Chapter 896 - 623: Return to the Clan

After retrieving the treasures from the Secret Mansion, Chen Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking in the direction of the Celestial Brilliance Immortal Mountain, a trace of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

He did not choose to return to the Immortal Mountain.

These rare treasures were meticulously selected and exchanged from the Immortal Mountain Treasure Vault by him in his previous life as "Pan Wu Daoist," spending half a million contribution points.

Each piece carries the cultivation accumulation of his previous life, also hiding the traces of "Pan Wu Daoist."

To be on the safe side, he must sever the identities of "Zhang Xingdao" and "Pan Wu Daoist."

Otherwise, once his identity is exposed, it would not only arouse suspicion but also potentially reveal the secret of his multiple reincarnations.

After all, he had long left an avatar on Celestial Brilliance Immortal Mountain, focusing on enlightenment at Heaven and Earth Sword Mountain, without any delay in the cultivation of his true self.

This is also the standard choice of many Daoist Monarchs in the Grand Thousand Worlds!

The true self either presides within a realm, a race, a sect, or a Dao lineage, while sending an avatar to guard the Immortal Mountain, ensuring the progress of enlightenment.

Chen Sheng had already made up his mind.

In this life, he intended to act accordingly.

He had too many secrets, not to mention the "Hundred Generations Book," he now also possessed the talent of the Dimension Demon God, having touched the power of dimensions ahead of time.

Continuing cultivation on the Immortal Mountain, exposed under the eyes of the Immortal Mountain Spirit, the consequences would be unpredictable!

Once his mind was made up, he no longer hesitated:

"It’s better to be cautious."

"First, return to the clan and refine these treasures one by one, then make further plans."

With these words, layers of ripples appeared in the void, like a mirror shattered by an invisible hand, as Chen Sheng’s figure dissipated silently in the void.

...

The Zhang Clan Ancestral Land, nestled at the peak of the remnants of the ancient Immortal Mountain’s ridge.

Outside the mountain gate, clouds lingered all year round, with flying eaves and tilted corners hidden within the Cloud Sea, exuding the aura of an ancient and venerable clan.

Chen Sheng’s figure landed silently before the mountain gate, his simple Daoist robe spotless, with all his Dao Power completely restrained.

The two Zhang clan disciples guarding the gate were not ordinary cultivators but true Divinity Transformation Cultivators.

They had been guarding the mountain gate for years, accustomed to seeing cultivators of all kinds, yet they had never felt such a tremor as they did today.

However, the two did not panic; they continued to adhere to clan regulations, saluting respectfully but with the confidence of the children of a large clan:

"May we ask the senior’s esteemed name, and if there’s any message? Our Zhang Clan Ancestral Land does not receive visitors without prior connections."

Chen Sheng raised his gaze, his eyes casually sweeping over the two, giving no extra pleasantries, and uttered just one sentence:

"I am Zhang Xingdao."

"Zhang Xingdao?!"

The two were shocked upon hearing this, their faces changing suddenly, their expressions excited and their voices trembling:

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

"We were unaware of the Ancestor’s return to the clan and failed to meet you from afar. Please forgive us, Ancestor!"

Before Chen Sheng could say more, one of them quickly raised his hand to send out a gleaming spirit light transmission, piercing through the layers of Cloud Sea and numerous palaces, clearly spreading throughout the entire Zhang Clan Ancestral Land.

"The Ancestor has returned to the clan—!"

"Xingdao Ancestor has returned to the clan—!"

As the transmission echoed, within moments, dozens of figures arrived stepping on the clouds.

Each figure emanated the powerful pressure of at least the Void Refining Twelfth Tribulation, representing the core leadership of the Zhang Clan today.

The leader, dressed in a purple ancient Daoist robe, with a rugged face, was the current patriarch Zhang Changyan, whose cultivation had reached the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation.

As soon as they landed, they all bowed deeply, their posture upright yet extremely respectful, their voices loud and uniform:

"We, the descendants of the Zhang Clan, welcome the Ancestor back to the clan! Greetings, Ancestor!"

"We, the descendants of the Zhang Clan, welcome the Ancestor back to the clan! Greetings, Ancestor!"

Chen Sheng looked at the completely unfamiliar faces before him, a faint sense of emotion passing through his heart.

His Divine Thought had already swept across, encompassing the entire Zhang Clan Ancestral Land without missing a single corner.

The entire Zhang Clan Ancestral Land could no longer find a familiar old face from his past.

Several Primordial Assemblies had passed, to him, it was just a retreat for enlightenment at Heaven and Earth Sword Mountain, like a snap of a finger, fleeting and ephemeral.

