Chapter 384 - 60: The Grand Ceremony (Part 2)

The difference between a Magical Treasure and a Spiritual Artifact is that a Spiritual Artifact contains a wisp of Innate Origin Qi from the dawn of creation. When the artifact is forged, it possesses the power to seize the very essence of heaven and earth.

If the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan could advance to become a Spiritual Artifact, it could sustain Pei Jingque’s Primordial Spirit.

Spiritual Artifacts,

have Artifact Spirits!

Magical Treasures...

cannot nurture one.

"..." Pei Jingque lightly touched her forehead:

"Junior Brother, the method you mentioned is feasible, but for you and me, it’s nothing short of a fantasy."

Primordial Spirit Secret Techniques, Innate Origin Qi... even Nascent Soul True Men would covet such things.

"As long as there’s a way, there’s a chance."

Zhu Ju spoke slowly,

"Senior Sister, you will definitely be fine."

A hundred years!

As long as they found one of those two items within a hundred years, they could stop the assimilation of Pei Jingque’s Primordial Spirit.

*

*

*

The Core Formation Ceremony wasn’t just an internal affair for the Bright Void Sect; word had spread throughout the Immortal Alliance, drawing thousands to offer their congratulations.

To prepare for the ceremony, the entire Bright Void Sect had spent nearly a month making arrangements, decorating the whole sect residence until it was a riot of color and splendor.

The guests arrived one by one.

"Haha..."

A thunderous laugh echoed through the grand hall.

"Fellow Daoist Pei, I trust you’ve been well!"

Hong Kan, dressed in a golden Magic Robe, strode forward with a loud laugh and clasped his hands in a salute to Pei Jingque:

"It seems true that turbulent times create heroes! I never would have thought Sect Leader Pei could advance to the Golden Core Realm. This is truly a joyous occasion!"

"Elder Hong..."

"Don’t!"

Hong Kan waved his hand dismissively:

"Just ’Fellow Daoist’ is fine."

"...Fellow Daoist Hong." Pei Jingque nodded and gestured to a seat:

"It was a stroke of luck. Please, have a seat, Fellow Daoist."

"Advancing to the Golden Core Realm has nothing to do with luck." Hong Kan sat down, his voice tinged with emotion as he said,

"If I had known you could advance, Fellow Daoist, I would have protected the Bright Void Sect no matter what."

"But now..."

"I’ve played the villain!"

He sighed softly and presented his congratulatory gift.

Pei Jingque swept her Divine Thought over it, and a look of astonishment spread across her face.

Ten Foundation Establishment Pills, a portion of Core Formation Elixir, a Magical Treasure, and some Agate Spirit Stones...

Even for someone as experienced and strong-willed as her, the sight of so many treasures laid out before her still made her breath catch.

In the past, she might not have been able to gather all these things even if she’d toiled for ten years.

’And now,’

’they were just being given to her as a gift?’

"This is a congratulatory gift from the Immortal Alliance to celebrate Sect Leader Pei’s advancement to the Golden Core Realm. Some of it is a token of my own personal esteem."

Hong Kan said with a serious expression,

"I hope Sect Leader Pei will not dwell on past matters."

"No, of course not." Pei Jingque swallowed, then had the stunned Shui Qianning beside her accept the gift:

"I lost my composure. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist."

"Haha..." Hong Kan laughed heartily:

"As long as Sect Leader Pei is satisfied, that’s all that matters."

"However, Xi Chen and his group have already entered the Profound Clarity Sect’s Secret Realm and cannot return for the time being. I hope you understand."

"That’s fine." Pei Jingque nodded:

"To be able to enter the Profound Clarity Sect’s Secret Realm is their good fortune."

...

"Tang Wenyan, Patriarch of the Tang Family, congratulates Sect Leader Pei on her advancement to the Golden Core Realm and presents two stalks of Thousand-Year Spirit Elixir, a cauldron of Acupoint Opening Pills..."

"Cangliang Monarch of the Cyan Jade Sect congratulates Sect Leader Pei on her advancement to the Golden Core Realm and presents Celestial Star Meteorite Iron, Golden Horse Jade Grass..."

"Xu Canglan, Sect Leader of the Seeking Immortal Sect..."

Zhu Ju, dressed in a Magic Robe, stood in the plaza welcoming the arriving guests, saluting them with clasped hands.

"Patriarch Tang!"

"Cangliang Monarch!"

"Sect Leader Xu, it’s been a long time. I trust you’ve been well."

"Well, very well." Xu Canglan’s face was glowing as he leaned in and said:

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, tell me the truth. Did Sect Leader Pei really take a Life-Taking Pill?"

"Well..." Zhu Ju hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice:

"To be honest with you, Senior Sister didn’t take a Life-Taking Pill. By a stroke of luck, she obtained a Tier Three Demon Pill, which is what caused her Cultivation to soar. However, it’s not convenient to speak of this matter openly, so we used the excuse that she took a Life-Taking Pill to explain her increased Cultivation."

"So that’s how it is!" Xu Canglan’s face showed dawning comprehension, followed by a complex expression mixed with regret and envy:

"No wonder... no wonder..."

Being unable to advance to the Golden Core Realm after taking a Life-Taking Pill was an ironclad rule.

Why should Pei Jingque be the exception?

