CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 329: THIS CHILD, IN THE FUTURE, MUST BECOME A PRIMORDIAL SPIRIT!_2

"What do you think? Any ideas yet?"

"I’ve already bragged on your behalf. If we lose face this time, don’t blame me for cutting off your families’ supply of Spirit Rice."

"This matter is tricky. It’s not necessarily difficult, but it’s not easy either. If it were any other Blood-Stained Realm cultivator, this would merely be a task they could handle with ease. But this child possesses the rare Innate Mixed Yuan Holy Body. This constitution can command all laws and control all qi, with an origin that is exceedingly profound—deep as an abyss, vast as the sea. To reconstitute it completely is no easy task, let alone taking it to a higher level."

Sitting calmly on a bamboo stool, Zhang Ping, the head of Great Righteousness Academy, who resembled a private school teacher, spoke slowly.

"That was quite the speech, but it told me absolutely nothing. How is that any different from you saying nothing at all?"

Zhao Gengyun shot Zhang Ping a dismissive look, then rubbed his hands together, blowing the red skins off the peanuts. "Why not just stick with the previous idea? We can use the Heaven-Earth Grand Array from the Nine Deaths Immortal Heavenly Skill to first replenish this child’s depleted essence and save his life. As for taking it to a higher level... Baldy, lend me your Pool of Life Creation for a while."

The only one who dared to call the current abbot of Dachan Temple—the foremost sect in Dianchuan Province—’Baldy’ was likely this old Flag Master of the Nature Banner himself.

Master Liansheng, sitting to the side with his hands clasped as if dozing, merely nodded lightly without speaking, apparently agreeing to Zhao Gengyun’s request.

"I remember a perfected Innate Mixed Yuan Holy Body should be able to ascend another level..."

Crunching on peanuts, Zhao Gengyun scratched his eyebrow, delving deep into his vast memories.

"The karmic burden associated with that kind of constitution is too great," Li Chanchan, Head of the Ingenious Mechanism Sect, interjected from the side. "This child is only in the Blood-Stained Realm. Isn’t it too much for him?"

"Don’t worry. That lad has accumulated profound merit, and his karmic fortune is vast and enduring. He slew a Spirit of Night Travel, securing a sliver of hope for Dianchuan Province. The Human Path Merit he has accumulated by now is likely even more immense. With the protection of Human Path Merit, no amount of karmic backlash can touch him. Hmm, let’s do it this way!"

Having made up his mind, Zhao Gengyun slammed his right fist into his left palm and rose to his feet. "I’ll set up the Heaven-Earth Grand Array. Old Zhang and Old Li, you’ll help me manage the celestial mechanics. Baldy, you watch Outside the Domain to prevent any of those Heavenly Demon whelps from seizing an opportunity.

"HEH HEH HEH, this will be a grand spectacle, the likes of which haven’t been seen in ages. My old blood is even starting to boil with excitement!"

Chuckling and rubbing his hands, Zhao Gengyun strode off, already scheming the Heaven-Earth Grand Array documented in the Nine Deaths Immortal Heavenly Skill.

"The old man seems unusually excited today."

Turning her head slowly to watch Zhao Gengyun depart in high spirits, Li Chanchan turned her impassive gaze to Zhang Ping.

"He gets to repay the favor to that junior and satisfy a little personal desire of his own, so naturally, he’s in a better mood." Zhang Ping explained with a gentle smile and a few casual words, "If this succeeds, the old man will be able to follow this example to arrange a similar grand array for his grandson. That boy is one without fate, destined for an early death. The Longevity Seed is a stopgap measure; it won’t sustain him until he achieves the Primordial Spirit. This Heaven-Earth Grand Array is likely his most reliable chance at survival."

"If Dongfang gets wind of this, the old man is likely to be struck by lightning again," Li Chanchan said, laughing lightly.

"There’s no helping it; the old man has these few fixations. In any case, this matter will only benefit the boy, with no harm whatsoever. We’ll be there as protectors. The worst-case scenario is that the advancement fails. He won’t suffer any loss, and if it does fail, the old man will surely provide him with some other compensation. Either way, it’s a venture with guaranteed profit and no risk," Zhang Ping stated.

"To my knowledge, above the Innate Mixed Yuan Holy Body is..."

"Don’t speak of it. That level of constitution has countless eyes and ears from Outside the Domain watching. Once they find out, they’ll definitely come up with ways to stir up trouble."

Tilting his head slightly, Zhang Ping’s distinctly black and white eyes faintly reflected the starry sky beyond this world.