But to ordinary cultivators, it was an unimaginably long time, enough for a once strong clan to change several generations, for all old friends of yore to perish completely.

Even a Void Refining Cultivator, having survived the Twelve Tribulations, only had the lifespan of a single Primordial Assembly, unable to withstand such a long passage of time.

He had only retreated for a period of cultivation on the Immortal Mountain, yet the Zhang Clan had already gone through several patriarchs, the world had changed, bringing a sigh.

Chen Sheng raised his hand with a gentle gesture:

"Rise, all of you."

All the present Refining Void Great Powers instinctively rose, standing with bowed heads, their expressions supremely respectful.

They had all grown up hearing the legends of this Ancestor.

"Nine Steps Ascending to the Dharma Master Position, shocking the Immortal Sect; three eons achieving Dao Fruit, renowned as a celestial seed across the heavens"

It was because of this Ancestor’s legend that the Zhang Clan had become increasingly prominent over the years, an existence no one dared to provoke lightly.

"Now, tell me about the situation of the Zhang Clan over these years."

"Yes!"

Zhang Changyan stepped forward:

"With the Ancestor’s protection, my Zhang Clan has not encountered great calamities over several Primordial Assemblies, steadily developing with the clan prospering."

"Nowadays, there are eighty-seven members with cultivation above the Void Refining Twelfth Tribulation within the clan, all of whom are the core strength of the clan."

"Among them, three have reached the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation, including myself and two clan elders; twelve have reached the Fourteenth Tribulation, responsible for various affairs of the ancestral land; the remaining sixty-seven are between the Twelfth and Thirteenth Tribulations, making up the backbone of the clan..."

Zhang Changyan reported one by one, clearly organized, fully informing Chen Sheng of the Zhang Clan’s development and strength over the years.

Chen Sheng nodded slightly upon hearing this.

The current strength of the Zhang Clan had already far surpassed when he left.

Back then, when he departed, the strongest in the clan was only Zhang Danqing of the Void Refining Fourteenth Tribulation.

No one had even reached the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation, yet now, there were three of them.

His gaze slowly swept over Zhang Changyan and the other two clan elders of the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation, shaking his head slightly in his heart.

With just one glance, he saw through it thoroughly.

Their apparent cultivation looked profound, but the foundation was slightly weak, most likely relying on post-heavenly rare treasures to barely touch the threshold of the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation.

Though they had comprehended a trace of the Laws, the foundation was unstable, and relying on this to break through to the Integration Realm and strive for the Dharma Master position seemed extremely unlikely.

"I suppose the clan’s situation has improved over the years, allowing access to rare treasures for enlightenment that were once hard to come by."

Though there were shortcomings, he still decided to give some guidance.

These three of the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation were already the top forces of the Zhang Clan today.

If a Dharma Master emerges among them, there will truly be someone capable of handling the clan’s affairs big and small in the future.

"Alright."

Chen Sheng spoke mildly, his gaze fixed on the three Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation cultivators:

"You three, come cultivate with me for a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire scene became instantly silent.

The three shuddered all over, the respect on their faces instantly replaced by extreme joy, their bodies trembling slightly.

The leader, Zhang Changyan, reacted the fastest, immediately bowing and kneeling once more, his head touching the ground:

"Thank you, Ancestor!"

"Thank you, Ancestor, for your graciousness! I will surely dedicate myself to cultivation, day and night without stop."

The other two Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation family elders also quickly followed suit, kneeling:

"Thank you, Ancestor, for your great kindness! We are willing to follow the Ancestor’s guidance, immerse ourselves in enlightenment, and never let down the Ancestor’s benevolence and instruction!"

The rest of the Zhang clan’s senior members present couldn’t hide the envy in their eyes at this scene, secretly hoping that they too might earn the Ancestor’s favor someday.

...

On this day, the clouds at the Zhang Clan Ancestral Land flowed gently, Dao Rhyme lingering over the Cloud Platform.

Chen Sheng sat cross-legged, eyes closed, refining the treasures from the secret trove of his previous life, the Taiyin Dao Power slowly circulating around him, his Heart Spirit fully immersed in cultivation.

Suddenly, he sensed two Daoist Monarch auras approaching from the sky.

Chen Sheng slightly opened his eyes, a faint gleam gathering in them, having already discerned the identity of the arrivals.

Without getting up personally, he casually transmitted a message to the main hall of the Ancestral Land:

"Zhang Changyan, come here."

Zhang Changyan, who was dealing with clan affairs at the moment, felt a jolt in his heart, immediately putting his tasks aside, hurrying to the Cloud Platform.

