The reason the disciples went to Tianyahai Pavilion was not only to thank Chen Jingzhai for gifting them the Foundation Establishment Elixirs but also to get closer to him.
They had witnessed how generous, knowledgeable, and unique he was in the secret zone.
And when they thought of his age, they couldn’t help but admire him even more.
They were even more surprised and excited when they heard about his production rate on the Foundation Establishment Elixirs.
All of them felt that the entire clan was lucky to have someone like him, and the disciples were fortunate to have him as their Master-Uncle.
The atmosphere soon became livelier.
Even genius talents like Jiang Youning and Li Yifei, who had a lot of pride, were smiling and laughing around Chen Jingzhai. It was as if they were treating him as their leader.
Xue Fan couldn’t help but stare at the scene in awe.
However, a sudden realization quickly replaced that awe.
Even he now wanted to get closer to his Master-Uncle.
After a while, everyone started to talk about the battle forum before Chen Jingzhai even brought it up.
“The battle forum is going to begin in three months.” Sun Changrong smiled. “Man! And I thought I would be able to at least get a higher rank this time.”
“Wait. Are you not able to participate once you have reached the Complete Foundation Plane?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“It’s kind of an unspoken rule among the disciples,” Zhou Yuanhao explained. “It’s mostly because of the changes in a cultivator’s mind once they’ve completely established their foundation, just like Junior Brother Sun and me. So all we can think of now is gathering our core.”
“I see.” Chen Jingzhai nodded. “There’s no need for you to look back when you can look forward. Seeking improvements and taking a step forward are what we cultivators look for.”
A cultivator should not slow down on their training.
Even if one were to possess the celestial bone, they would have to be diligent in their cultivation, not to win battles but for themselves.
In the end, the battle forum was just a battle among clan mates. Therefore, it was not as important as real life.
“Well said, Master-Uncle!” Sun Changrong beamed.
“You’ve convinced me once again.” Zhou Yuanhao let out a sigh. “And I was looking forward to having a friendly spar with Master-Uncle at the battle forum. Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t have that chance anymore. My actions will also be restricted once I reach Pulao Kingdom.”
“We can have a friendly spar whenever we want.” Chen Jingzhai smiled. “Speaking of Pulao Kingdom, what’s the situation like over there? What will you guys be doing there?”
Everyone turned to look at Sun Changrong and Zhou Yuanhao.
They knew that the outcome of the Battle of Dragon was most likely set, but they didn’t know the details.
Ultimately, the Celestial Realm and the mortal world were two different worlds.
“Pulao Kingdom is not a mere mortal kingdom. People from the royal families to peasants are trained in cultivation,” Zhou Yuanhao said. “They have the chance to cultivate because of the vast land and the abundance of mountains the kingdom has.”
Pulao Kingdom hosted more than a dozen celestial clans, consisting of 14 states and 91 counties. It had a lot of tall mountains and old forests too.
One could say that the kingdom’s land was filled with natural treasures and resources.
Cultivators’ cave residences had been appearing a lot ever since the kingdom was established.
When a mortal was lucky enough to wander into the Path of Cultivation, they were all considered rogue cultivators.
For the past 1,000 years, the royalties and nobles had collected a lot of methods in secret.
They even had a few celestial codes.
That was why almost all of the royalties and nobles of Pulao Kingdom were cultivators.
There was no need for them to send their children to the Aspirant Cultivators Academy.
A few geniuses were also found throughout the last few generations.
Once a mortal starts cultivating, their life is prolonged, and their power naturally increases over time.
“You can pretty much treat the kingdom like a celestial clan,” Zhou Yuanhao said. “The ruler of the kingdom is the headmaster, and the different noble clans are the peaks and branches. The princes and their descendants are the direct branches.”
“One does not only fight for the position of the ruler through the Battle of Dragon. It’s also a battle between the direct branches,” Sun Changrong added. “After over 1,000 years, Pulao Kingdom has had a lot of princes, and every one of them wanted to become the ruler so that they could control the kingdom and get their hands on more resources.”
