Donglin Holy Land.
One by one, powerful cultivators halted their cultivation and turned their gazes outward, toward the sky beyond the sect.
Ta ta ta ta—!
Footsteps echoed among the clouds.
Along with them came the roars of ferocious beasts.
Even the disciples stationed at the mountain gate were shaken. They raised their heads, expressions uncertain.
"This kind of movement… it's extraordinary. Could the rumors be true?"
"Is the Jiang family really coming to our Donglin Holy Land?"
Roar—!
A savage cry rang out, carrying the untamed ferocity of ancient beasts. The cultivators below felt their qi and blood surge violently. Fortunately, disciples of Donglin Holy Land were not weak—none spat blood—but many still staggered, their faces pale.
"Hiss—!"
"That is…!"
"The Jiang family!"
As pitch-black mounts descended one after another, all doubt vanished. The ferocious beasts wreathed in blazing aura, the cold-armored soldiers riding atop them—everything confirmed it.
Then—
Five golden divine horses, glowing with radiant brilliance, pulled a jade chariot through the sky.
A terrifying pressure spread instantly.
It was the innate savagery of ancient alien beasts, as if a great demon had descended upon the world.
Whoosh!
Donglin Holy Land did not fall behind.
In an instant, several middle-aged figures appeared in midair. Hands clasped behind their backs, expressions calm and indifferent, they effortlessly suppressed the wild pressure radiating from the beasts.
Without question—
They were all Venerable Realm powerhouses.
Each held an important position within Donglin Holy Land.
With a mere flick of their sleeves, they could shield their disciples from any external pressure.
"Hah—!"
"Our elders have appeared!"
The disciples' faces lit up with pride.
This was something engraved into their bones.
No matter how strong the enemy, Donglin Holy Land gave them an unshakable sense of safety and belonging.
"Hooo—!"
The five golden horses narrowed their eyes, ferocity flashing within them. Unwilling to submit, the flames around their bodies surged higher.
"Shua—!"
A peerless woman in red robes arrived.
Her features were picturesque, her expression cold and aloof. A small cinnabar mark adorned the center of her brows. With a single glance from her frosty eyes, the five golden horses instantly trembled, their arrogance crushed.
Whether it was the disciples below or the middle-aged cultivators in the sky—
All felt the pressure vanish.
Relief flooded their hearts, followed by pride and reverence.
Xiao Rongyu.
The leader of Donglin Holy Land.
At a young age, already a Human Emperor.
Even setting cultivation aside, Xiao Rongyu's appearance alone stood at the peak. Within Donglin Holy Land, no one could compare—not even Ye Qingcheng.
In terms of bearing and authority, Ye Qingcheng, who had long occupied a lofty position, was still far behind.
"Head!"
Jiang Chen hurriedly stepped out of the jade chariot, anxiety flashing across his face. He cursed inwardly—things had already escalated at Donglin Holy Land, yet his father had gone this far.
He quickly explained,
"My father came only to meet my master!"
Wow—!
The disciples below erupted in astonishment.
And curiosity.
The rumors were true.
Senior Brother Jiang Chen had indeed become a disciple.
But whose disciple?
Jiang Chen had been in Donglin Holy Land for a long time. Why would this happen only now?
Xiao Rongyu's expression remained cold. Her phoenix eyes swept over the scene without a word.
Then—
The head of the Jiang family stepped out of the jade chariot.
With that single movement, the heavens seemed to fall silent.
It wasn't that time had frozen—
It was that his cultivation was so overwhelming that everyone's gaze was forcibly drawn to him, unable to look away.
He stood there calmly.
Yet his body radiated the pressure of a god and demon.
Heart-stopping.
Terrifying.
Even the middle-aged Venerables dared not meet his gaze directly.
"Boom—!"
With a gentle flick of his sleeve—
Treasures filled the sky.
Each one wrapped in radiant divine light.
The first item:
Essence of Purple Jade.
Extracted from the rarest purple jade in the world. Each drop required thousands of years of nurturing within jade veins. More than thirty drops floated there now.
Its value—
Terrifying.
The second item:
Seven-leaf Sword Grass.
Born within the most dangerous Sword Valley, absorbing sword intent day and night. Each time a sword qi formed, its power multiplied.
Four leaves were already priceless.
Seven leaves?
Unimaginable.
The third item:
A weapon.
Not an ordinary one.
It exuded overwhelming demonic intent—one thought dominating its core:
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.
Such terrifying malice branded it a demonic weapon.
Yet everyone present could sense—
If controlled, it would become an unrivaled divine arm.
And these were not all.
There were six treasures in total.
Suspended in the air.
Bathed in glorious radiance.
Even Human Emperors felt their hearts stir.
Gulp…
The disciples below swallowed hard.
Even the middle-aged experts' hearts pounded.
Only Xiao Rongyu remained calm.
She spoke lightly,
"The eldest son of the Jiang family becomes a disciple—and this is all?"
Jiang Zhenshan smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Of course not."
"No matter what, my son is still the eldest son of the Jiang family."
"These are merely gifts to Donglin Holy Land, thanking it for years of cultivation."
"As for the formal apprenticeship gift—"
"There is more."
"Ah—!"
Shock spread instantly.
Beyond Donglin Holy Land, countless spies from various factions were watching.
When Jiang Zhenshan revealed those treasures, jealousy had already burned in their hearts. Now hearing that this was merely an appetizer—
They swallowed their saliva.
"Is the Jiang family absurdly rich or what…?"
With a wave of her sleeve, Xiao Rongyu collected the treasures that could make even Human Emperors covet them. She nodded slightly.
If this had truly been the full apprenticeship gift, the Jiang family's grand display would have been laughable.
"Let's go."
"Enter the sect."
"Go see your teacher."
Jiang Zhenshan smiled broadly, clearly in high spirits, and stepped toward Donglin Holy Land.
He was no stranger here.
He had visited back when his son first entered the sect. Aside from forbidden grounds, he had been everywhere.
Now—
He headed straight for the Sutra Pavilion.
Wow—!
Outside Donglin Holy Land, countless burning gazes followed them unwillingly.
But they could not enter.
All they could do was watch the Jiang family patriarch disappear within the sect, hurriedly pulling out communication talismans to relay the latest developments.