Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

The True Immortal Realm, the Azure Peak Domain, the Immortal City of Lin Yuan.

In a secluded courtyard of Wanxiang Villa, Gu Changjin, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.

As his consciousness returned from the mortal realm to his physical body, a sense of power far stronger than that of a mid-stage Xuanxian surged forth.

The Great Realm of the Earth Immortals within his body slowly circulated, and the heavens, earth, mountains, rivers, sun, and moon flowed in a single thought.

"The original body is still the most comfortable."

Gu Changjin gently moved his wrists, then focused his consciousness into the Dao Fruit.

The once empty, pure white space has now been lit up again.

Strands of pure white Dao principles flowed slowly around the Dao Fruit like a long river.

Nine hundred paths converge into one principle, and not a single one is missing!

The Demon Ancestor alone contributed two hundred, while seven other beings of different races and the Holy Sect, including the Hundred-Faced Ancient Venerable, the Faceless Saint Ancestor, and the Nine-Eyed Ancient Venerable, each contributed one hundred.

This trip to the mortal realm to close the net resulted in the convergence of nine hundred Daoist principles.

A satisfied smile appeared on Gu Changjin's face.

Indeed, it was the right decision not to rush to devour everyone.

First, support the human race, launch a war, and then harvest the fortunes of all races and the top powerhouses. The benefits gained are far greater than if they were devoured one by one.

Now, Xu Chang'an in the lower realm, as well as those prodigies who rose to prominence during the war, have all grown up again.

However, ten years is still a bit short for these people.

They should at least reach the True Immortal realm, or even touch the Profound Immortal realm, before they can be considered truly mature.

Fortunately, it won't take too long.

The flow of time in the upper and lower realms is inherently different, and in addition, the time in the other world is also not consistent with that in the main world.

When I return to the mortal realm next time, thousands of years may have already passed.

When that time comes, it will be time to harvest another crop.

Gu Changjin quickly made a plan in his mind.

However, that's all in the future.

Right now, the most important thing is still Yue Chongchuan's identity.

The Earth Immortal status is real, the Dao of Mountains and Rivers is real, and even the destiny and karma that originally belonged to Yue Chongchuan have been completely inherited by Guiyi Immortal Cultivation.

But the people he was about to meet were no longer Mo Changqing or Su Yanshan, people he had only met a few times with Yue Chongchuan.

Rather, they were fellow disciples who were truly familiar with the original owner, or even that Celestial Immortal of Taiyue!

Whether their identity can continue to be used is about to face its first real test.

Gu Changjin flipped through the fragmented memories belonging to Yue Chongchuan within the Heart of the World.

Unfortunately, most of the scenes involving the two senior brothers and the Celestial Immortal of Taiyue are fragmented.

There were only some blurry mountain shadows, silhouettes, and an instinctive sense of familiarity formed over the years.

It might be enough to get through a few conversations.

If someone were to press them about old stories known only to the master and his disciples, they could easily expose their secrets.

Just as Gu Changjin was lost in thought, a soft knocking sound came from outside the courtyard.

"Elder Yue, Dean Su invites you to the main peak for a discussion."

Gu Changjin raised his eyes.

"understood."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared from the courtyard.

When it reappeared, it was deep within the main peak of Wanxiang Villa.

The Myriad Manifestations Immortal Sect does not establish separate residences in every immortal city.

Only great immortal cities like Lin Yuan Immortal City, which control the transportation of a region or are located in strategic locations, are qualified to have an Earth Immortal stationed there for many years.

Su Yanshan is nominally the guardian elder, but in reality, he is the master of this Wanxiang Villa.

Deep within the secluded courtyard, a quiet and tranquil place exists, with only a patch of green bamboo swaying in the wind.

In the center of the bamboo forest, a clear stream meanders around the rocks. Su Yanshan sits cross-legged by the stream, with a blue guqin on his lap.

The music played slowly.

Sometimes it feels like a mountain falling to the ground, profound and timeless.

At other times, it flows like a great river, endlessly.

There was also a stone table next to it.

The black and white chess pieces on the table were locked in a fierce battle, but the center of the board was empty, making it look like a long-running game with no clear winner.

Gu Changjin did not interrupt the music. He simply walked to the stone table, sat down, and casually picked up a white chess piece to examine it.

Su Yanshan only opened his eyes when the last note of the zither drifted into the bamboo forest.

"I was just itching to play, sorry to have kept you waiting, senior brother."

He put away his guqin, stood up, and bowed in apology.

"It's alright."

Gu Changjin placed the white pieces back on the chessboard.

