A person in the heavens, starting with a Chaos Emperor Dao Fruit

"Haha, Jiehuo, you've been missing for so many years, I thought you'd left the Great Xia, but now you've finally shown yourself!" Xia Mangxun laughed and stood up to greet him.

The person who came was naturally Yunhua.

The celestial beings present also showed a hint of surprise. Some of them had seen Yunhua undergo his tribulation and knew that he was a celestial being; while others who were unaware of the situation inquired around and immediately understood the significance of the newcomer.

"Come, come, take a seat!" Xia Mangxun waved his hand, and a long table full of wine, fruits and spirits appeared in the hall. The food on it was much more abundant than what was served to the celestial beings.

"Jie Huo, are you also interested in this Immortal Destiny Conference?" Xia Mangxun asked.

"I can't help it, my disciple is inside too, of course I have to come and see!" Yunhua replied with a smile.

"Oh? Your disciple? I've never heard of that before. Have you spent the last ten years training disciples?" Xia Mangxun was somewhat surprised. His disciple was also participating in the Immortal Destiny Conference?

His gaze fell upon the landscape painting of the bright moon, and he was somewhat surprised.

Even the contestants with the strongest backing were merely disciples of celestial beings; yet, a disciple of a celestial god actually appeared among them.

Not only Xia Mangxun, but the other celestial beings present also showed expressions of shock.

A disciple of a celestial being, especially one who is very likely the other party's only disciple, is no less important than the celestial beings present.

If his disciple were killed here, the murderer's entire sect would be in trouble.

"Jie Huo, not to criticize you, but if your disciple really wants the rewards from the Immortal Destiny Conference, just tell me, and I'll give him one. After all, the Immortal Destiny Conference is too dangerous." Xia Mangxun also shook his head.

He had probably guessed that Yunhua might only have this one disciple, and if this sole heir were to perish, who knew what would happen to him?

Chapter 1005 Gathering of Immortals

“If he loses in a contest between equals, he can only blame himself for not being skilled enough; as long as it’s not bullying the weak or the superior bullying the inferior, I won’t make a move!” As Yun Hua spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present.

Although everyone present felt a little suffocated by Yun Hua's gaze and aura, they were somewhat relieved after hearing his words.

"Alright, enough of this talk. I doubt anyone would dare to lay a hand on your disciple. Let's first savor the delicious food and wine I've prepared especially for this tournament, and then enjoy the competition," the Emperor of Great Xia said with a smile. "But who exactly is your disciple? Point him out so I can see!"

Yunhua casually picked up a wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then reached out and pointed to a figure in the landscape painting.

"Huh? It's him?" Many of the celestial beings present were immediately surprised.

Although the competition hadn't lasted long, Ji Ning's performance was undoubtedly among the most dazzling, and many people had noticed him.

Only then did they realize that he was a disciple of the gods.

Just then, another voice rang out—

"Fellow Daoist Xia Mang, we have come uninvited today. Would you be so kind as to welcome us?"

As soon as the sound was heard, eight figures appeared from the clouds.

These eight people possessed mysterious and distinct auras. There was a dashing man in a Taoist robe, Buddhist monks in kasayas, an old man riding an ox, and an emperor in a dragon robe...

"What brings you all to my Great Xia? Please take your seats!" Xia Mangxun immediately stood up to greet them, and at the same time brought out eight long tables, on which the immortal fruits and wines were exactly the same as those in Yunhua.

It is evident that the visitors are all celestial beings and Pure Yang Immortals.

"Why did I come here? Don't you know?" The leading man carrying a sword laughed. "The Three Realms are in turmoil, and the Immortal Destiny Assembly is a place where fortunes converge. Your Great Xia World ranks among the top in terms of fortunes among the Three Thousand Realms. Perhaps a peerless figure will be born here. Of course, I, Lü Dongbin, have to come and see."

"This old man is just here to watch the fun; he won't steal any talent from your Great Xia!" the old man riding the ox said with a smile.

"I'm just here to browse!"

"Haha, let's watch the show!" The other True Immortals also spoke up at the same time.

