Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 336: 4 Families, 32 Sects

In the past, Wu Yuan had only heard tales of the strength of Archimmortals. But today was his first time witnessing their power firsthand.

Creating artifacts that resembled stars was but one ability of Archimmortals.

"Childe Li Xia," a Void Refiner cultivator approached Wu Yuan with a smile. He was clad in white robes and had a long face with a slender frame. "I oversee the residence of the noble family in Rising Dragon City. You may address me as Zhuo Qiuhong."

"Childe Li Xia, I am Zhuo Yuansheng," another Void Refiner cultivator chimed in.

Though their vital auras were majestic and vigorous, the two individuals maintained a respectful demeanor towards Wu Yuan, addressing him as 'Childe'. This gesture did not go unnoticed by Wu Yuan.

"Li Xia greets Seniors," Wu Yuan responded. "Please, call me Li Xia."

Wu Yuan was aware that he was leveraging Zhuo Haiyue's influence, and was uncertain of how the Void Refiner cultivators truly felt about him. Taking advantage of a situation without overstepping his bounds was a delicate balancing act.

The two Void Refiner cultivators exchanged a glance, feeling greatly relieved. As powerhouses who had cultivated for thousands of years, they naturally had their pride. Deep down, they were unwilling to bow to Wu Yuan. After all, from what they could tell, Wu Yuan was just an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Haha, Childe Li Xia need not be so considerate towards us," Zhuo Qiuhong said with a chuckle, attempting to lighten the mood. "As a friend of Her Highness, it is only fitting for us to address you as Childe."

For the Void Refiner cultivators, the crux of the matter lay in Wu Yuan's attitude rather than his address. After all, for those capable of overseeing a base, such formalities didn’t bother them.

Wu Yuan recognized that the two were honest about how they felt and decided not to press the issue.

"Childe Li Xia, please follow us," Zhuo Yuan Sheng gestured with a smile. "Her Highness is set to return in two days, and we have been briefed accordingly. Please rest assured."

Wu Yuan nodded subtly.

The group proceeded deeper into the mansion, with Zhuo Yuansheng and Zhuo Qiuhong pointing out various features and exotic creatures along the way.

Finally, they reached a serene courtyard.

"Childe Li Xia, this will be your accommodation for the next few days," Zhuo Yuansheng informed him. "I have sent you a contact request in the immortal realm as per Her Highness’ instructions. Once you have accepted my request, I will provide you with the relevant information about the various large sects."

"Let us know if you find any suitable ones. That way, if any faction you are interested in wishes to meet you directly, we can notify you promptly," Zhuo Yuan Sheng added.

"Understood," Wu Yuan nodded.

This arrangement was both logical and well-organized.

"Childe Li Xia, please have a good rest. We shall take our leave now," Zhuo Yuansheng said.

...

The courtyard was still, and the air was dense with spiritual qi. A multitude of maidservants had been prepared for Wu Yuan, a mix of ordinary women and female cultivators at the Qi Sea phase, each oozing with charm. It was clear that the arrangements were made with ulterior motives in mind.

Yet, with a single order from Wu Yuan, the maidservants were dismissed from the courtyard house, leaving it eerily quiet. A beam of light shot out from Wu Yuan's sleeve, expanding into the form of Qiong Sea King.

Now that Qiong Sea King had reached the Spiritual Body phase, he possessed the ability to adjust his size at will, a trait that proved to be quite useful on their journey. Since leaving Fengchuan City, Qiong Sea King had been hiding within Wu Yuan's robe.

"Hehe. Master, even as a jiaolong, those human women earlier were truly gorgeous," Qiong Sea King remarked with a mischievous grin. "Such exquisite meat is delivered to your mouth, aren’t you going to eat it?"

"Master, you have dedicated years to cultivation; it would do you good to unwind every now and then," Qiong Sea King prattled on.

Wu Yuan shot him a stern glance. "If you cannot speak sensibly, then speak less."

