Chapter 34: Gathering of Heroes

The Golden Crow Immortal sensed a powerful attraction in the unseen.

"Why do I suddenly have such a strong premonition?" The Golden Crow Immortal was shocked. As a cultivator, he deeply trusted such subtle feelings. "It seems the Immortal Destiny Assembly is very important to me, as if drawing me there..."

"Master, your disciple believes his strength is passable. If I truly cannot win, I will concede immediately," the senior disciple said reluctantly. "This Immortal Destiny Assembly gathers countless geniuses from this great world. Such an opportunity may come only once in a lifetime."

The Golden Crow Immortal, who had been distracted in the hall, quickly came to his senses.

"Enough!"

The Golden Crow Immortal frowned and shouted, "You think your strength is passable? Living on a remote island has made you shortsighted. You've only heard of the Immortal Destiny Assembly; how could you know how formidable the geniuses attending it truly are? This is intelligence on the last assembly gathered by Tianbao Mountain. See for yourself." With that, a book appeared in his hand, and he tossed it down.

The senior disciple caught it.

"If you go to the Immortal Destiny Assembly without real strength, you won't even have time to concede." The Golden Crow Immortal then rose, and with a whoosh, transformed into a rainbow light and vanished.

"Senior Brother, you've angered Master."

"Senior Brother, let me see that book. How powerful are those attending the Immortal Destiny Assembly?" The other junior brothers and sisters gathered around.

Meanwhile, the Golden Crow Immortal had already arrived at his immortal residence.

This immortal residence could not be carried along, but it possessed immense power.

No one else was inside.

The Golden Crow Immortal soon reached a pavilion, where a man in black robes sat. The man's features were nearly identical to the Golden Crow Immortal's, though the latter's aura was more ferocious.

"The reason I sensed it is likely because my true body is still at the Wanxiang stage," the black-robed man said, standing up. "Though I've had great opportunities, from what I sense in the unseen... the Immortal Destiny Assembly is extremely important. Perhaps I can truly soar through it."

"For me, Bu Yi, to become a Celestial Immortal, the opportunity likely lies in this assembly," the black-robed man murmured.

He was the son of a fisherman. As a child, he went fishing with his father, but a storm capsized their boat, and he fell unconscious. When he awoke, he was astonished to find himself in an underwater cave dwelling.

This cave dwelling was left by a senior cultivator. It contained vast cultivation techniques, methods, divine abilities, and even top-tier visualization methods, along with various treasures and rare items. Even primordial liquid had accumulated over endless years, forming a great lake of over ten million jin. Among the treasures, he discovered a 'Golden Crow Egg.' As a youth, he buried himself in cultivation within the cave.

In his past life, he must have been a cultivator, as his soul was naturally strong. With the top-tier visualization method, when his true body reached the Wanxiang stage, he split his soul, and one part possessed the Golden Crow Egg. The shell cracked, and the Golden Crow was born.

This Golden Crow's bloodline was extremely pure, and it could only take human form after reaching the Return to Void stage.

Over the long years, Bu Yi roamed the North Sea, undergoing life-and-death adventures. Thanks to the many treasures from his childhood opportunity and his second soul 'Golden Crow Body,' he turned danger into safety time and again. After enduring the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, his second soul decided to break through to become a Return to Void Earth Immortal. The next cycle of calamities would come in two hundred years, giving Bu Yi ample time.

"Though my second soul is a Golden Crow Body with great power," the black-robed Bu Yi shook his head, "it is still a possession. I am human; the Golden Crow is a demon. Though I possessed the egg... the compatibility is only seventy to eighty percent. Cultivating to the Return to Void stage is likely the limit. To transcend tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal? There's no hope!"

Possessing a Golden Crow Egg was a tremendous opportunity. When he was still weak, he had chosen to do so without hesitation.

But the compatibility of the possessed second soul was insufficient. Transcending tribulation to become a Celestial Immortal was already difficult, and for a Golden Crow with such pure blood, it was even harder. With only seventy to eighty percent compatibility between soul and body, success was impossible—he knew this well.

"I can sense that this Immortal Destiny Assembly is my opportunity."

"I, Bu Yi, have roamed the North Sea, and my fame has always come from my second soul, the Golden Crow Immortal. This time, my true body will truly shine at the Immortal Destiny Assembly." The black-robed Bu Yi was full of anticipation.

Three days later.

The Golden Crow Immortal instructed his disciples to cultivate diligently, saying he would go on a journey. Then he quietly left for the Great Xia royal capital.

...

A small boat flew through the clouds. On it sat a black-robed man with a cleaver before him.

"Hmm?"

The black-robed man suddenly opened his eyes. While meditating, he had thought of the Immortal Destiny Assembly, and his heart stirred with a subtle insight.