"Huh, this fellow Daoist looks unfamiliar!?" Suddenly, Lü Dongbin noticed Yun Hua standing to the side and exclaimed in surprise.

"Haha, let me introduce you all. This Fellow Daoist Jiehuo is a newly promoted Heavenly God who successfully transcended the tribulation fifteen years ago!" Xia Mang laughed loudly.

"Back then, he was the most dazzling genius in my Yinglong Guard. Even our master paid special attention to him. Fifteen years ago, he even survived the Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder, which is a rare event that occurs only once every billion years, and successfully advanced to the level of a Celestial God!"

Yunhua was also taken aback. Xia Mangxun was actually using himself to boast?

"Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder!?"

"Peak of the Celestial God realm, perfect divine body!?"

But as soon as these words came out, Lü Dongbin and the others were shocked. Having cultivated to the level of a true immortal, they knew all too well that the greatest hurdle in the cultivation of a celestial being was achieving a perfect divine body.

Once the divine body is perfected, becoming a true god becomes much easier.

Especially legendary things like the Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder, it's not something you can just acquire at will; it requires the inherent strength and aptitude of a god or demon to reach a certain limit.

"Fellow Daoist Jiehuo, I admire you!" Lü Dongbin reacted quickly and said immediately.

"Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder! This is the legendary strongest Heavenly Tribulation!"

"Impressive. It has been so many years since the Three Realms have seen the Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder. Great Xia truly lives up to its reputation as one of the worlds with the best fortune in the Three Realms, to be able to produce such a celestial being."

All the True Immortals were shocked. They did not underestimate Yun Hua just because he was a newly promoted Heavenly God. Being able to summon the Pure Yang Golden Light Thunder was already an unimaginable achievement.

Especially after achieving the perfect divine body, his strength was absolutely at the pinnacle of the celestial realm, very close to that of a true god. These true immortals also basically understood that among the many true immortals present, apart from beings like Lü Dongbin who were infinitely close to ancestral immortals, there was practically no one who could rival him.

The Ancestor Immortal is also known as the Dao Ancestor.

To advance to the Celestial Immortal level, a cultivator only needs to comprehend a complete Dao; to advance to the True Immortal level, a cultivator needs to comprehend a complete Great Dao, and also comprehend five complete Daos belonging to the Five Elements; and to advance to the Ancestral Immortal level, a cultivator needs to comprehend a complete Heavenly Dao.

Upon learning of Yunhua, the other True Immortals also harbored some ulterior motives.

"With the convergence of the Great Xia's fortune, an existence like the Calamity Fire God has emerged. So, do these little guys really still have such abundant fortune?" Many True Immortals thought to themselves.

Although the Great Xia world is rich in fortune, there is still a limit to its overall strength. If such fortune creates a powerful figure, then the probability of other powerful figures appearing is much lower.

In the Heavenly Mang Palace, Yunhua was also exchanging ideas with other True Immortals. After all, his cultivation time was very short, and he didn't know much about the secrets of the Three Realms. However, he learned a lot during these exchanges.

Time passed little by little, and the year since the first step of the conference was coming to an end. There were not many people left alive in the Bright Moon Landscape Painting.

Among them was Ji Ning, who was also the most outstanding among the survivors.

"Ji Ning's swordsmanship is improving at such a rapid pace! How can it be so fast? He's improving and growing almost every day!"

"A prodigy, he's just too prodigy!"

"He's practically a born sword immortal. How old is he? He's already mastered swordsmanship to this level."

Ji Ning's every move and every battle was watched by everyone, because he was a disciple of the Heavenly God, and this identity destined him to be noticed. Of course, his rapid progress was also a factor.

"He has already mastered the basics of swordsmanship, and even cultivated it to this level. This Ji Ning is truly exceptional," Lu Dongbin couldn't help but say. "Fellow Daoist Jie Huo, your disciple is remarkable!"

"Yes, such a natural-born sword immortal is truly rare!"

"I think Fellow Daoist Jiehuo seems to have used some special methods to train his disciples?" At this moment, the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta from Buddhism suddenly said.

