Chapter 526 - 519: Leader of the Immortal City Alliance

In truth, with Du Youqian’s current status, he could have completely ignored Nascent Soul Cultivators.

But he was, after all, planning to establish deep roots in the Immortal City Alliance, so he still had to pay attention to maintaining relationships. He didn’t want to be labeled as the kind of petty person who turns his back on others the moment he finds success.

So, every day, he still set aside some time for social obligations, meeting with the various Nascent Soul Masters.

Even if he only met them for a moment and exchanged a few words, these Nascent Soul Masters were moved to tears with gratitude.

For the rest of his time, Du Youqian either seized the opportunity to cultivate his Gu Techniques or spent time with his several concubines, trying to get them pregnant sooner rather than later to put that matter to rest.

In addition, the four Divinity Transformation True Monarchs of the Immortal City Alliance had also arranged for people to send Du Youqian congratulatory Jade Slips and gifts.

That’s right. Before Du Youqian, the Immortal City Alliance had only four living Divinity Transformation cultivators.

One of them was someone Du Youqian had heard of before, named Hui Ming True Monarch. Another was extremely low-key; Du Youqian had only just learned his name. He was the elder of the Seven Cities Alliance, Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch, the one with the highest Realm and greatest strength among the four Divinity Transformation cultivators.

The last two were Luo Yangtian True Monarch and Xia Feng True Monarch, respectively.

Kai Feng Master privately revealed that these two were True Monarchs who hadn’t passed the complete Celestial Fire Tribulation. Their strength was at the bottom of the Divinity Transformation Realm, and their chances of further advancement were almost nonexistent.

The former came from a First-class Immortal City, while the latter was also a Cultivator from the Seven Cities Alliance.

And Du Youqian was now the Immortal City Alliance’s fifth Divinity Transformation cultivator.

At this point, the Tier Five power of the Immortal City Alliance had greatly surpassed that of the Five Races Alliance.

The Five Races Alliance only had three Tier Five Demon Emperors.

"Of course, we won’t be the ones to start a conflict or rashly upset the balance. After all, to be perfectly blunt, the lands of the Five Races Alliance are rather resource-poor. We don’t really care for them, so we just let them have it. If we could add one more Divinity Transformation cultivator, making it six against three, then perhaps we would initiate an all-out war."

The speaker was Hui Ming True Monarch. Because Du Youqian’s Divinity Transformation Ceremony was approaching, Hui Ming True Monarch had paid an early visit.

He would not be attending the ceremony itself. The Divinity Transformation True Monarchs of the Immortal City Alliance had a tacit understanding to generally avoid appearing in public.

The existence, Cultivation, current status, and Divine Abilities of every Divinity Transformation True Monarch were all top secrets of the Immortal City Alliance.

However, these ’secrets’ were likely transparent to the Five Races Alliance, just as the so-called top secrets of the Five Races Alliance were often transparent to the Immortal City Alliance.

Hearing this, Du Youqian laughed. "Actually, we could fight them now. The Five Races Alliance? If a real war broke out, I guarantee two of the races would stand by and watch, and one would be willing to switch sides. If we don’t strike now, we won’t be able to, even if we add another Divinity Transformation cultivator."

Hui Ming True Monarch burst out laughing. "Brilliant, brilliant! I never expected that a fellow Daoist who has just reached Divinity Transformation would see things so clearly."

Hui Ming True Monarch had the appearance of a scrawny little old man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in an extremely loose-fitting robe.

He had a pair of small, clever, and lively eyes, but his laughter was as loud as a great bell—a stark contrast.

Among the four pre-existing Divinity Transformation cultivators in the Immortal City Alliance, he was the first to show goodwill toward Du Youqian.

It wasn’t just a simple matter of sending a congratulatory gift, but a clear signal of goodwill, expressing his desire for an alliance. He proposed that he and Du Youqian form a pact to oppose the two Divinity Transformation cultivators from the Seven Cities Alliance.

One could only say that the Human Race was far ahead in one particular skill: infighting.

