Chapter 4728: Millions of Years

Ten million years passed.

On the Chaos Continent lay a colossal island, stretching ten trillion li from east to west and eight trillion li from north to south. It was adorned with countless majestic peaks, bathed in myriad rays of shimmering light and auspicious auras. Immortal cranes soared across the sky, spirit monkeys chased each other through the mountains and forests, and butterflies danced gracefully amidst vast seas of flowers.

In the southwest of the island stood a massive city. Above its gate, a huge golden plaque bore the four characters: "Qinglian Immortal City."

Inside, the city was a labyrinth of buildings with wide, clean streets, bustling with many figures. A significant number of cultivators wore robes embroidered with blue lotus patterns, identifying them as disciples of the Wang family.

Over ten million years ago, during the Immortal-Chaos War, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan slew six Dao Ancestor-level Chaos Beasts, while Qing Xuan devoured a sub-tower, marking a pivotal victory.

Qinglian Immortal Island was permanently established on the Chaos Continent, and Qinglian Immortal City served as a trading hub for immortals within its territory.

The Wang family utilized a top-grade mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure, "The Great Wall," to establish fortified borders. This eliminated the need to spread their forces thin, allowing them to abolish numerous Mystic Cities and Yellow Cities, while retaining only a portion of Sky Cities and Earth Cities.

Qinglian Immortal City administered thirty-six Sky Cities and seven hundred and twenty Earth Cities. Affiliated forces such as Zhenhai Palace, the Ni Family, Taiyi Palace, Myriad Spirit Sect, the Nangong Immortal Clan, the Ye Family, the Chu Family, the Cao Family, and the Dugu Immortal Clan were each granted control of a Sky City, where they mined immortal ores and regularly submitted cultivation resources.

Other powers like the Wang (汪) Family, the Lan Family, the Li Family, the Du Family, the Sun Family, the Ji Family, the Zhou Family, and the Spirit Race were granted control over several Earth Cities, and they developed quite successfully.

The most valuable cultivation resources, however, remained under the direct control of the Wang family.

Chen Yueying, who had been slain by the lingering aftermath of a Dao Ancestor's battle, was currently undergoing resurrection via the Legacy Tablet. The Wang family had arranged for immortals in their controlled territories to regularly pay homage to her. Furthermore, Wang family immortals who fell in battle were also resurrected using this method.

The territories of Dao Ancestor Huanle, Dao Ancestor Kunlun, the Hunxie King Tribe, and the Hufa King Tribe all came under the Wang family's dominion. The Wang family's domain on the Chaos Continent now surpassed even that of the True Dragon Clan. With the addition of two Dao Ancestors who had achieved Dao through supreme laws, only the nine great Chaos Beast tribes could truly contend with the Wang family; a single Chaos Beast tribe was utterly no match.

A supremely majestic, sky-piercing peak soared into the heavens. At its foot stood a golden stone tablet, over a hundred zhang tall, bearing the three characters: "Jiugong Peak." This was Wang Qiulin's residence.

After Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan ascended to the Dao Ancestor realm, Wang Qiulin's status soared even higher, making a single divination from him exceedingly difficult to obtain.

At the peak sat a serene manor. Inside a blue stone pavilion, Chu Yurou and Venerable Xuanji sat, sipping tea and chatting idly.

Venerable Xuanji had recently acquired a top-grade mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure, the Heavenly Mystery Pearl. As this treasure was ideal for diviners, and Venerable Xuanji neither understood divination nor had mastered the Law of Fate, he had little use for it. Thus, he gifted it to Wang Qiulin, taking the opportunity to ask Wang Qiulin to help him divine an opportunity.

"Madam Wang," Venerable Xuanji politely inquired, "will Senior Wang or Senior Wang Ruyan make an appearance at this Qinglian Dharma Assembly?"

He had never imagined that Wang Changsheng could advance to the Dao Ancestor realm, becoming the first in the history of the Immortal Realm to do so, and even injure a sub-tower.

"I'm not sure," Chu Yurou replied with a smile. "Grandfather and Grandmother have not yet emerged from their seclusion."

With the Wang family becoming a Dao family, the Chu family's status had also risen significantly, granting them the right to manage a Sky City. The Chu family currently boasted one Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Previously, a single Grand Unity Golden Immortal would have been utterly incapable of fending off Chaos Beast attacks. However, with the mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure, "The Great Wall," this was no longer an issue.

The Great Wall was deployed along the borders. Should Chaos Beasts wish to attack Qinglian Immortal Island, they would first need to breach The Great Wall's formidable defenses. Moreover, with the Ruyi Gate, Wang family immortals could instantly teleport to any strategic checkpoint to provide support whenever Chaos Beasts launched an assault.

