Chapter 399: Another Kunlun Immortal Convention, Meeting Zhu Dong
The rain continued falling from the heavens as dark clouds covered the sky above Kunlun Divine Mountain, stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
The atmosphere inside the garden remained solemn.
After what had just happened, no one possessed the mood for casual conversation.
The death of the Sword Venerable had struck everyone harder than expected.
Even beings who had cultivated for millions of years were not immune to such emotions.
After all, the Sword Venerable had existed for too long, so long that his presence had become a part of the Lower Realm itself, synonymous with invincibility.
Now that presence was gone, it was still hard for them to accept it for the time being.
For a while, the four of them continued discussing everything they knew.
Tian Yongheng listened quietly most of the time.
Occasionally, he would offer his own thoughts.
As the strongest person present, every sentence he spoke carried considerable weight.
Di Tianyang and Hu Xuanji gradually stopped treating him as a junior altogether.
Strength determined status; this was an unchanging truth of the cultivation world.
The current Tian Yongheng was no longer the Half Immortal who clashed against and even slayed nearly twenty Vagrant Immortals alone, he had already become the strongest being in the Lower Realm.
Not that it mattered much, as Tian Yongheng, even as a Human Immortal, could probably defeat them both alone.
At the same time, they truly did not know if Tian Yongheng was actually the reincarnation of some ancient powerhouse or not.
However, judging from how he didn’t know about many things entities at their level considered common knowledge, he shouldn’t be.
At least on the surface.
Hours passed quietly.
The rain showed no signs of weakening, instead growing heavier with every passing moment.
Thunder occasionally rumbled through the heavens, lightning flashing through the dim skies as the dark clouds remained motionless.
Judging from the looks of it, this rain was going to last more than a day or two, but no one paid any attention to it.
For beings of their level, it was impossible to be affected by a little wind and rain.
Eventually, Di Tianyang sighed.
"Regardless of what this catastrophe truly is, the Lower Realm must prepare."
Hu Xuanji nodded.
"This matter can no longer remain hidden. The other major factions have probably also noticed that the connection between realms has been severed for some time now."
Tian Yun remained silent for a moment before speaking, "In that case..."
His gaze swept across everyone present.
"I shall hold another Kunlun Immortal Convention."
The others looked at him as Tian Yun continued.
"But this time, not for some Righteous-Demonic War. I will personally preside over it this time."
His expression became solemn.
"I will invite all supreme mighty figures of the Lower Realm, leaders of all the major factions, the strongest experts from the Nine Great Mortal Worlds, the Vagrant Immortals hidden throughout the Outer Void, none can be missing. As long as they have reached the Immortal Ascension Realm or above, they should attend. At that time, I request you three to provide your strength and help me."
Silence followed his words briefly before Di Tianyang slowly nodded.
"Very well, I agree."
Hu Xuanji also approved.
"It is better to prepare early."
Tian Yongheng naturally had no objections.
The current situation was becoming increasingly abnormal.
The Providence vortex above the Lower Realm continued growing stronger every day, the connection between worlds had been severed, the Sword Venerable had died, and some unknown catastrophe was approaching.
Combined with that unknown existence who gazed down at him earlier...
It was all too unpredictable, too chaotic.
If the strongest experts still remained scattered throughout the Lower Realm when the great upheaval arrived, then they would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board, purely courting death.
Tian Yun slowly exhaled.
"Once we obtain definitive information, we can release it to the cultivation world, but before then, unnecessary panic will only create chaos."
Everyone nodded at his words.
After all, oftentimes, rumors could be more destructive than disasters themselves, especially when the truth remained unclear.
Soon afterward, Tian Yongheng exchanged Communication Jades with Di Tianyang and Hu Xuanji.
The process was straightforward.
At their level, using Communication Jades, maintaining communication across the entire Lower Realm was effortless.
More importantly, if something truly happened, they could contact each other immediately.
After all, Tian Yongheng was now the strongest in the world, perhaps he already was two hundred years ago, and had now grown even stronger.
If they encountered something they couldn’t deal with, contacting Tian Yongheng would undoubtedly be the safest option.
The significance of this action was not small.
In a sense, it represented recognition of Tian Yongheng’s status.
The Sword Venerable was gone, and Tian Yongheng had inherited his position, whether he wanted to or not.
This was responsibility, responsibility of not Kunlun Divine Mountain or the Wooden Peach Divine Sword, but something far more important, which was the title of strongest, the responsibility of standing at the very front.
