A century ago, Wu Tao's fame exploded as he single-handedly seized Weicheng and established the prestigious name of a new third-class noble family at the Ranking Assembly in Chang'an.
With his Nascent Soul stage cultivation and dual identity as a Grandmaster Alchemist, Wu Tao's reputation spread throughout the world, earning him widespread respect.
This scene felt as if it had happened only yesterday, yet a hundred years had passed in the blink of an eye.
During these past hundred years, the cultivation world of Zizhou, which had been as stagnant as a pool of dead water, seemingly destined to never change, had experienced several major events.
On the grand stage of the Zizhou cultivation world, ambitious figures and heroes appeared one after another, each taking their turn in the spotlight… Da Feng Novel Network
Behind the dazzling brilliance of these prodigies lay the demise of countless powerful cultivators, their accumulated bones forming mountains.
...
In the first decade after Wu Tao's return to Shujun and his establishment in Weicheng, no significant events occurred; everything remained as it had been.
However, Wu Tao's forces grew like a rolling snowball, even beginning to encroach upon the territories of the Zhuge family, the Prefect of Shujun.
The Ascension Sect, operating under the guise of the Wu family, and the Zhuge family, the Prefect of Shujun, were in constant conflict!
Yet, in the second decade, everything changed.
...
The cause of all this was the ancient powerhouse Duan Yuhang, who emerged from a tomb and, for unknown reasons, injured Liu Xie, the contemporary Immortal Emperor of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty!
As news spread that the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty had announced he was entering seclusion for recuperation, various factions began to stir.
Especially the four great noble families, Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin, who could contend with the Liu imperial clan, were constantly making subtle moves.
It was important to note that each of these four great families possessed a cultivator at the Violet Palace stage, and a considerable number of Nascent Soul stage cultivators as well.
If the Liu imperial clan were to fall, it was most likely that one of these four great families—Wang, Li, Kong, or Qin—would ascend to the throne.
The cultivation world of Zizhou, which had been peaceful until then, was thrown into turmoil by the injury of the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty.
No one had anticipated that the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—would launch a rebellion at this very moment, even annexing several nearby territories!
The Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, which had enjoyed peace for hundreds of millions of years, was suddenly engulfed in war and chaos due to the ambitions of the noble families.
"If Heaven offers an opportunity and one does not seize it, one will only suffer misfortune; if the time is not welcomed, one will only suffer disaster!"
Everyone understood this principle.
The authority of the Liu imperial clan plummeted, giving the impression of being in peril, surrounded by wolves, and on the verge of destruction at any moment.
The first force to make a move against the Liu imperial clan was not the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—but a faction of sects hidden within the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty!
Back then, the first Immortal Emperor Liu Haotian had established his immortal dynasty, suppressing and expelling sectarian forces.
Many sects unwilling to be annihilated fled overseas, thus preserving their foundations.
It could be said that the Liu imperial clan and the sectarian forces had a long-standing feud dating back to their ancestors.
Seizing this rare opportunity of the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie being injured, three Violet Palace stage cultivators, representing the sectarian forces, along with dozens of Nascent Soul stage cultivators, rushed back from overseas.
Taking advantage of the Liu imperial clan's weakness, they attacked its core central domains, targeting important cities other than Chang'an.
Their motives were twofold: revenge and the pursuit of treasures.
Meanwhile, the other four Violet Palace stage cultivators of the Liu imperial clan were tied down by the ancestors of the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—and could not be dispatched.
Just as everyone believed the Liu imperial clan had no recourse but to defend Chang'an City, the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie appeared on the attackers' path, wielding the high-grade spiritual treasure, the Myriad Dragon Jade Seal.
Instantly, various factions observing this battle were utterly shocked.
The Liu imperial clan's inherited treasure, the symbol of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, the high-grade spiritual treasure, the Myriad Dragon Jade Seal!
The world was astonished!
Upon the Myriad Dragon Jade Seal, ten thousand dragons roared, drawing upon the dragon veins of heaven and earth for its use.
...
On the other side.
Had the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie not been injured, these powerful sect cultivators would have wisely retreated.
However, could the injured contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie, even with the Myriad Dragon Jade Seal in hand, still contend against three opponents?
Hope, however faint, is something everyone harbors, and cultivators are no exception.
The battle was about to begin.
From the moment of engagement, a world-shattering power erupted, threatening to destroy heaven and earth.
The battle raged for three days and three nights, with the contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie ultimately emerging victorious.
Apart from the three masked Violet Palace stage cultivators who fled in disarray, the remaining dozens of Nascent Soul stage cultivators perished on the spot.
The contemporary Immortal Emperor Liu Xie had single-handedly turned the tide, his victory against three Violet Palace stage cultivators shaking the world.