It was now widely known in the outside world that the Wang family possessed the Ruyi Gate. Wang family members utilized this treasure to traverse the Immortal Realm, collecting cultivation resources, particularly mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasures and fifth-tier immortal materials.

The Wang family was actively collecting fifth-tier immortal materials, mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasures, and Dao artifact fragments, offering a wealth of valuable items in exchange. These included aperture-opening secret techniques, pure crystal cores, immortal elixirs and fruits capable of cultivating top-tier immortal bodies, Dao comprehension treasures, Grand Unity Golden Immortal-level bean soldiers, and fourth-tier immortal puppets, among others. As long as the items offered were sufficiently precious, even the secret technique for opening ten apertures was not beyond reach.

As soon as this news spread, major forces across the Immortal Realm were stirred. Large numbers of immortals flocked to the Wang family's territory to conduct trades, significantly boosting the Wang family's ability to collect cultivation resources.

Venerable Xuanji nodded and said, "The two seniors held a Dao Ancestor celebration, but I was in death-seclusion and unfortunately missed it."

"That's very kind of Fellow Daoist Xiao," Chu Yurou said with a smile. "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Venerable Xuanji nodded again. "Madam Wang," he asked, "is it true that you've put forth the secret technique for opening ten apertures?"

"Of course," Chu Yurou confirmed. "But it depends on what Fellow Daoist Xiao can offer. A single mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure isn't enough, nor are dozens of fifth-tier immortal materials. This is, after all, the secret technique for opening ten apertures."

After Dao Ancestor Huanle's death, his disciples presented that set of ten-aperture opening secret techniques. With this acquisition, the Wang family now possessed three such techniques, the most potent being the "Mystic Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art."

The Immortal Realm was vast and abundant with rare treasures. To entice other immortals to part with their cherished possessions, the Wang family had to offer something exceptionally valuable in return.

"A single mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure isn't enough?" Venerable Xuanji pressed. "What about an entire set?"

"That depends on its function," Chu Yurou clarified. "If it's a defensive set, and there are enough of them with good tribulation-passing effects, it might be acceptable. But if it's merely offensive, it's still far from enough."

Venerable Xuanji nodded, making a mental note of the information.

Wang Qiulin walked over from a side courtyard and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, you have a great opportunity. Here is the location; go find it yourself! I can still divine for you twice more."

A top-grade mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure, even an auxiliary one, held immense value. Wang Qiulin's offer to divine for Venerable Xuanji three times was already a significant favor. While this might be a great opportunity, few things were more valuable than a top-grade mutated Grandmist Spirit Treasure. Furthermore, commissioning Wang Qiulin for a divination didn't guarantee a great opportunity; if it turned out to be a minor one or none at all, it would be a substantial loss.

He took out a green jade slip and handed it to Venerable Xuanji.

Venerable Xuanji swept his divine sense over the slip, a look of joy appearing on his face. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Wang," he said.

"It's my pleasure," Wang Qiulin replied. "Here are two Jiugong tokens for you. I recognize the token, not the person, so if you're unable to come yourself, you can send someone with a Jiugong token to find me."

Wang Qiulin took out two golden tokens and handed them to Venerable Xuanji.

Venerable Xuanji thanked him and accepted the two tokens.

"I still have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now," Venerable Xuanji said.

With a bow, Venerable Xuanji departed.

"By my calculations," Wang Qiulin mused, "Grandfather and Grandmother have been in seclusion for quite some time now. We must have collected no less than a hundred fifth-tier immortal materials, right? I wonder if Grandfather will be able to refine an acquired Dao artifact."

The Wang family now maintained peripheral organizations across all seven hundred and twenty Immortal Domains, tirelessly collecting cultivation resources.

"A hundred pieces is still too few, isn't it?" Chu Yurou replied. "I've heard it requires several hundred fifth-tier immortal materials. If we could locate the Daoist sites of other Dao Ancestors, we might be able to gather enough materials."

Wang Qiulin nodded. "In any case, we're not in a hurry," he said. "Once enough fifth-tier immortal materials are gathered, Grandfather can attempt to refine a Dao artifact. Oh, by the way, is there any news on those materials Grandmother asked us to keep an eye out for?"

Wang Ruyan had previously exchanged with other Dao Ancestors for the refinement methods of several types of fifth-tier immortal talismans, all of which required fifth-tier immortal materials. Among these, the Myriad Law Lightning Transformation Talisman, which could weaken the power of lightning tribulations, notably required the Myriad Law Stone as its core component. This naturally formed heavenly treasure was exceedingly rare and precious, taking hundreds of millions of years to potentially form.

"Not yet," Chu Yurou replied. "I've already instructed our family members to keep an eye out; if there's any news, they'll report it immediately."

Wang Qiulin nodded, saying nothing more.