Du Youqian didn’t commit immediately, neither agreeing nor refusing.

In fact, he was well aware that his arrival had the potential to shatter the existing power structure of the Immortal City Alliance.

He was in no hurry to jump into an alliance with anyone.

In any case, both Hui Ming True Monarch and Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch would try to win him over to prevent him from joining the other side.

Just as Du Youqian expected.

Three days before the ceremony, Xia Feng True Monarch paid a quiet visit.

Without alerting anyone, he appeared directly outside the secret chamber where Du Youqian was cultivating.

"Sui Xiao True Monarch, I am Xia Feng. Congratulations on passing the Celestial Fire Tribulation. The Great Dao is within your reach."

Du Youqian invited him in and had a Puppet brew some Spirit Tea. "Xia Feng True Monarch, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit?"

Xia Feng True Monarch had the appearance of a thin, handsome, middle-aged Scholar, his cheeks a sickly pale. A hint of sorrow seemed to linger between his brows, and even his smile was not carefree, but appeared heavy with worry. "Fellow Daoist, you have newly reached Divinity Transformation, so of course I had to come and congratulate you personally. Furthermore, Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch asked me to send his regards; he must currently garrison the central hub and cannot leave his post easily. Speaking of which, we old fellows have an agreement to take turns garrisoning the central hub to prevent sneak attacks from the Five Races Alliance. Once you have stabilized your Cultivation, fellow Daoist, you should also take part in the garrison duty."

Du Youqian smiled and said, "That is as it should be. Just let me know when my strength is needed."

After a few more pleasantries, Xia Feng True Monarch said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will not be participating in your Divinity Transformation Ceremony, fellow Daoist."

"Farewell, fellow Daoist. And please, send my regards to Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch." ’People from the Seven Cities Alliance have a certain arrogance about them, as if they see cultivators from other Immortal Cities as country bumpkins. Their words aren’t always intentionally condescending, but they can make others feel uncomfortable.’

After standing up, Xia Feng True Monarch pretended as if he had just remembered something and said, "The Alliance now has five Divinity Transformation cultivators. There are some long-standing issues that can finally be put to a vote. Several of them have been deadlocked at two-against-two in every vote, unable to move forward. In a few days, when everyone is free, please come to Jade City for a meeting, fellow Daoist. We can try to resolve those old cases together."

On the surface, his words seemed innocuous, but with a little thought, one could understand Xia Feng True Monarch’s intention to win him over.

Du Youqian smiled faintly. "I’m inexperienced and have only just ascended. I don’t know much about the Alliance’s internal affairs. When the time comes, I will be counting on guidance from you and fellow Daoist Zhaoying Fenghou."

His words implied that he was willing to stand with Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch and Xia Feng True Monarch, so naturally, Xia Feng True Monarch left, extremely satisfied.

In reality, Du Youqian hadn’t promised anything.

He still had to consider which side to actually stand on.

It wasn’t a matter of joining whichever side spoke more pleasantly or promised greater benefits.

What he wanted was to leverage the existing power structure to rise quickly through the ranks.

Of course, he knew it was unrealistic to turn the Immortal City Alliance into a place where he alone called the shots unless he could advance to the Void Step Realm.

However, he could surpass Zhaoying Fenghou True Monarch and Hui Ming True Monarch to become the primary decision-maker of the Immortal City Alliance.