The main teachings of the Path of Celestial were to focus on oneself first before helping others.
If an untalented individual wished to increase their cultivation, the only way they could do that was through resources.
Some of the treasures were even able to improve one’s talent, and their cultivation would skyrocket.
These treasures were almost priceless to the cultivators.
“However, something changed around 300 years ago,” Zhou Yuanhao said. “The True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator of Pulao Kingdom, who was also the second ruler of the kingdom, passed away outside the kingdom.”
“A True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator has passed away?” Chen Jingzhai was shocked to hear that.
“Yes.” Zhou Yuanhao nodded. “The news quickly spread throughout the whole world. Even our True Venerable Spirit Plane elders have confirmed that the second ruler was killed by a powerful demonic spirit.”
The mood quickly turned blue.
Everyone present in the room was still in the Foundation Establishment Plane. To them, the True Venerable Spirit Plane was still far out of their reach.
All of them had the confidence to gather their cores, but not a single one could say they would surely achieve the True Venerable Spirit Plane.
It was clear why they were dejected when they talked about the True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator’s death.
“Even a True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator would have to run when faced with a powerful demonic beast,” Sun Changrong said in a serious tone. “However, what’s even more peculiar are the spirits and monsters.”
“Are there any differences between a spirit and a monster?” Chen Jingzhai asked out of curiosity.
“Spirits are plants and rocks in nature, while monsters resemble animals.” Sun Changrong nodded. “The world outside Pulao Kingdom is not as safe as it is inside its walls. The west is a desert, while the east is an ocean. The north is covered in snow, and the south is filled with trees. It would be impossible for the kingdom to be so peaceful if the celestial clans weren’t there.”
“The second ruler was killed by the Ice Snow Queen in the northern snow mountains,” Zhou Yuanhao said. “According to my master, the Ice Snow Queen was born out of the souls of the snow. She’s usually in a slumber deep inside the snowy mountains. So it’s a mystery why the ruler would wake her up.”
“Then, are there other True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivators in the kingdom?”
“No. The first ruler passed away 300 years after he established the kingdom. The second ruler died 300 years ago. The third ruler is barely breathing, and the fourth ruler’s health is declining. So there are only three Nascent Plane cultivators in the kingdom now.”
“That is why the nobles in the northern part of the kingdom are sending their children to the Aspirant Cultivators Academy. The kingdom’s strength has been in decline ever since they lost their True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator. We don’t even have to be there to know how desperate they are to hold the Battle of Dragon now. All they want to do is to preserve their bloodline.”
The Battle of Dragon was bound to happen when the second ruler passed away.
Although the fourth ruler still had a while to live, he was still unable to prevent it from happening.
No one could.
Unless a True Venerable Spirit Plane cultivator were to appear among the people, no one would be able to change the current situation of Pulao Kingdom.
“What about you guys? What will you be doing there?” Chen Jingzhai asked.
“Disciples of a celestial clan can enter the kingdom without any Restrictions.” Sun Changrong grinned. “We can choose to side with our branch or clan to support one prince, or we can assist the nobles. We can join forces with other clans to support a new ruler.”
All of the large celestial clans had agreed to let their disciples in the Foundation Establishment Plane train in the mortal world.
The kingdom would be like a chess board, and the disciples would be the chess pieces.
The final outcome would decide Pulao Kingdom’s future.
“Doesn’t that mean you could fight someone from the same clan?”
“Yes.” Zhou Yuanhao nodded and turned to look at Chu Jingsong. “Or you can just do what he does by not leaving the peak and focusing on his cultivation. Then, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Chu Jingsong chuckled. “Although I have reached the Complete Foundation Plane, I won’t be able to do anything because of the method I’m trained in. Unless, of course, if Master-Uncle takes the lead.”
“That’s what we are here for,” Li Yifei and the others suddenly said in unison.
