The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2227: Ominous Sign (3)
Previously on The Quest for Immortality...
Within the Qian Learning Hundred Gates, a handful of ancestors were dispersed here and there.
Every single one was in attendance.
The looks of these ancestors differed widely; certain ones showed as aged folks with flowing white hair, others displayed young visages crowned by silver strands, a few came across as striking middle-aged men, some appeared as hunched seniors, others possessed builds like mighty dragons, certain figures were shriveled elderly women, and some resembled eternal fairy maidens whose beauty never faded...
Each one radiated absolutely no aura at all.
Yet in their gazes lingered an immense, endless profundity.
These roughly twenty Heaven Void Ancestors served as the solid bedrock and key supports for the powerful clans and sects, dreadful beings who could strike fear into any part of the realm.
Right now, they had all assembled inside the Sword Observation Tower, collectively scrutinizing the swords.
The spacious hall remained utterly serene.
All the Heaven Void Ancestors kept quiet, with some sipping tea in solitude, others sitting with closed eyes in contemplation.
Their profound cultivation and extended lifespans had eroded away the bulk of their feelings over time, leaving scant few matters that could rouse them.Certain ancestors, thanks to their advanced cultivation, had grown profoundly detached in their dispositions.
Even amid the ups and downs faced by clans and sects, they might show no concern whatsoever.
To them, the ordinary realm held no appeal; their focus rested solely on the "Dao" and the pursuit of "immortality."
What drove them was the relentless chase of the "Dao" and the attainment of "immortality" through whatever paths necessary.
Other ancestors chased after glory and wealth to bolster their clan, to expand their sect, but in the end, it all tied back to their personal "Dao."
Lineage and authority merely represented manifestations of the Dao.
As for advancing in Heaven Void cultivation, the expenditure on Spirit Stones proved enormous.
The need for Spiritual Objects loomed even larger.
This demanded vast authority to back it and plentiful resources to fuel it.
Lacking the backing of clans and sects, they couldn't possibly isolate from worldly affairs, enter closed-door training, and push forward in their cultivation.
To venture past Heaven Void, into that lofty and near-legendary realm mentioned only in old records.
Of course, unless one achieves immortality, even Heaven Void Ancestors remain mortal beings.
As mortals, they possess the full range of emotions and desires.
Not every Heaven Void Ancestor displays indifference.
Some Heaven Void Ancestors harbor fiery tempers.
For instance, Ancestor Ye from the Daluo Sect, featuring sharp brows like swords and a flowing long beard, along with a rough-hewn face, from time to time shot furious looks toward Elder Master Xun of the Taixu Gate.
In the Daluo Sect, his cherished young junior—a prodigy in sword dao whom he pinned his greatest expectations on—was meant to excel at the Sword Discussion Conference and dazzle all.
Yet in the end, that junior fell in one blow to a Taixu Gate disciple.
The crucial point was that this disciple wasn't even a sword cultivator.
His skills with the sword didn't even qualify as proper swordsmanship.
The Daluo Sect ancestor felt deeply shamed, and just recalling it filled him with disgrace.
Naturally, considering the gravity of the event, he could only hold back his ire and stay quiet.
Elder Master Xun noticed the fury but merely sipped his tea in peace, acting as though nothing occurred...
...
Beyond the Dongxu Hall.
The heads of various sects had also convened at the Sword Observation Tower.
The Hundred Flower Valley Master, together with a group of ladies from the Taoist State clad in elegant palace robes, were murmuring about certain matters.
No leader from the other Four Sects, Eight Gates, or Twelve Streams missed the gathering.
This fierce Asura battle carried such deep repercussions that it left every sect leader feeling equally worried and on edge.
Even the leaders of the Four Great Sects found it hard to stay composed.
They held no fears for the Taixu Gate's fate.
As the prime target for the Taixu Gate, survival or demise hung by a thread.
Their anxiety centered on the perils posed by the remaining Four Great Sects once the Asura battle concluded.
With the Asura battle underway, it turned into a brutal slaughterhouse; toward the finish, without mercy, any sect's top talents might get ganged up on by prodigies from the other three sects.
Amid the killing, threats lurked on all sides.
In the attacks and counters, endless shifts unfolded.
Nobody could predict who might shatter the siege and endure until the finale.
And given the high stakes of the Asura battle, should the following Sword Discussion fail to widen the leads, the victor of the Asura battle could claim the top spot in the Sword Discussion Conference as well.
For their Four Great Sects, the Sword Discussion's top rank would basically hinge on how this Asura battle kicked off.
Thus, the Four Great Sects' leaders had no way to keep their cool.
As for the Taixu Three Mountains Sect Leader's state of mind, words failed to describe it.
In the Taixu Gate's present circumstances, just holding onto their current rank would count as immense luck.
Even if their position slipped only a little, they could bear it.
Anything more than that, they dared not dream.
No one grasped better than them how the Qianxue Four Great Sects stood as unassailable "Great Mountains."
Beyond the Sword Observation Tower.
In the Mount of Tao's viewing zone.
The Taixu Gate elders, plus disciples at the early, mid, and late Foundation Establishment stages, nearly all showed up to witness the fight.
This clash would shape their sect's destiny.
To them, its importance matched that weight.
Yet at present, the atmosphere felt intensely strained, with everyone's hearts gripped in tension.
And over in the Feng family's viewing section, Great Elder Zhang, Zhang Lan, Gu Hong of the Gu family, plus a few other elders, along with Court Official Gu Changhuai and Xia Canonical Official...
They all watched the confrontation intently.
They grasped, to varying degrees, the ongoing scenario and felt anxious inside, quietly fretting over Mo Hua and the Taixu Gate.
Even Great Elder Zhang, having observed numerous sword discussions by Mo Hua, had grown fond of this "apparent" Taixu Gate genius who mastered the Zhang Family's Water Passing Step, and he didn't wish to see Mo Hua and his fellow disciples suffer defeat.
Or failing that, not a crushing one...
...
That said, among the onlookers, many cultivators took pleasure in the misfortune:
"By all accounts, Mo Hua shouldn't make it through this round, should he?"
"When a single foe aims to slay him, he slips away; when a team targets him, he flees;"
"But when a whole sect, or even ten-odd sects—that vast crowd—all swarm to end him, where could he conceal himself, where might he dash to?"