The four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—also paused their expansion, clearly observing the situation.
As for Liu Xie, he had indeed been injured by Duan Yuhang.
Due to his injuries, Liu Xie was not yet ready to confront the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—and the situation remained in a stalemate.
Although the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin—had halted their expansion, other factions would not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
In the following decades, the Zizhou cultivation world was rife with conflict and incessant battles, as numerous young prodigies emerged and stepped onto the grand stage of the cultivation world.
Spring passed, autumn arrived; cold and heat, a fleeting moment!
Newcomers arrived, old ones departed!
As generations of talented individuals emerged, each dominated for centuries.
...
Amidst the flames of war, a hundred years slowly passed, unnoticed.
Over the past century, the cultivation world of Zizhou had undergone dramatic changes.
First, the conflicts between the Liu imperial clan and the four great noble families—Wang, Li, Kong, and Qin...
Subsequently, within this century, in the Chu Domain, a third-class noble family named the Wu family rapidly rose to prominence, transforming into a behemoth within the Chu Domain.
And alongside Wu Tao's rise, there was an even more renowned figure.
The Grandmaster Alchemist, Wu Tao.
...
"The Wu family, ruled by Wu Tao, has become increasingly restless in recent years?"
In the Chu Domain.
Within the Chu family's grand hall, a cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage couldn't help but complain, "If we had known this would happen, we should have driven him out back then!"
"Now look, it's practically letting the wolf into the house..."
...
"Anyone can play the hindsight game. Young Song, if you truly knew of the Wu family's ambitions, why didn't you report it earlier?"
Sitting beside him, an elder at the middle Nascent Soul stage retorted impatiently.
Hearing this, the cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage was stunned for a moment before sheepishly scratching his head and falling silent.
"The Zhuge family, those fools, have already paid the price for their stupidity. We must not repeat their mistakes,"
Another highly respected cultivator at the middle Nascent Soul stage added.
The pillar of the Chu family, the current patriarch, Chu Kuangtian, a cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage, found it difficult to manage the chaotic arguments below.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that a mere third-class family would possess the qualification to contend with the Chu family in just over a hundred years.
...
It turned out that Wu Tao had not been idle during this past century.
He had not only advanced his cultivation to the late Nascent Soul stage but had also elevated his alchemist rank to Grandmaster Alchemist.
Furthermore, during these years, Wu Tao had developed a new Foundation Establishment pill formula called the Minor Restoration Pill.
The Minor Restoration Pill was significantly more effective than the Foundation Establishment Pill and required fewer resources.
It was precisely because of this that Wu Tao was able to amass vast resources, posing a threat to the Chu family's rule.
Weicheng in Shujun had undergone significant changes.
Not only had Weicheng expanded tenfold in size, but dense spiritual energy permeated the city.
The number of cultivators in Weicheng had also quadrupled, from just over 10,000 initially to over 100,000 now.
Most striking were the faint array patterns flickering near Weicheng's walls, emanating a power that instilled a sense of awe.
These were all changes brought about by Wu Tao's emergence.
The transformations in Weicheng were undoubtedly more extensive, with significant developments in many other areas.
For instance, numerous cultivation markets, underground markets, and auction houses had sprung up, and more cultivators from other regions were seen.
Following Wu Tao's rise, Weicheng, his foundational base, had also experienced substantial development.
In the past, although Weicheng was an important city in Shujun, it was not the center and lacked special resources to attract people.
However, the situation was different now.
After Wu Tao and his Ascension Sect rose, cultivators from the surrounding areas began to flock to them, with many voluntarily joining Wu Tao's banner!
Consequently, after a century, their numbers had reached a certain threshold.
The Ascension Sect, with the Wu family as its facade, was no longer the insignificant group it once was.
Its immense power was astonishing, which was why it had garnered the apprehension and suppression of the rulers of the Chu Domain.
...
"Halt."
At the entrance of the Wu mansion, guards stopped an unfamiliar guest they had never seen before.
"Please inform them."
Outside the mansion gates, an old man, thin and with an air of ethereal elegance, wearing a uniform emblazoned with a golden family crest, slowly approached.
With his hands behind his back, he gazed at the Wu mansion and smiled, "Jin Li Yang, head of the Jin family from the Jin Domain, requests an audience with the head of the Wu family."
"The head of the Jin family… Jin Li Yang?"
Upon hearing the name, the leader of the guard team, who was at the late Core Formation stage, was first stunned and then his expression changed dramatically.
...
"Quickly, send someone to inform the patriarch! The head of the Jin family, Jin Li Yang, has come to pay his respects!"
The captain of the guard shouted loudly.
The Jin family in the Jin Domain, like the Chu family in the Chu Domain, was a first-class family, a top power that independently controlled a vast territory.