In the vastness of the endless galaxy, enormous eyes that could take one’s breath away, like the pupils of the universe, stretched across millions of stars, staring directly and unblinkingly at this tiny world. Their colossal size was unimaginable, capable of devouring entire planets, and within those dark orbs lay profound and terrifying powers. Light seemed so feeble before these eyes, as if distorted by their greedy and persistent gaze, losing its original path, forming strange and eerie shadows.

The huge ears, like folded galaxies, stretched out into the void, capturing every faint sound from all directions, each vibration exuded an irresistible pressure. These boundless sights and sounds constituted an invisible net of heaven and earth, enshrouding the entire world.

"Speaking of which, this sexagenary cycle is about to end. It should be our turn in the next one, right?"

Withdrawing his gaze, Zhang Ping slowly sat up straight.

"Yes, just seven more years. The last cycle was Huihuai Province’s turn, and next time it will be ours. I hear it’s been quite turbulent Outside the Domain lately, and it’s rumored a Primordial Spirit has fallen in Huihuai," Li Chanchan spoke softly.

"Which family?"

"It’s still unclear."

"The older generation is gradually dwindling, and fewer and fewer successors are emerging to take their place. Yu Xiu’s decision to back the wrong side this time is, to some extent, understandable."

Mentioning Yu Xiu, both Li Chanchan and Zhang Ping displayed a hint of pity. Yu Xiu, as a Primordial Spirit bigwig of Dianchuan Province, had aptitude and talent almost on par with Dongfang Qing. Under his leadership, Star Mansion Sea Cliff had become increasingly powerful, ranking as the third sect in Dianchuan Province, second only to Dachan Temple and Shenxiao Sect. However, compared to those two ancient sects that had persisted since the Middle Ancient Era, Star Mansion Sea Cliff was barely more than an infant.

But with Yu Xiu’s miscalculation in siding with the Crown Prince, Gao Tianxiong’s forceful comeback put Yu Xiu in an incredibly awkward position, especially since he had previously committed a large number of personnel and resources to the Wu Family. With the Wu Family designated a rebel lineage, all those people and resources were wasted, causing Star Mansion Sea Cliff to suffer a great loss. Coupled with Gao Tianxiong’s deliberate ostracism and suppression, Star Mansion Sea Cliff found its days growing increasingly difficult.

"Yu Xiu’s 1,600-year intermediate tribulation is fast approaching, and he chose to side with the Crown Prince in the hope of leveraging the power of the Great Xuan Royal Family to cultivate the next Cliff Master of Star Mansion Sea Cliff," Li Chanchan expressed a glimmer of understanding in her words.

No successors!

This was a harsh reality all powerful faction leaders had to face, especially those in the Primordial Spirit Realm. To cultivate someone capable of taking their place was extraordinarily difficult. And, although those in the Primordial Spirit Realm seemed to live as long as heaven and earth, in reality, they faced the relentless approach of a minor tribulation every 800 years, an intermediate tribulation every 1,600 years, and a major tribulation every 3,200 years—far from the carefree existence ordinary people imagined.

In today’s world, breaking through to the Primordial Spirit Realm has become increasingly challenging. Go back over 10,000 years, and at that time, each major province had at least ten or more Primordial Spirit bigwigs, with the more powerful provinces even surpassing twenty. Yet as time passed, the older generation of Primordial Spirit bigwigs successively fell, either perishing under their tribulations or vanishing Outside the Domain. And the number of those breaking through the shackles to reach the Primordial Spirit Realm kept dwindling.

Nowadays, Dongfang Qing, the youngest Primordial Spirit bigwig of Dianchuan Province, is already nearly 1,000 years old. This means Dianchuan Province has not seen a new Primordial Spirit bigwig ascend in nearly 1,000 years. For the top-tier major sects and aristocratic families, once these older-generation Primordial Spirit bigwigs pass away and no new Primordial Spirit successors emerge, decline and downfall become almost inevitable.

"Looking at it this way, Shenxiao Sect really does have good fortune, first producing Dongfang Qing and now Qi Xiu. Perhaps one day, Shenxiao Sect will also be able to flaunt the prestige of having two Primordial Spirits."

Speaking of Qi Xiu, a faint envy appeared in the eyes of the two Primordial Spirit bigwigs. Truly, among their disciples, there were those who had already broken through to the Dao Body Realm. But when it comes to potential... This junior, merely at the Blood-Stained Realm, gave them a premonition: This child, in days to come, will undoubtedly achieve the Primordial Spirit!