)