Chapter 796 - 396: New Year’s Eve; Preparing for Conferment

Chapter 796: Chapter 396: New Year’s Eve; Preparing for Conferment

Some children even jumped up in excitement, mimicking the moves of Martial Artists and shouting, "Watch out!" and "Take this!" Their adorable antics made the surrounding adults roar with laughter.

On the other side of the square, a group of dancers performed gracefully.

They wore colorful dance costumes, their skirts fluttering like blooming flowers. Their movements were light and elegant, as if they were fairies descending to the mortal world. The colorful ribbons in their hands danced with the wind, painting brilliant arcs in the air.

The shops also launched various promotions and discounts, joining in on the New Year’s festivities.

The streets were also lined with stalls selling all kinds of specialty snacks, their fragrant aromas filling the air.

There was steaming hot Immortal Ganoderma Cake, which emanated a faint glow of Spiritual Qi, melted in your mouth, and was sweet without being cloying.

There were meat skewers grilled until they sizzled, the meat tender and juicy, sprinkled with special spices that made one’s mouth water.

There were also various colorful drinks made from Spirit Fruits. A single sip would spread a refreshing sweetness across the tongue, adding a touch of sweetness to the lively atmosphere.

Children pulled on their parents’ hands, lingering in front of the snack stalls with longing shining in their eyes, while the adults would smile and grant their small wishes.

The entire Immortal City was immersed in a joyous ocean of New Year’s cheer.

At the moment the Immortal City’s scheduled bells chimed, fireworks bloomed in the night sky from the roof of the Commerce Association.

The multicolored fireworks illuminated the entire Immortal City, turning night into day.

Countless people walked out of their homes to stand in their yards and on the streets, all gazing up at the sky. Their eyes were filled with satisfaction for the year that had passed and anticipation for the new one to come.

They hugged and blessed one another. At this moment, under the brilliant fireworks, everyone in the Cheng Family Manor felt a deep sense of kinship and family unity. The new year had begun in this wonderful atmosphere.

On this same day, the Mid-Festival of the Immortal Realm also began. All the Cultivators had returned to the Immortal Realm early to prepare for it. However, the New Year had not yet been implemented there.

And because the Immortal City was promoting the New Year, various nations and Royal Families followed suit and learned to celebrate it. It was just like in his previous life, when many countries around the world would celebrate his homeland’s New Year.

This was the influence that came with a transcendent status!

Cheng Zongyang looked at the New Year’s atmosphere, so similar to that of his past life, and felt as if time had warped, sending him back to his former world.

This was precisely why he wanted to introduce the New Year to this world, which had never had one before.

The leisurely days of the New Year passed like a gently flowing stream, bustling and beautiful, and before they knew it, the Lantern Festival had arrived.

However, time waits for no one. Everyone has their own mission and their own life to live.

Back at Cheng Family Manor, after Cheng Zongyang handed the carefully selected Cultivation Techniques to Cheng Zongliang and the others, they prepared to depart.

After all, there were many matters to attend to in the Immortal City, the Commerce Association, and the Immortal Realm.

Of course, they all left with their newlywed wives.

After all, it was only natural for a husband and wife to stay together after marriage.

As everyone said their goodbyes and set off on their busy journeys, the Cheng Family Manor gradually returned to its usual tranquility, leaving only Cheng Zongyang and his little sister, who had always remained in the village.

Cheng Zongyang looked at the familiar village. He cherished the time he spent with his family and was happy to spend more of it with them.

’He knew that the next time he left, he would once again enter secluded Cultivation. It would likely be for a very long time.’

’To this day, he still hasn’t even had a proper look at Tianduan Mountain.’

「The days passed, one by one.」

This kind of life, though plain, was filled with warmth and hope. Every moment was worth cherishing.

Whether it was the busy clansmen or Cheng Zongyang leisurely spending time with his family, they were all protecting the family in their own way.

After bidding farewell to his parents and elders, Cheng Zongyang also hugged his little sister, who was holding back tears, and said with a smile:

"Little Sis, by the time I get back, you need to have reached the Upper Three Grades."

He had already had the girl start over with the True Martial Refining God, just like her older cousin. This Cultivation Technique was quite suitable for her.

Cheng Zongyun wrapped her arms around her older brother’s neck and nodded firmly. "I definitely will," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Afterwards, Cheng Zongyang stepped into the Teleportation Array and went to the Immortal City.

’He had already seen the state of the Immortal City while wandering around with his little sister during this period. Its current prosperity had indeed met his original expectations.’

’The only Immortal City in the Martial Arts Realm!’

’It had achieved the de facto status of a capital where all nations paid tribute.’