After everything was settled, the conversation gradually came to an end.
No one spoke much afterward, their hearts remaining heavy.
Eventually, Di Tianyang and Hu Xuanji stood up and looked toward Tian Yun.
"We’ll return first."
Tian Yun nodded, cupping his fists at them.
Then, they turned to look at Tian Yongheng, and the three nodded at each other.
The two figures soon disappeared into the rain.
One returned toward the Primordial Sun Star, and the other toward the Primordial Moon Star.
The garden became quiet once more.
Not long afterward, Tian Yongheng also prepared to leave.
The clone standing here was merely a projection, his true body was still inside the Eternal Peak.
He just felt extremely insecure ever since he was gazed down by that existence; he didn’t want to stay outside anymore.
After bidding farewell to Tian Yun, his figure stepped forward, causing space to ripple.
The next moment, he vanished from his original spot.
Left alone with his own thoughts, Tian Yun remained standing in the same place for a very long time, looking down at the Wooden Peach Divine Sword in his hand before slowly raising his head toward the dark sky.
...
The Heavenly Region.
The rain remained as heavy as ever, showing no signs of stopping at all as Tian Yongheng moved through the sky.
Mountains, rivers, cities, and countless cultivation factions passed beneath him.
His speed was not particularly fast, something else occupying his thoughts.
The gaze from earlier still lingered within his memory. No matter how much he thought about it, he could not comprehend it.
The gap was simply too large, like comparing a mortal to the Immortal heavens, perhaps even greater.
Fortunately, that existence had not shown hostility at that time, otherwise...
Tian Yongheng did not continue that train of thought. Some things were better left unimagined.
Suddenly, at this very moment, his eyes narrowed slightly.
An aura was rapidly approaching from afar, only giving fluctuation of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
However, it was very fast, much faster than ordinary Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, even faster than many Immortal Ascension cultivators.
Within moments, a figure appeared before him.
The newcomer wore black robes, his appearance appearing ordinary, yet his eyes carried an indescribable depth, like hiding countless years within them.
Tian Yongheng immediately recognized him.
It was none other than Zhu Dong, the reincarnated Immortal Sovereign.
Technically speaking, this was their first true face to face meeting.
Back then, Zhu Dong had entered the Second Great Mortal World as a remnant soul after getting beaten up when the system notified Tian Yongheng of his existence.
He was also the first existence at the Immortal Sovereign Realm Tian Yongheng had ever learned about through the system, a world class Chosen One who rarely emerged in the Lower Realm.
At this moment, Zhu Dong’s cultivation had already reached the later stages of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, not far from the Immortal Ascension Realm.
Although not comparable to Tian Yongheng, such speed was absurd for the Lower Realm, but at the same time, entirely expected.
After all, he was an Immortal Sovereign rebuilding his cultivation.
The two stopped several hundred meters apart, rain falling between them.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
After a while, Zhu Dong raised an eyebrow, a strange look appearing on his face.
"You aren’t surprised."
His tone carried genuine curiosity.
"Interesting."
Tian Yongheng remained calm as Zhu Dong continued.
"A mere Tribulation Transcendence ant approaching virtually the strongest being in the Lower Realm, you should at least be suspicious."
Tian Yongheng shook his head.
"Everyone has their own secrets, why should I pry into them?"
The answer caused Zhu Dong to pause slightly.
Tian Yongheng continued, "Besides..."
His crimson eyes met Zhu Dong’s gaze directly.
"We both know what kind of existence you really are."
At these words, a brief moment of silence descended.
Just then, Zhu Dong suddenly chuckled.
The disguise around him seemed to vanish as the carefree, reckless attitude disappeared.
What remained was an ancient existence who had once stood at a height of the Immortal Dao most Immortals and Gods would never be able to touch.
"Interesting, very interesting."
His tone contained several parts more appreciation for him now.
[Zhu Dong’s favorability towards you has increased.]
[Current favorability: 2-Star]
After a while, Zhu Dong shook his head.
"You really are different. I’m still confused as to whether you’re the reincarnation of another Sovereign or not."
Tian Yongheng smiled faintly.
"Fellow daoist came all this way just to say that?"
Zhu Dong’s expression gradually became serious at these words, his gaze shifting upward, locking onto the enormous Providence vortex hidden beyond the clouds.
For a long moment, he simply stared at it.
Finally, he spoke, his voice becoming somewhat solemn.
"Tian Yongheng, do you know that the Lower Realm originally did not possess four eras?"