Therefore, to hide the fact that she had become a ’Treasure Artifact True Man’, the two of them had agreed to conceal the matter.

As for the Tier Three Demon Pill...

With her status as a Golden Core Grandmaster, even if the Ping Family wanted to retaliate, they wouldn’t do it openly.

"Alas!"

Xu Canglan sighed softly:

"The Seeking Immortal Sect still has three Life-Taking Pills. If they don’t affect Core Formation... but how could that be possible?"

He shook his head repeatedly and stepped into the grand hall.

"Sect Leader Pei!"

"Sect Leader Xu."

Pei Jingque rose to greet him:

"Sit."

"Thank you, Sect Leader Pei." Xu Canglan’s face was filled with excitement. In the past, his Cultivation had far surpassed Pei Jingque’s, but now he was utterly respectful:

"To congratulate Sect Leader Pei on her advancement to the Golden Core Realm, Xu Mao and several of my junior brothers discussed it and have decided to present the Langya Secret Realm to the Bright Void Sect as a gift."

"The Langya Secret Realm?" Pei Jingque’s beautiful eyes flickered:

"That very beautiful place?"

"Precisely." Xu Canglan nodded:

"Although the Langya Secret Realm lacks a dense Spiritual Mechanism, it is vast and most suitable for sightseeing and leisure. Back then, Sect Leader Pei once mentioned being willing to trade a legacy Secret Technique for it. I have remembered this matter ever since."

"How very thoughtful of you, Sect Leader Xu!" Pei Jingque nodded slowly:

"Thank you!"

To give a Secret Realm as a gift, even one with a Spiritual Mechanism too sparse for Cultivation, was still an incredibly generous gesture.

However, the Seeking Immortal Sect excelled at exploration and discovering secrets; they had several similar Secret Realms, so it wasn’t a painful loss for them.

’In the past, I offered to trade a legacy Secret Technique for it, and the Seeking Immortal Sect refused. Now, they’re giving it to me as a gift.’

’Advancing to the Golden Core Realm...’

’Take one step across the threshold, and everything changes!’

Pei Jingque inwardly lamented the changing times and the fickle nature of people, then had someone arrange for Xu Canglan’s seating before turning to welcome the next guest.

"The Immortal Alliance’s newly appointed Chief Steward, Qin Zhiruo, congratulates Sect Leader Pei on her advancement to the Golden Core Realm!"

’Qin Zhiruo?’

Pei Jingque raised an eyebrow slightly.

This woman was a Loose Cultivator from the Ten Thousand Mountains. Exceptionally talented and blessed with good fortune, she had reached the Dao Foundation Realm at an early age.

Decades ago, she had married Shii Xuan of the Profound Clarity Sect. However, it was said that their relationship was mediocre at best, and they had been living apart for years. Both of them were at Dao Foundation Perfection and were preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

’I wonder who will succeed first?’

...

The Core Formation Ceremony kept everyone busy for half a month. When the last of the guests had been seen off, everyone in the Bright Void Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"A newly advanced Golden Core cultivator is granted thirty years to stabilize their Cultivation and Realm, exempt from conscription."

Pei Jingque, seated in the main seat, said slowly,

"The congratulatory gifts we’ve received are more than enough to pay the Sect’s Immortal Tax for all these years. Therefore, I propose we first relocate to the south."

"Thirty years..."

"It will also give the Sect time to stabilize and face the possible invasion of the Demon Dao in the future."

With her status as a Golden Core Grandmaster, moving the entire Bright Void Sect to the south was no longer a difficult task.

"Yes." Liuu Huang’er nodded, her large belly prominent.

"It’s time we moved south."

"Sister Pei," Dong Yuelan, who was seated in a lower position, said, her beautiful eyes darting about:

"There are few disciples of the Hundred Flowers Sect left. I was wondering if the Bright Void Sect would be willing to take in those of us with no home to return to?"

"This..." Pei Jingque was first taken aback, then overjoyed:

"If Junior Sister Dong is willing to join the Bright Void Sect, you are of course welcome."

"Then I shall trouble Sister Pei." Dong Yuelan stood up and bowed, then said with a beaming smile:

"There is one more thing..."

"I have admired Zhu Ju for a long time. I hope Sister Pei will grant my wish."

Huh?

Everyone was stunned.

Zhu Ju, who had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed, opened them and frowned at her.

The other Dao Foundation cultivators of the Bright Void Sect had strange expressions, their eyes darting between Dong Yuelan, Pei Jingque, and Zhu Ju.

"Apologies."

Zhu Ju said,

"I appreciate Senior Sister Dong’s kind intentions, but I have already promised the Sect Leader that we will fulfill our marriage contract soon."

"Marriage contract?" Dong Yuelan raised an eyebrow, her eyes fixed on Zhu Ju as she gritted her teeth:

"A single couple, for a single lifetime..."

"Zhu, have you forgotten your own words?"

?

The expressions on everyone’s faces grew even stranger.

’When did this happen?’

’Zhu Ju and Dong Yuelan were having a secret affair?’

"I’m afraid Senior Sister Dong has misremembered." Zhu Ju’s expression didn’t change as he spoke slowly:

"I have never said such a thing to you."

"Is that so." Dong Yuelan raised an eyebrow, her expression suddenly changing:

"I must have misremembered. In that case, I wish you two... a long and happy life together!"