https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-615-The-Dragon-s-Treasure-and-the-Ceremony-s-Challenge/12946822/
Chapter 616: Establishing Authority, the Demon's Arrival
Chapter 616: Establishing Authority, the Demon's Arrival
As all eyes in the hall turned towards Chu Ning, he waved his hand, indicating to the Long Sky Pavilion's cultivators that they need not be overly polite.
Then, he slowly took his seat at the main position.
Only then did he calmly turn to Yu Taohang and say,
"It seems that Fellow Daoist Yu looks down upon me, Fellow Daoist Chu."
"Indeed!" Yu Taohang chuckled.
"As far as I know, Fellow Daoists Fan Ze Xian and Lu Xuedao have not shown themselves for thirty years.
Now, suddenly, a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator appears out of nowhere, claiming to be the Grandmaster of Long Sky Hall.
Isn't this a case of 'When the mountain has no tigers, the monkey becomes king'?"
At this moment, Yu Taohang didn't directly mention Dan Zhize, Fan Ze Xian, and Lu Xuedao's journey to the Sky Curtain Continent.
It was unclear whether he was unaware or intentionally withholding this information for some reason.
"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Yu, this person is not an unknown either," Zhu Laomo, whom Chu Ning had met decades ago in the Void Abyss, suddenly spoke up.
"This Fellow Daoist Chu Ning used to be a wandering cultivator in Ice Island Immortal City.
Back then, when the Void Abyss opened, he was still a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Decades have passed, and I never expected him to have reached the Mid-stage Nascent Soul realm."
As Zhu Laomo spoke, a hint of surprise flashed across his face.
In fact, not only him but also all the cultivators present, whether they knew Chu Ning or not, including the Golden Core cultivators from Long Sky Hall, showed expressions of astonishment.
At this moment, even the three Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't help but take a closer look at Chu Ning.
Zhu Laomo continued, "However, based on my observations back then, there seemed to be some discord between this Fellow Daoist Chu and Long Sky Hall.
Moreover, after the Void Abyss incident, he never appeared again.
Now, he suddenly emerges as the Grandmaster of Long Sky Hall, while Fellow Daoists Fan and Lu remain unseen.
This is indeed suspicious."
As he spoke, he turned to look at the Ten Thousand Beast Sect on the other side.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you also entered the Void Abyss back then, didn't you?"
Li Yao's gaze had been fixed on Chu Ning, with a hint of hostility.
Upon hearing Zhu Laomo's words, he immediately replied in a cold voice,
"Indeed, this fellow was a bit strange in the Void Abyss.
Fellow Daoist Yu, my grandson and the beloved son of the Dan Tai Sect's Sect Master were both with this person in the Void Palace, but they never came out.
It's highly likely that they were harmed by him."
Zhu Laomo and Li Yao's words had revealed Chu Ning's identity.
At this moment, many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators began to recognize and confirm Chu Ning's identity.
Chu Ning had gained some fame among Golden Core cultivators after displaying his prowess in the great battle at Snow Mist Valley.
However, the crowd's doubts about Chu Ning intensified.
The fact that a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator from years ago had now become a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator within a century indeed surprised everyone.
But upon reflection, it seemed that he had only recently advanced to the Mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, and such a cultivation level was hardly sufficient to assume the position of Grandmaster of Long Sky Hall.
How could he have the qualifications to warrant such a grand ceremony of inauguration?
A slight commotion arose within the hall.
Many people's expressions shifted slightly, evidently communicating through sound transmission.
Amidst this reaction, Chu Ning's expression remained calm.
He slowly took out a Sky Order from his storage bag.
"It's understandable for you to have doubts about me, Fellow Daoists, but this seems to be an internal matter of Long Sky Hall.
I now hold the Sky Order, and several Nascent Soul cultivators of Long Sky Hall unanimously agree with Fellow Daoists Fan and Lu's arrangement for me to succeed as the Grandmaster.
On what grounds can you oppose this?"
Chu Ning's words caused many to pause.
Indeed, this was an internal matter of Long Sky Hall, and they were merely invited to witness the ceremony.
Looking at the Nascent Soul cultivators from Long Sky Hall, they indeed appeared to fully acknowledge Chu Ning.
As outsiders, they seemingly had no valid reason to object.
"That's not how it works!" Yu Taohang coldly interjected again.
"Reasonably, as guests invited to witness the ceremony, we shouldn't be meddling.
However, Long Sky Hall is the number one power in Northern Han, especially with Ice Island Immortal City involving numerous cultivators.
Moreover, it's situated near Snow Peak Mountain Range, which is related to the conflict between human cultivators and the beast clan."
As he spoke, Yu Taohang stood up.
"Furthermore, Fellow Daoists Fan and Lu have not shown themselves for so long, and suddenly a new Grandmaster appears. This is indeed suspicious.
How could we know that those two Daoists wouldn't be harmed by your group, and then they would push out a puppet to be the Chamberlain?
Daoist Ling, Daoist Meng, what do you think?"
At this moment, Yu Taohang brought up Ling Xuan, the Chief of Divine Sound Valley, and Meng Ruyuzhen, the Sect Master of Great Thunder Sect, both Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators.
Ling Xuan was not tall, with black hair and a calm demeanor, and she didn't respond at that moment.
Meng Ruyuzhen, on the other hand, was as tall as Yu Taohang, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, wearing a golden robe adorned with thunder talismans.
After hearing Yu Taohang's words, he hesitated for a moment before speaking,
"Daoist Yu, your words do hold some truth. If Daoists Fan Ze Xian and Lu Xuedao were here today, we would naturally have nothing to say.
We would only offer our congratulations to Daoist Chu.