Factions were inevitable within the Alliance, but as the main decision-maker, he could naturally seize the sweetest fruits for himself.

~~~~~~~

There was nothing particularly novel about Du Youqian’s Divinity Transformation Ceremony.

The Core Formation Ceremony, the Nascent Soul Ceremony, the Divinity Transformation Ceremony... they all followed the same pattern.

It was just that at a Core Formation Ceremony, the honored guests were Core Formation Masters, while the ones below shouting their praises were Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

At a Nascent Soul Ceremony, the honored guests were Nascent Soul Masters, and Core Formation Masters could only stand below and shout their congratulations.

And now, it was the Nascent Soul Masters below, shouting, "May you enjoy immortal fortune and a lifespan equal to the heavens!"

If there was one real difference, it was that the number of participants grew smaller each time.

For his Divinity Transformation Ceremony, Du Youqian had only invited a dozen or so Nascent Soul Masters—those who weren’t invited didn’t dare show up on their own and could only send gifts.

The junior family members, however, were in for a treat. A lecture on the Dao from a Divinity Transformation True Monarch was, for them, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Du Youqian casually demonstrated Magic and explained the Dao of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation. His lecture was both profound and easy to understand, delivered from a commanding height, leaving the disciples of Ruihan City’s Four Great Clans completely mesmerized.

In the next hundred years, the number of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation Cultivators in Ruihan City would likely multiply.

After the lively Divinity Transformation Ceremony ended, Sui Zhi and Qin Yiming emerged from their seclusion.

Sui Zhi’s face was ruddy and his aura was vigorous, but his eyes held only pain and fear. It was clear he could no longer suppress the momentum of his advancement and was about to be passively promoted to the Nascent Soul Realm, after which he would turn into a Ghost Infant and become nourishment for a Demon Sect Cultivator.

But when he learned that Du Youqian had already reached Divinity Transformation, the fear in his eyes instantly turned to wild joy, and a light shone in them once more.

"Xiao’er..." His voice trembled. "Have you... have you really reached Divinity Transformation?"

Standing beside him, Qin Yiming had a complicated expression, a mixture of relief and bewilderment.

"Yes, he has reached Divinity Transformation. Greetings, Sui Xiao True Monarch!" Even someone as carefree and unrestrained as him bowed respectfully.

This was not a bow to Du Youqian.

It was a bow to one who had walked further on the path of the Great Dao!

’Everyone has their specialty, and some find the Way sooner than others.’

’One may not fear the strong, but one must hold the Great Dao in reverence!’

Truthfully, Qin Yiming had been mentally prepared for Du Youqian’s advancement.

After all, he knew Du Youqian had obtained a precious Divinity Transformation Spiritual Object.

But!

But!

Their last meeting was just a few decades ago, and Du Youqian had only just reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage.

’How could he have reached Divinity Transformation so quickly?’

His first meeting with Du Youqian felt like it was just yesterday.

A quick mental calculation... it was only just over two hundred years ago.

’When I first met Du Youqian, I was in the Nascent Soul Realm.’

’Now, I’m still in the Nascent Soul Realm.’

’Before I had even met Du Youqian, I had already completed the Third Transition of the Nascent Soul Stage, yet to this day, I still haven’t found the opportunity to advance to Divinity Transformation.’

He had once been so proud.

He had given himself the Daoist name Silent, based on the saying "three years of silence, then one cry to shock the world."

At this moment, it was clear that this man—one of the twelve giants of the Qingxu Commerce Association, the proud Silent Master—was deeply questioning his own existence.

’Have I even been cultivating properly all these years? Why hasn’t my Cultivation level increased?’

After his initial shock, Sui Zhi had already begun explaining his situation to Du Youqian.

"...And that’s the situation. I can’t suppress it anymore. At the earliest, it will be ten days to half a month; at the latest, one or two months. I will inevitably begin Nascent Soul Formation."

After speaking, Sui Zhi looked at Du Youqian, his eyes filled with expectation.

Du Youqian smiled. "Over the years, I’ve also taken the time to learn about the Ghost Infant Gu. This Gu is actually a highly nourishing type, a Tier Five Creation. It forces its host to spontaneously advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, an unstoppable process. However, it only transforms a Cultivator’s Nascent Soul into a Ghost Infant during the third stage of Nascent Soul advancement: Divine Birth."

"During the first two stages, Elixir Breaks and Infant Birth, and Divine Qi Calm Illumination, the Ghost Infant Gu will only push the process from behind; it won’t invade and transform the Nascent Soul."

"Therefore, Elder Zhi, you can proceed with your advancement. When you reach the third stage, I will personally intervene and remove the Ghost Infant Gu. At that point, you can continue with your Nascent Soul Formation until the infant emerges."