Immediately, all the True Immortals turned their gaze to Yunhua.

Yun Hua said, "It's nothing serious. Before the Immortal Destiny Conference, I instilled all 178 sets of Immortal-level sword techniques, along with my insights into these techniques, into his soul. This Immortal Destiny Conference is just a convenient opportunity for him to digest these sword techniques, thanks to the many geniuses involved."

"To comprehend the Dao through battle—truly worthy of the style of a celestial being in training his disciples!" All the True Immortals couldn't help but shake their heads.

They could never train disciples like that. Only gods and demons would train disciples this way, because true gods and demons are forged in battle. They all possess a berserk fighting spirit, enjoying and comprehending the Dao in battle.

However, these true immortals do not particularly like this frenzied battle atmosphere. They prefer a carefree and leisurely life, where they can comprehend the Dao and make progress in tranquility.

Of course, there was also a disciple of the Xuanwu Emperor in the Bright Moon Landscape Painting. Although he did not perform as brilliantly as Ji Ning, he was the one most valued by all the True Immortals, after all, his status was evident.

Finally, the year was up, and all ninety-six who had passed the test were moved out by Xia Mangxun.

They all arrived at the main hall.

Chapter 1006 The Conference Ends

Yunhua quietly watched his disciple Ji Ning, and he could clearly feel the change in Ji Ning. It was a change that came after experiencing one great battle after another; his fighting spirit and aura were at an unprecedented high.

"If I'm not mistaken, this Immortal Destiny Conference is an opportunity to absorb the fortune of the entire Great Xia Dynasty." Yunhua took one last look at the Bright Moon Landscape Painting.

The image depicts the fall of over 100,000 talented cultivators, who formed the foundation for the Great Xia Dynasty for the next few hundred years. Their deaths also signify that their fortunes have been inherited by the living generation before them.

The ultimate winner of this Immortal Destiny Tournament will gather the vast majority of the fortunes of the younger generation of the entire Great Xia Dynasty. As long as their luck isn't too bad, they will be able to make rapid progress.

Next, Xia Mangxun began to announce the second round of selection: "The ninety-six of you will engage in one-on-one battles, and forty-eight people will remain in the end. Each of these forty-eight people will receive a Celestial-grade magic weapon."

"After two more rounds of competition, the remaining twelve people will each receive ten million catties of Yuan Liquid."

"After two more rounds of battles, the remaining three can choose one supernatural power or secret technique from the treasures of my Great Xia Dynasty."

The moment these rules and rewards were announced, everyone present went wild. A celestial-grade magic weapon—something many rogue immortals didn't even possess.

The price of tens of millions of catties of Yuan Liquid is comparable to that of countless celestial beings; as for the final choice of a divine power or secret technique, that drives everyone into a frenzy.

The rewards for this year's Immortal Destiny Tournament are incredibly generous. In previous years, even the champion only received a single Immortal-grade magic weapon.

"Finally, by order of our master, he will select one of the last three as a nominal disciple, who will become a formal disciple after he becomes a Celestial Immortal," Xia Mangxun concluded.

Upon hearing this, everyone present went wild once again.

The Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor is a famous Dao Ancestor in the Three Realms, high above, ruling over dozens of great worlds and with countless celestial immortals under his command. Yet, among these people before him, there is actually a disciple.

The countless celestial beings present were filled with envy.

Why not them?

"The first battle is between Cangwu Jiu of the Cangwu Clan and Qi Long of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect!" Xia Mangxun announced. "The others can rest on the sidelines."

After all ninety-six people were selected, Xia Mangxun immediately announced the order of the next battles.

The others were also basically summoned by their own Celestial Ancestor.

Those who can cultivate to this level, especially those who stand out in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, are basically not independent cultivators without any foundation, or those who have a master's lineage, or at the very least, those who have received guidance from some experts. There is no independent cultivator who is truly unrelated to any major power.

"Ji Ning, come here!" Yun Hua naturally called Ji Ning over as well.