’Everything was now managed by the appropriate personnel, so he didn’t need to worry about it. All that was left was to wait for the promotion of the Divine Temples and Divine Statues to be fully rolled out, and then the Ring Spirit could take control of the Martial Arts Realm.’

He didn’t disturb Zhou Zhendong and the others. Instead, he entered the Immortal Realm through a passage, then teleported to the Immortal Capital to experience it for himself.

The population of the Immortal Capital was still small, but the environment was incomparably magnificent and suffused with a sublime, otherworldly atmosphere.

’The Spiritual Qi concentration isn’t bad.’ After sensing it for a moment, Cheng Zongyang strolled around and arrived at the largest Divine Temple plaza in the Immortal Capital.

He chuckled as he looked at the Ring Spirit’s Divine Statue, which bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to him.

When he’d first wanted to create a Divine Statue for the Ring Spirit, the Ring Spirit had simply modeled it after him.

’But holding the Hall of Ten Thousand Races in its left hand and a Ring in its right was admittedly a bit odd. None of that mattered, though, as long as people worshipped it.’

’The Human Race’s population is small, so Demon Beasts and Spirit Monsters will have to be brought into the plan.’

Cheng Zongyang wasn’t planning to take things slow. What he lacked now was time. He had to reach a level where he could contend with the Three Talents Reversal Array before it activated.

Even if he couldn’t do it himself, he had to ensure the Ring Spirit could fight against its own kind.

Therefore, manual intervention was still a necessary measure.

Returning to the Hall of Ten Thousand Races, Cheng Zongyang found Luo Zheng.

As it happened, Luo Zheng was with some men, holding small animals.

"My Lord." Seeing that Cheng Zongyang had actually come, Luo Zheng hurried over and cupped his fists in a salute.

Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly, glanced at the enclosure, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Luo Zheng followed his gaze and said with a smile, "These are the offspring born from Demon Beasts cultivated with the Beast God’s Claw Bone. They’re Blood Deer Demons, and their aptitude and Abilities are stronger than the first generation’s. We’re preparing to continue experimenting with the Beast God’s Claw Bone to see its effect on the second generation."

Cheng Zongyang asked, "How many are there now?"

"We’ve cultivated about three hundred over the past few years, and their offspring only started being born this year," Luo Zheng replied. "But those three hundred have mostly been released. We only kept these descendants for research and breeding."

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "That’s good. What about the creatures we raised before, like the Elf Birds, Wilderness Silk Insects, and Ghost-faced Spiders?"

Luo Zheng immediately led Cheng Zongyang to another enclosure surrounded by an Array and reported:

"The Wilderness Silk Insects—once we had cultivated a sufficient number, I released them in batches to various places in the Realm of Ten Thousand Races to increase their population in the wild, letting them survive on their own."

"The same was done with the Ghost-faced Spiders. Their offspring were also sent to other places, without any interference."

"As for the Elf Birds, now that we have Spiritual Communication through the Ten Thousand Races Spirit Seal, they’ve all been recalled. Except for the first generation, which we’re keeping here, the rest have also been released."

Sure enough, after Luo Zheng opened a section of the Array, a soft light shone out from within. In the light, Cheng Zongyang saw the first-generation Elf Birds living inside the Array.

The two Elf Birds still had their captivating, beautiful, colorful plumage. Their feathers shimmered under the faint light with iridescent hues, as if woven from the most brilliant colors in the world. Each feather was like an exquisite work of art.

’Thinking about how these two had helped him with so much in the beginning, a warm smile unconsciously touched Cheng Zongyang’s lips. Keeping them here was nice.’

’But he had come this time with a greater expectation, hoping to find some suitable candidates and see if he could use bestowment to make them take human form or something similar.’

Perhaps catching Cheng Zongyang’s familiar scent, the two little creatures playing in the small forest shot toward him like two streaks of colorful lightning.

Their speed was as fast as ever, leaving only brilliant trails of light in their wake. Their joyous chirps echoed in the air, full of excitement and delight.

"Haha, it’s rare that you two still remember me, your master."

Cheng Zongyang raised his arm. The two Elf Birds landed lightly on it, their small claws gripping his clothes. They tilted their little heads to look at him, their eyes sparkling with an intelligent light as if conveying how much they had missed him.

The two little ones chirped away, their voices crisp and pleasant, like a clear mountain spring.

They slowly walked up Cheng Zongyang’s arm to his shoulder and affectionately nuzzled his face. The soft feathers brushing against his cheek brought a ticklish, yet incredibly heartwarming sensation.

Their tiny, pointed beaks gently pecked at Cheng Zongyang’s hair as if they were trying to be affectionate with him.