Qiong Sea King wilted under Wu Yuan's gaze.

"Master, are you considering joining a sect?" Qiong Sea King quickly changed the topic.

Wu Yuan nodded affirmatively. "Mm. To walk the path of cultivation alone is akin to reinventing the wheel; it is unwise. Joining a reputable sect, with experienced seniors to guide you, lessens the risk of straying from the right path."

"When you are weak, follow the lead of your seniors. When you are strong, then you may consider forging your own path," Wu Yuan explained. This was the philosophy he had always followed.

Qiong Sea King nodded in agreement.

"Don’t worry. As my spirit beast, you will reap the benefits of my affiliation with a sect," Wu Yuan assured with a smile.

Qiong Sea King's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Master," Qiong Sea King spoke up, "Have you chosen which sect to join?"

"I’ve yet to make a decision. I’ll need to go through the information available before making my choice," Wu Yuan replied. "And even then, it is not a guarantee that I’ll be able to join the sect I desire. It also depends on whether they are willing to accept me."

"Rest and cultivate at your own pace," Wu Yuan added with a smile. "There will come a time when you’ll need to play your role."

"Yes," Qiong Sea King acknowledged.

...

After chatting with Qiong Sea King, Wu Yuan entered the meditation chamber in the courtyard house and began cultivating.

The cultivation of essentia and mana demanded patience and dedication; while it may be monotonous, it laid the sturdy groundwork of one’s power.

Many believed that how deeply one comprehended the Dao depended heavily on chance encounters and sudden epiphanies, yet it was the steady accumulation of years of contemplation unseen by others that was the true key to mastery.

Having an epiphany without understanding it thoroughly was akin to building a castle in the air. Sooner or later, the holes in one’s foundation would lead to the whole structure crumbling down.

Genuine progress could only be achieved through the gradual accumulation of knowledge and understanding.

In the midst of his cultivation, Wu Yuan sent a strand of consciousness into the Redmoon Immortal Realm. Upon entering his personal hall, he received a notification from Little Moon.

Contact requests? Wu Yuan confirmed that they were from Zhuo Yuansheng and Zhuo Qiuhong and swiftly accepted.

Soon after, he received two virtual immortal slips from Zhuo Yuansheng.

‘3 Immortals, 4 Families, 32 Sects’, ‘Myriad Schools of Thought’. Wu Yuan silently read these virtual immortal slips in his personal hall. In a few moments, he realized the true value of these virtual immortal slips.

How detailed! Wu Yuan marveled silently.

The previous immortal slips he read in the library had only provided vague details about the various large sects and briefly introduced their backgrounds. As for the cultivation classes they specialized in, their top teachings, and notable experts? It was all left out.

As for information concerning the four prince-rank families? There was barely any.

Yet, these virtual immortal slips provided an in-depth exploration, chronicling the historical origins of each sect, events that led to their rise and fall, the peerless powerhouses they had produced since their establishment, and even their top-notch teachings. Everything was elaborated on in detail.

There were even details about some of the current top-tier experts in each sect.

How detailed. A prince-rank family truly lives up to its name. If I were to buy this information on my own, it would probably cost more than 10,000 catties of ethercrystal.

Little did he know, this was actually information collected internally by the Zhuo Family and not available for sale to the public.

As time passed, Wu Yuan read through the intelligence, gaining a deeper understanding of the Redmoon Immortal Continent as a whole.

The three immortals refer to Astral Lord Redblood, Immortal Redmoon, and Archdeity Redaxe, the three leaders of the Bloodforge Devil Hall, Redmoon Immortal Hall, and Myriad Axes Hall respectively.

These were the top three factions of the immortal continent, with the Redmoon Immortal Hall as the indisputable number one faction.

So, other than the Redmoon Immortal Hall, the two other factions are recruiting peerless geniuses as well? Wu Yuan mused silently.