"Junior Brother Su summoned me here specifically; surely it wasn't just to ask me to listen to a song?"

"Of course not."

Su Yanshan sat down opposite him, his gaze fixed on the chessboard.

"This unfinished game was left behind by the previous head of the villa and an old friend."

"The two sides have been fighting for thousands of years, and countless pieces have been captured on the edges and corners, but the key point that truly determines the outcome has always remained empty."

"Later, both seniors left Lin Yuan Immortal City, and no one moved on this game anymore."

Gu Changjin glanced at the center of the chessboard.

"Junior brother, are you referring to the current struggle for the sect's Dao Child?"

"Senior brother is still senior brother after all."

Su Yanshan smiled, then shook his head and said:

"However, the conflict between the Daoists is merely the visible trigger."

"What each lineage is truly vying for is the position of a Celestial Immortal."

Gu Changjin paused slightly in the hand holding the chess piece.

"The position of a celestial being is something to be fought over?"

"It's because my junior brother didn't explain it clearly enough."

Su Yanshan chuckled:

"There isn't actually a ready-made Celestial Immortal position within the sect that anyone who sits on can break through to the next level."

"It is a celestial paradise."

"That secret realm is located in the broken immortal sky at the intersection of several great domains. It was only discovered nearly ten thousand years ago and is now jointly controlled by my Myriad Manifestations Immortal Sect and four other immortal sects."

"The original owner of this secret realm was an ancient celestial being who had perished countless years ago."

"His cave dwelling, Taoist scriptures, immortal artifacts, cultivation insights, and even a complete inheritance that points directly to the Celestial Immortal realm are all left inside."

Gu Changjin's eyes flickered slightly.

The entire fortune left behind by a celestial being?

No wonder the various branches of the Myriad Manifestations Immortal Sect are fighting like this.

"Why not just send a celestial being in to retrieve it?"

Gu Changjin pretended not to understand.

"Can't get in."

Su Yanshan shook his head.

"The rules of that secret realm are extremely strange, allowing only beings below the level of a celestial realm to enter."

"Once you pass the tribulation to become an immortal and a true immortal aura is born within your body, you will be rejected by the secret realm."

"Once, a terrestrial immortal forcibly broke in, and the entrance almost collapsed completely. The five major immortal sects later jointly established a rule that only juniors who have not yet become true immortals are allowed to enter and compete for opportunities."

"Whoever obtains the core inheritance of that ancient celestial being will not immediately become a celestial being."

"But at least, someone has already walked the entire path from immortality to celestial being for him."

"How is this any different from vying for a future celestial being?"

Gu Changjin nodded slowly.

That makes sense.

With multiple sects jointly controlling the area, the number of places available is inevitably limited.

The Daoist disciples of the Myriad Manifestations Immortal Sect in this generation will not only receive the best protective treasures, secret realm information and sect resources, but will also be able to legitimately unite other disciples who have entered the sect.

Whoever ascends to the position of Dao Child is most likely to obtain the Heavenly Immortal inheritance.

On the surface, they are vying for the position of the successor of a sect.

What they are fighting for is the rise and fall of each lineage for tens of thousands of years to come!

No wonder even those Earth Immortal Elders have joined the fray.

"Not long after my senior brother was robbed and disappeared, that secret realm appeared in the world for the first time."

Su Yanshan continued:

"It's normal that you don't know these things."

"However, with the opening of this secret realm imminent, the struggle between the various sects is becoming increasingly fierce. Senior Brother's return at this time is indeed quite coincidental."

Gu Changjin smiled but didn't reply.

Whether it's a coincidence or not, I don't know.

But he was somewhat interested in this celestial inheritance.

Su Yanshan did not delve into this issue, but instead raised his hand and placed a black piece.

Snapped!

For the first time, an extra piece appeared in the empty space in the center of the chessboard.

"I have already sent news of my senior brother's return back to the sect."

"Everyone in the sect is overjoyed."

"Especially Master Taiyue, who even personally issued a celestial decree, ordering the current senior brother in charge of the Mountain and River Hall to come to Linyuan Immortal City to bring you back to the sect."

Gu Changjin's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

Senior Brother.

Those were fellow disciples who had cultivated alongside Yue Chongchuan under the Taiyue Heavenly Immortal Sect for countless years.

Su Yanshan and his associates are easily deceived.

But this one might be a different story.

"Judging by the time, Senior Brother should arrive in the next couple of days."

Su Yanshan raised his head, a smile of interest suddenly appearing on his face.

"By the way, I heard that Senior Brother has returned from his tribulation, and his disciples and grand-disciples... have been quite overjoyed lately!"