Recently, the news of Chen Sheng’s return to the clan had spread, and numerous Dharma Masters had arrived successively.

Most of the time, it was he, the Zhang clan patriarch, who greeted the guests, with the Ancestor wholly focused on cultivation, never seeing outside visitors.

Today, being specifically summoned, the identity of the visitor was evidently not ordinary.

Zhang Changyan pondered inwardly, for someone to prompt the Ancestor to make a gesture, they had to be at least Daoist Monarch level, could it be...

He dared not be neglectful, quickly making his way to the Cloud Platform, bowing in salute:

"Ancestor."

Chen Sheng instructed calmly:

"Two fellow Daoists have arrived from beyond and require greeting."

"Understood!"

His heart trembled with his certainty growing, he quickly responded, turning and hurrying toward the mountain gate of the Ancestral Land.

Indeed, as soon as he arrived outside the mountain gate, he saw two figures suspended in the air, their auras deep and unfathomable.

They were unmistakably the two Daoist Monarchs from the Antarctic Immortal Mansion—Qin Jihai and Nan Wu!

He respectfully greeted them, leading the two towards the Cloud Platform.

...

At the Cloud Platform.

"Qin Jihai of the Antarctic Immortal Mansion, greets fellow Daoist! Congratulations on your realm-breaking through three aeons and ascending to a Daoist Monarch, how delightful!"

"Nan Wu of the Antarctic Immortal Mansion, greets fellow Daoist! Your talent is unparalleled through the ages, your future boundless, indeed it is a great fortune for our South Pole lineage!"

Both bowed in unison, their demeanor humble, without a trace of the airs of senior Daoist Monarchs.

Both clearly understood.

They had been stuck at a waning Daoist Monarch phase for years, with their potential near exhaustion, their hope of passing the second waning phase looking bleak.

While Chen Sheng’s path to the Dao spanned three aeons, he was regarded as a "Mahayana Immortal Seed," with future integration of the Taihuang Three Branches, advancing to Mahayana was not mere fantasy.

This visit was precisely to forge a goodwill relationship early on.

Chen Sheng sat poised on the Cloud Platform, his garments hanging lightly, his expression serene.

He saw through their intentions at a glance, only raising his hand to gesture, his tone mild:

"No need for such formalities, fellow Daoists. Being of the same South Pole lineage, such politeness makes us seem like outsiders."

Qin Jihai took half a step forward, his tone even more sincere:

"You have emerged like a comet, with cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, surely capable of reaching Mahayana, integrating the Taihuang Three Branches."

"Though we are merely a few years older with shallow cultivation, we also wish to contribute some effort."

"In the future, should you have any tasks, we will surely assist with all our might, without hesitation."

Saying this, he smoothly suggested:

"Now that you have proven yourself a Daoist Monarch, it’s a grand event for our Antarctic Immortal Mansion."

"In my view, it should be a grand celebration hosted by the Immortal Mansion, inviting various fellow Daoists to join in the celebration."

Nan Wu eagerly echoed alongside, nodding repeatedly:

"What Qin Daoist said is very true! This matter should be celebrated grandly, demonstrating the grandeur of our Antarctic Immortal Mansion!"

Chen Sheng nodded slightly, not refusing.

In his previous life as the head of a sect, he knew such celebrations were not only to establish authority but also to unite people’s hearts, and they held their own necessity.

"Thank you both for your thoughtful consideration. The banquet arrangements will be entrusted to you two to organize."

Qin Jihai and Nan Wu felt a wave of joy in their hearts, having previously feared that this "Mahayana Immortal Seed" might dislike mundanities and directly refuse.

They were just about to respond when Chen Sheng leisurely added:

"I’ve just attained Daoist Monarch status; my foundation still needs polishing, not convenient for many social engagements. When the time comes, I will send an avatar to meet fellow Daoists."

They were not offended at all, promptly replying:

"Focusing on cultivation, is, of course, the proper course of action!"

"Daoist, concentrate on your cultivation! All banquet details will be handled by us two without allowing any distraction to you."

With the conversation at this point, their attitude was clearly defined, implicitly looking up to Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng took this in, his tone calm, glancing at the two:

"In this life, my ambition lies solely in pursuing the Great Dao, with limited energy and no time for secular matters."

"The Antarctic Immortal Mansion’s affairs big and small will trouble you both to keep an eye on things in the future."

Soon, they engaged in a little more idle chat and exchange of cultivation insights.

The two Daoist Monarchs of the Antarctic lineage, satisfied at heart, took their leave with delight.

...