Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1676: 902: The Decree Issued, Clan-Wide Uproar

Westward, a distance of four million miles from the Divine Continent, lies a cultivation haven that has held a prestigious standing within the Ten Thousand Peak Spirit Domain for eons: Hundred Xia Ridge.

The expanse of Hundred Xia Ridge is colossal; it's less a singular ridge and more an ancient mountain range stretching for ninety thousand miles.

Beyond the primary peak, Xia Guang Peak, the entirety of this mountain range is comprised of ninety-nine Spirit Mountains. Each of these mountains boasts at least one high-grade spiritual vein of the Fourth-rank or higher, not to mention the myriad of smaller, branching spiritual veins.

It is common knowledge that the Ten Lands Zhao Clan presides over the Ten Thousand Peak Spirit Domain, with its extensive family branches and collateral members dispersed throughout the Spirit Domain, and Hundred Xia Peak serves as one of their major settlements.

Xia Guang Peak’s spiritual vein is of the sixth rank, saturated with an exceptionally potent natural spiritual energy. Annually, the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures it yields far exceed those from other Spirit Mountains, and it is also home to the exclusive Cross-Domain Transmission Array.

Daily, countless cultivators flock here with admiration, bearing a variety of treasures and boundless cultivation resources, which in turn fuels the immense prosperity of Brocade City, situated at the foot of Xia Guang Peak.

Xia Guang Peak pierces the clouds, while at its base, a massive city resembling a gargantuan, majestic beast appears to crouch. Its city walls alone reach a thousand zhang in height, soaring like mountain summits.

Within the city, pavilions and towers are densely packed, and the streets form a web-like network, teeming with bustling traffic and throngs of people, presenting a vibrant and lively panorama.

Spectacular and elaborately designed palaces are suspended in mid-air. Hovering above this collection of palaces are seven or eight immense floating islands, adrift hundreds of miles high.

As dawn breaks, streams of penetrating light streak in from every direction. These include Flying Spiritual Boats, and even more precious, Cross-domain Treasure Ships.

Upon one of the floating islands directly above Brocade City, an expansive plaza, spanning over three hundred miles in diameter, is situated at its edge. This entire area is paved with top-grade Bright Jade, emanating a constant, soft luminosity.

Thirteen thousand-zhang Spirit Boats are already moored within the plaza. At this very moment, a gigantic, silver-white Treasure Ship, shaped like an olive, is gradually descending.

Currently, more than eighty cultivators exuding an extraordinary aura are positioned in the plaza’s center. Ranging from the elderly to the young, all gaze with anticipation and fervent expectation towards the descending Treasure Ship.

A young man, whose bright eyes and starlike brows accentuate his exceptionally heroic countenance, stands toward the rear of the assembly, a subtle hint of anxiety faintly visible on his face.

Zhao Yu Yan slowly exhaled, and his agitated state strangely began to subside.

As the House Master of Qingshan Room, he understood the necessity of composure.

An ancestor once decreed that one must maintain a tranquil mind when facing significant matters!

The Qingshan Room has, after all, been in decline for an extended period, with its population not exceeding ten thousand. Should this rare, millennium-spanning opportunity be missed, the ancestral land, Qingshan, might very well fall into the possession of other branches within three centuries.

“Haha, Yu Yan, what brings you out of Qingshan today?” A voice suddenly reached his ears.

Zhao Yu Yan’s brow furrowed. He immediately turned his head to see an elderly man with youthful features approaching. This individual exuded a kindly aura, possessing a somewhat ethereal demeanor.

Zhao Yu Yan’s gaze turned frosty. He sneered, “Zhao Dianmiao, you’re here as well! And whyever shouldn’t our Qingshan Room be present?”

This person, Zhao Dianmiao, holds the position of House Master for the Black Water Room at Ao Yun Mountain. His cultivation level mirrors Zhao Yu Yan’s, both residing in the Nascent Soul Perfect Realm.

The Black Water Room has also experienced a decline over millennia, its circumstances as dire as those of the Qingshan Room.

However, precisely because of this shared plight, Zhao Dianmiao, as the House Master of the Black Water Room, harbors an even greater desire to assert dominance over Zhao Yu Yan, with the underlying intention being quite transparent.

Zhao Dianmiao approached with a smile, as if no past tension existed, and took a position beside Zhao Yu Yan.

“Yu Yan, do you happen to know from which lineage the Upper Envoy dispatched by the ancestral land originates?” Zhao Dianmiao casually surveyed his surroundings before suddenly transmitting his voice via Divine Thought.

“I’m uncertain. Do you possess this knowledge?” Zhao Yu Yan’s heart stirred, and he promptly posed a counter-question.

“Naturally, I possess this knowledge, but… why should I impart it to you?” Zhao Dianmiao displayed a touch of smugness on his face. This wasn’t a deliberate act of arrogance, but rather a subtle flaunting of his connections within higher circles.

Upon observing this, Zhao Yu Yan promptly sent a voice transmission: “I have a piece of information that you would undoubtedly find valuable. How about we engage in an exchange?”

“You speak first.”

“Nay, you first!”

The two spoke in near unison, their thoughts evidently mirroring each other.

After a brief standoff, the younger Zhao Yu Yan conceded first. "I've learned that numerous Upper Envoys have been dispatched from the ancestral lands to various major Spirit Domains and outlying branches. Their mission is to identify clan members eligible for migration into the new Grotto Heaven established by the Four Ancestors."

Zhao Dianmiao was taken aback. "This news isn't surprising, it's been circulating for a while. After all, the Great Ancestor, Second Ancestor, and Third Ancestor did precisely that in the past. If that's all there is to it—"

Zhao Yu Yan cut him off abruptly. "What if I told you Hundred Xia Ridge has a mere three hundred slots?"

"Impossible! Following the old ways... are you certain?" Zhao Dianmiao initially dismissed it outright, but his conviction wavered, ending with a doubtful query.

Zhao Yu Yan did not reply immediately, instead calmly inquiring, "Which ancestral lineage does this Upper Envoy belong to?"

Zhao Dianmiao's expression faltered for a moment. After a slight hesitation, he secretly transmitted, "This individual is from the Third Ancestor's lineage, though from a collateral branch, not a direct bloodline member."

Zhao Yu Yan's eyes gleamed. He pressed on, "What is this person's full name? Which branch are they from? Do they have any particular preferences?"

"...Your turn!" Zhao Dianmiao declared with a deep tone.

"To my understanding, the Four Ancestors have decreed that there are only one hundred thousand migration slots this time around. Participants must be under a thousand years old. Higher aptitude and perception are favored, but there's no mandatory cultivation requirement.

Furthermore, a rumor suggests the Four Ancestors show a preference for clan members from the Third Ancestor's lineage, particularly juniors exhibiting ancestral bloodline traits." Zhao Yu Yan openly shared all the information he possessed.