"Master!" Ji Ning immediately walked to Yun Hua's side.

The other contestants were even more shocked to see this, realizing that this person was actually a disciple of a god.

"What would you do if Dao Ancestor Chiming took a liking to you?" Yunhua immediately asked via telepathy as soon as Ji Ning arrived.

"I will do whatever Master says!" Ji Ning replied immediately.

Yunhua laughed and said, "You're quite the sly one, throwing the problem at me!"

Ji Ning wasn't some clueless simpleton; no matter how he answered Yun Hua's question, it would be wrong. If he said he wanted to go to Dao Ancestor Chi Ming, wouldn't that be blatantly implying that Yun Hua's teaching ability was inadequate?

But if I say I don't want to go, it would seem a bit hypocritical.

Therefore, the best answer to this question is to leave the question to Yunhua himself.

Yunhua then transmitted his voice, saying, "Don't worry, Dao Ancestor Chiming doesn't think much of you."

Ji Ning was taken aback. His strength should be among the top of everyone present, so why would they look down on him? If even he looked down on him, then who else could the Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor value?

Sensing Ji Ning's thoughts, Yun Hua continued, "I've met Dao Ancestor Chi Ming. When he wants to take on a disciple, what he values ​​most is personality. He wants someone with a similar personality to his, not someone like you. Do you understand?"

He accepts disciples based on both talent and character. He admires those who cultivate themselves slowly and steadily over hundreds of years, step by step, without haste or giving up.

"Slowly, step by step, we move forward..." Ji Ning was stunned. He never expected that Dao Ancestor Chi Ming would like such a person.

Yunhua said, "Back then, Dao Ancestor Chiming wanted to take me as his disciple. He intended to spend a hundred years testing my character to see if I could still cultivate calmly and patiently after a hundred years. However, to his surprise, I made great strides and broke through in just ten years..."

"I'm telling you all this just to tell you to play well in the upcoming matches and not to overthink things. By the way, this Immortal Destiny Tournament is very likely to gather the fortune of the Great Xia Dynasty for the next hundred years. The benefits that the first place winner will receive will probably far exceed becoming a disciple of the Dao Ancestor," Yun Hua said in conclusion.

“Yes, disciple understands!” Ji Ning replied.

Yun Hua nodded slightly, but he also understood in his heart that Ji Ning's trajectory was different from the original story.

In the original story, Ji Ning went to Anchan City to learn from a master because he needed a high-level Qi Refining method. However, he had already become a disciple of Yun Hua beforehand and knew that Yun Hua was already a Void Returning Realm God-Demon. He didn't lack Qi Refining methods, so he didn't go to the Black and White Academy at all. Naturally, he didn't know the people in the Black and White Academy, let alone his Daoist partner.

When Ji Ning traveled outside, he always claimed to be a "freelance cultivator".

Soon, the first round of competition came to an end.

In this round of competition, Xia Mangxun did not allow the strong to clash directly, but instead had the strong and the weak clash. Therefore, this round was not suspenseful, and Ji Ning quickly received the reward for this round—a low-grade immortal sword.

Next came the second and third rounds of competition, and there was no suspense in these competitions. In the end, Ji Ning quickly won the reward for the second round - ten million catties of Yuan Liquid.

After that, the fourth and fifth rounds of the competition also ended quickly, and Ji Ning successfully entered the top three.

After becoming Yunhua's disciple and receiving so many supernatural powers and secret techniques ahead of time, Ji Ning's foundation is much stronger than in the original story.

Especially in the month leading up to the Immortal Destiny Conference, Yunhua gave Ji Ning a series of cramming-style swordsmanship instructions.

It would normally be difficult to fully absorb this kind of guidance, but the great battles at the Immortal Destiny Conference further accelerated his progress.

Naturally, Ji Ning's victory was easier than in the original story, and he didn't even use the Star-Picking Hand once.

However, after the top three were decided, apart from Ji Ning, the other two had no competitive spirit at all, because they received the exact same reward. What they were competing for was the opportunity to be accepted as a disciple by Dao Ancestor Chi Ming.