While these two top-tier factions could extend invitations to potential disciples within the borders of the Redmoon Immortal Hall’s territory, they were not permitted to open up recruitment drives on a large scale. Those who received such invitations were invariably prodigies.

The Bloodforge Devil Hall inclines towards the savage path of the devils. Wu Yuan shook his head. As for the Myriad Axes Hall, it appears to specialize in body refining.

From their titles alone, one could get a general impression of these factions. Hence, Wu Yuan found himself less interested in the prospects offered by the Bloodforge Devil Hall and Myriad Axes Hall. Given the opportunity, he would much prefer to join the Redmoon Immortal Hall.

The Gu, Fang, Heihe, and Zhuo families are the four prince-rank families. Wu Yuan noted, learning the surnames of the four prince-rank families for the first time. In terms of power, the four prince-rank families surpassed even that of the first-rate sects.

Under the rule of the Redmoon Immortal Hall, there exist 32 first-rate sects, along with hundreds of second-rate and thousands of third-rate sects. Through the two virtual immortal slips, Wu Yuan finally began to grasp the sheer scale of the size and power of the Redmoon Immortal Continent.

If an individual wished to establish a second-rate sect, they had to be a Tribulation High Immortal at least, while one had to be a Divided Soul Earth Immortal at minimum to establish a third-rate sect.

On the immortal continent, powerhouses are as commonplace as clouds.

Yet, from the virtual immortal slips, Wu Yuan gained a rough understanding that Divided Soul Earth Immortals and Tribulation High Immortals rarely showed themselves on the immortal continent. It seemed their battles unfolded elsewhere, far beyond the continent.

The macrocosm stretched beyond comprehension. The Redmoon Immortal Continent was just the tip of the iceberg that was the Greenridge Macrocosm. Thus, the various sects and factions of the immortal continent were known collectively as the 32 sects and myriad schools of thought.

Second-rate and third-rate sects rise and fall with the passing of time, their numbers in constant flux. But the first-rate sects have weathered the ages, rooted in extraordinarily profound foundations.

Yet, even the first-rate sects were not indomitable. According to the records in the immortal slips, numerous first-rate sects were annihilated 100,000 years ago, while two others ascended to prominence during the same period.

100,000 years ago? Is it a mere coincidence? Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

The deeper secrets of the immortal continent were as elusive to him as a cloud of fog.

Nonetheless, Wu Yuan didn’t spend too much time pondering them. His focus remained on sifting through the various sects and factions, and selecting the one most suited him.

...

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Clad in silver armor, Zhuo Haiyue made her way straight to Wu Yuan’s courtyard house upon her return to the Zhuo Family estate. "Li Xia, I'm back,” she announced.

"Your Highness." Wu Yuan emerged from the meditation chamber.

The two of them made their way to a pavilion.

"Please, sit," Zhuo Haiyue said with a slight smile. It was obvious that she was in a good mood. She had likely received a bountiful harvest during her time at the Redmoon Star.

As Wu Yuan sat down, she flicked her wrist, conjuring a spread of fine wine and delicacies, which she immediately began indulging in with great gusto.

Wu Yuan was taken aback by her voracious appetite.

"Don’t be alarmed. Food is my greatest passion," Zhuo Haiyue explained with a smile. "There is nothing quite like savoring a delicious meal. For a good dish, I would gladly pay 10,000 catties of ethercrystal."

"Your Highness is truly uninhibited," Wu Yuan remarked sincerely.

So, it turned out she was a foodie!

"I have inquired with Zhuo Yuansheng and the others. In the past two days alone, a grand total of 116 factions have extended invitations for you to join their sects," Zhuo Haiyue stated with a smile.

"116?" Wu Yuan's eyes widened in surprise. That many?

"While the figure may seem high, only sixteen of them are first-rate sects. The rest fall into the category of second-rate sects," Zhuo Haiyue explained.

Wu Yuan nodded in understanding. It made sense.

"What about the Redmoon Immortal Hall? Did they send an invitation?" Wu Yuan asked, unable to contain his curiosity.