Zhongzheng Hall
"Stop, you're disturbing me. I'm not interested in being a supreme elder or a sect leader. It's too much trouble."
"This..." Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
Yao Wuji was still quick-witted. His eyes rolled, and he took another step forward, cautiously suggesting, "Senior, please calm down. We were rude. Since you don't like to be entangled in worldly affairs, I have a suggestion. I wonder if I should say it or not."
Zhong Ling glanced at him and said, "Speak."
Yao Wuji was delighted and said quickly, "In the Central Region of my Canglan Realm, there is a Zhongzheng Hall. This hall does not belong to any sect. It is a joint meeting place established by the five top forces of our Dan Pavilion, Tianyan Sect, Yushou Sect, Tianjian Sect, and Tianji Pavilion."
"All major matters concerning the entire Canglan Realm, such as defending against foreign enemies, allocating secret realms, and regulating resources, are jointly discussed and decided by our five major sects in the Zhongzheng Hall. It can be said that the Zhongzheng Hall is the core of power in our Canglan Realm."
Yao Wuji paused, observing Zhong Ling's expression. Seeing that she seemed interested, he continued, "Inside the Zhongzheng Hall, besides the five of us, there are three honorary seats. These seats are reserved for those who have made great contributions to the Canglan Realm. These three seats have been vacant for a thousand years."
"I, the younger generation, have the audacity to propose that you, the senior, be invited to the Zhongzheng Hall and become the first honorary hall master!
You don't need to assume any obligations or be bound by anything. If we have any important matters to discuss, we will also seek your opinion. What do you think?"
After Yao Wuji finished speaking, the whole audience fell into deep thought.
Honorary Master of Zhongzheng Hall?
This proposal is quite clever, as it not only connects Zhong Ling and Canglan Realm, but also avoids factional disputes.
Although the others were reluctant, they understood that this was the best solution at the moment and nodded in agreement.
"The Medicine Pavilion Master is absolutely right! I, the Tianyan Sect, second the proposal!"
"Tianji Pavilion seconded the motion!"
"Tianjianmen seconded the motion!"
"The Beastmaster Sect seconded the motion!"
Everyone was waiting for Zhong Ling's decision.
"Okay." Zhong Ling responded.
Everyone was very surprised:
"Very good!"
"Welcome Senior Zhong to the Zhongzheng Hall!"
"This is a blessing for our Canglan Realm!"
Amidst the congratulations, everyone led Zhong Ling to the Zhongzheng Hall.
The Zhongzheng Hall is located above the sea of clouds and is built of white marble.
The crowd surrounded Zhong Ling and came to the main hall of Zhongzheng Hall, with Xuanming behind her.
"Palace Master Zhong, this is the main hall of Zhongzheng Palace. Do you think the furnishings in this hall are to your liking? If there is anything you don't like, I will immediately order someone to change it." Yao Wuji smiled.
"It's okay, quite spacious." Zhong Ling responded casually and found a comfortable place to sit down.
Tianyan Sect's leader, Wan Gui, took advantage of the opportunity and stepped forward, holding a jade box in his hand. "Palace Master Zhong, this is our first meeting, so a small gift is not enough to show respect. This is our sect's treasured star sand, which is very effective when used to refine weapons or set up formations."
"Palace Master Zhong, this is our sect's meteorite..."
"Palace Master Zhong, we are willing to offer three spiritual veins..."
Zhong Ling was getting a headache from their noise and waved her hand, "Stop! Just say what you want to say. Aren't you tired of beating around the bush?"
Zhong Ling rubbed his brows and asked, "Do you want the Evil-Breaking Immortal Pill?"
Everyone looked embarrassed when these words were spoken, though Yao Wuji was still the more thick-skinned. He coughed dryly and said, "Palace Master Zhong is very thoughtful. To be honest, we... do yearn for that ninth-grade divine elixir."
Zhong Ling looked at them with some confusion. "Each of you has a high level of cultivation, and your foundations appear to be quite solid. As long as you cultivate step by step, overcome the heavenly tribulation, and ascend to the immortal realm, won't that be a natural outcome? Why do you have to cling to external things like elixirs?"
In her opinion, although the Pill of Breaking Disasters and Ascending to Immortality can help with ascension, for cultivators with a truly firm heart and a solid foundation, it is more of icing on the cake rather than a timely help.
The group of people before him were extremely eager, somewhat abnormal, more like drowning people desperately trying to grab a life-saving straw.
After hearing Zhong Ling's words, the originally heated atmosphere in the hall cooled down. Several sect leaders looked at each other with complicated expressions. In the end, Yao Wuji told the truth.
"Palace Master Zhong, you don't know that ascending to the immortal realm is already an unattainable legend for the Canglan Realm today."
"Oh?" Zhong Ling finally showed some interest and looked up at him.
Yao Wuji smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, Palace Master, in the Canglan Realm, no one has successfully ascended for a full ten thousand years."
"Ten thousand years ago, our Dan Pavilion had an incredibly talented ancestor who cultivated to the Great Perfection of Crossing the Tribulation and attracted the Ascension Thunder Tribulation."
"According to the sect's records, that ancestor withstood eighty-one thunder tribulations. Auspicious signs descended from the sky, and immortal light shone everywhere. Everyone believed he had succeeded."
"Then what?" Zhong Ling asked.
"Then... the immortal light dissipated, the auspicious signs vanished, and the ancestor remained standing. He had successfully survived the thunder tribulation, but the passage to the immortal realm that would lead him to ascension never arrived."
"No ascension channel?" Zhong Ling frowned slightly.
"Yes." Wan Guiyi took over the conversation, his expression solemn, "Since then, for ten thousand years, all the sects in our Canglan Realm, including some secluded families, have been like this whenever a senior master has transcended the tribulation.
They successfully overcame the tribulation, but had no way to go. They exhausted their lifespan and could only die in meditation.
We call these seniors who failed to transcend the tribulation half-immortals."
"Some of these semi-immortals became disheartened and chose to sit in meditation and pass away. Some, unwilling to give up, tried to tear through the void, but were strangled by the turbulent flow of space, their souls destroyed. Still others lost their minds and became mad demons who knew only killing. In the end, they were suppressed by our combined strength."
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely depressing. They were the strongest people in this world, but they were trapped in a cage forever. They could see the sky but could never fly out.
"So, you think the Pill of Breaking Evil and Ascending to Immortality can help you break through the blocked road?" Zhong Ling finally understood where their desire came from.
"Yes!" Yao Wuji looked at Zhong Ling, "That's a ninth-grade divine elixir, containing a trace of immortal laws. We thought that if we could use the power of the elixir when we were overcoming the tribulation, perhaps... perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope to forcibly open the ascension channel! Even if there's only a slight possibility, we're willing to pay any price!"
"We are willing to pay any price!" The other sect leaders said in unison with solemn expressions.
Zhong Ling did not answer immediately.
She leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping the armrest unconsciously, again and again, tapping on everyone's heart.
So that's how it is. It seems that something went wrong in this world, like a bug in a key program, which prevented the final upload step from being completed.
Looking at the group of top bosses who were eagerly waiting in front of him, Zhong Ling's lips curled up.
"This matter..." She spoke slowly, and the drawn-out ending tone made everyone's heart rise to their throat.
"Interesting."
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