"After leaving my master, I traveled through various great worlds to cultivate. This Great Xia world is the ninth I've visited. I had no interest in the so-called Immortal Destiny Assembly, as I am already under my master's tutelage. But why do I suddenly sense that I should attend? As if missing it would mean losing something." The black-robed man was puzzled.

Yet he did not doubt his subtle intuition.

"Since that's the case, I'll go to the Great Xia royal capital and join the assembly. I want to see how formidable the geniuses of this world are." With a thought, ripples appeared around the small boat, and it vanished from midair, using void teleportation to head to the Great Xia royal capital.

...

In a tavern in an ordinary Great Xia city, a dirty girl lay drunk, with weeds in her hair, shouting, "More wine! Hurry, hurry up with the wine!"

"Miss, you've used up all your wine money," the waiter said hastily.

The dirty girl glared: "Used up?"

"Listen up, all you with or without something between your legs! I'll let you kick and beat me without fighting back, but you have to pay for my wine. Just fill this gourd for me, that's all," the dirty girl shouted.

"No fighting back?" A new customer became curious.

"Poor thing, someone's about to be fooled again."

"That gourd can never be filled."

Some regulars muttered quietly, making the would-be kicker sense something wrong and back off.

The dirty girl held her gourd, looking around. No one wanted to kick her.

"I'll let you kick and beat me, no fighting back!" she shouted again. "Sigh, time to change places again. Small towns don't yield much. Maybe I should go to a big place... like the Great Xia royal capital?"

The girl suddenly froze.

Still dazed from drink, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Immortal Destiny Assembly?"

She felt a strong attraction.

According to her cultivation path, she shouldn't go to the assembly, but her intuition was never wrong.

"The moment I thought of going to the Great Xia royal capital, I sensed the Immortal Destiny Assembly... It seems I really must go. Perhaps it can help me transcend tribulation and become an immortal. I've reincarnated nine times already. If I fail again, there's no hope."

Whoosh.

The drunk girl vanished from the tavern. The mortals inside felt nothing, as if she had never been there.

...

Hidden across the vast Great Xia dynasty, true experts—even some peerless prodigies who cared little for the Immortal Destiny Assembly—were drawn by subtle intuition, changing their minds and heading for the Great Xia dynasty.

...

At the Yan Estate in the Great Xia royal capital, before Ji Ning's immortal residence lay a lake with a small boat. Ji Ning lay inside, letting the boat drift.

Perhaps because he was used to it at Snake Lake, lying in a boat drifting on the water made his mind especially clear, often leading to insights in his techniques.

"Young Master Ji Ning." A maid called from the shore.

A clear-eyed youth in animal skins stood up on the distant wooden boat, then vanished and appeared on the shore.

"Young Master Ji Ning," the maid said respectfully, "a group outside the estate gate wishes to see you."

"See me? Who?" Ji Ning asked.

"They say they are your fellow disciples—senior and junior brothers and sisters," the maid said.

Ji Ning's eyes lit up, and he transformed into a gust of wind, disappearing with a whoosh.

At the main gate of the Yan Estate.

A breeze blew, and Ji Ning appeared at the gate.

"Senior Brother Ji Ning!" A white-robed youth rushed over excitedly.

"Junior Brother Shuo." Seeing his junior brother, Ji Ning was overjoyed. The two brothers embraced like bears before letting go.

Ji Ning had always treated Mu Zishuo like a younger brother.

"Senior Brother, you're amazing! You cultivated a second soul and killed the Floating Cloud Immortal!" Mu Zishuo was thrilled. "When I heard the news at the Black-White College, I was overjoyed. Haha, you killed Shaoyan Nong and that divine demon, and now the Shaoyan clan's assassins have died by your hand. I wonder how furious the Shaoyan clan must be."

"It'd be best if they died of anger," Ji Ning said, then looked at the others. "Senior Brother Cangjiang, Senior Sister Yu Wei, and Senior Brother—why have you all come?"

The arrivals were the Slacker, Yu Wei, Cangjiang, and Mu Zishuo.

Yu Wei smiled: "Senior Brother and I are here for the Immortal Destiny Assembly. Cangjiang and Mu Zishuo came to watch. By the time the assembly begins, more disciples from the Black-White College should come. Few participate, but many come to watch."

"Senior Brother is also participating?" Ji Ning was surprised. He had discussed it with Yu Wei before; at that time, only she planned to attend. The top third-generation disciple, the Slacker, had originally declined.

"It felt right to come, so I came," the Slacker said with a smile.

"Now the Black-White College has three participants: Senior Sister Yu Wei, Senior Brother Ji Ning, and Senior Brother. We'll make a name for ourselves!" Mu Zishuo was full of anticipation.

...