However, the current situation does indeed make us a little worried.
Perhaps the beastly race has realized that the two Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators of Celestial Sky Temple are not present, and now only a Mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator is in charge.
I fear that the Snow Peak Mountains and the Boundless Sea's powerful beasts will not remain peaceful."
"Thank you for your concern, fellow Daoists!"
Just then, a voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
Along with it, a powerful aura enveloped the entire hall.
"Late-stage Nascent Soul!"
"It seems to be Daoist Lu!"
At that moment, the Nascent Soul Cultivators in the hall regained their senses.
"Daoist Yu, my senior martial brother Fan and I have been in secluded cultivation recently, and it has been inconvenient to manage the affairs of the hall.
This is why we arranged for Junior Martial Brother Chu to be the Chamberlain, handling the daily affairs of the hall."
As the voice of "Daoist Lu" just fell, another voice sounded.
"Junior Martial Brother Chu has been at the Mid-stage Nascent Soul for two to three decades, and his cultivation and abilities are no less than ours.
The members of Celestial Sky Temple can rest assured, and we also ask for your support, fellow Daoists.
Of course, if there is indeed an emergency or entanglement with the beastly race, we two old bones will appear."
The voice of Fan Ze Xian rang out, and another aura of a Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator appeared in the hall.
This made many of the cultivators exchange glances.
The familiar voices and the powerful auras that only Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators could possess indicated that every move in this place was being watched by the two Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators of Celestial Sky Temple.
Perhaps these two were indeed in secluded cultivation and couldn't come out.
Even Lu Ziyou, Ren Heng, Wu Lingwei, and the others maintained calm expressions, but their hearts were filled with surprise.
Although they had been informed by Chu Ning that this would happen, they were all astonished.
"Where did the Chamberlain find two Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators?
Could it be that he has always had two Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators as his backup?"
With this thought, their hearts couldn't help but tremble slightly, and they felt Chu Ning's profoundness even more.
Chu Ning observed the expressions of the crowd and smiled slightly in his heart.
These two auras and voices were naturally simulated by Bai Ling and the Earth Rhino Dragon.
He had interacted with Fan Ze Xian and Lu Xuedao several times and was well aware of their voices and speaking styles.
It wasn't difficult for the Earth Rhino Dragon and Bai Ling to imitate them.
Moreover, with the Formation Array's concealment, one could only sense the strength of the auras but not perceive them precisely.
This made the deception seem flawless.
However, Chu Ning knew that the Nascent Soul Cultivators present were all shrewd individuals.
Especially the Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators, who likely had extensive interactions with Fan Ze Xian and Lu Xuedao.
If they spoke too much, they would surely expose their deception.
With Chu Ning's mental command, the voice of "Daoist Lu" echoed in the hall again.
"Junior Martial Brother Chu, our two senior martial brothers are at a critical stage of their cultivation, so they won't be coming out of seclusion.
Junior Martial Brother, along with the other fellow disciples, please take care of these fellow Daoists."
As the voice trailed off, the two Late-stage Nascent Soul auras gradually dissipated in the hall.
At this moment, Yu Taohang's eyes flashed, and he turned to look at Ling Xuan and Meng Ruyuzhen again.
Both of them nodded slightly, seemingly unintentionally.
None of the three had spoken earlier, as they were carefully sensing the two auras that had suddenly appeared in the hall.
In fact, Yu Taohang himself had also sensed the auras clearly, and now seeing Ling Xuan and Meng Ruyuzhen's acknowledgment, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"Although the two auras were blocked by the Formation Array, I didn't sense any obvious enhancement through the array.
In fact, Celestial Sky Temple wouldn't be able to enhance the auras of other cultivators using the array without us three noticing."
This thought flashed through his mind, and Yu Taohang burst into laughter.
"It seems that Daoists Fan and Lu are cultivating some incredible secret technique, not even attending this ceremony.
If the two of you had spoken up earlier, my friends and I wouldn't have misunderstood," Lu Daoyou said with a chuckle, as if nothing had happened.
As he spoke, Yu Taohang sat down nonchalantly.
Then, his eyes flashed with a keen gaze, focusing on Chu Ning once again.
"Daoist Chu, Daoist Fan just mentioned that you've advanced to the Mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm for two to three decades now.
Such a cultivation speed is indeed astonishing to all of us.
Daoist Fan even claimed that your cultivation is not inferior to his, truly a young talent to be feared!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning's gaze met his directly, and he spoke with profound meaning, "I also understood that Daoist Yu, despite his words, still has some doubts about Chu's abilities.
Since we have this opportunity, why not guide me and point out a thing or two?"
"Oh? You want to spar with me?"
Hearing Chu Ning's initiative to engage in a battle of spells, Yu Taohang's face instantly showed a peculiar expression.
Although Daoist Fan had just said that Chu Ning's abilities were not inferior to his, Yu Taohang thought it was just to flatter Chu Ning.
Even though Chu Ning's cultivation speed was indeed surprising, he didn't believe that Chu Ning had the strength to fight him.
So he still doubted if he had heard correctly.
However, Chu Ning's unwavering words made him realize that he hadn't misheard.
"Not bad, but I wonder if Daoist Yu is willing to accept my challenge.
Today, cultivators from all over Northern Han have gathered, and if Chu were to accidentally win a move or two, it might not reflect well on Daoist Yu's reputation."
"Haha! Good! That's bold!"
Yu Taohang, who had just sat down, stood up again, a cold smile spreading across his face.
"Since you want to challenge me, I have no reason not to accept."
Hearing Yu Taohang's words, Chu Ning smiled faintly.
What he said was true; he needed an opportunity to establish his authority, ensuring that the cultivators of Northern Han wouldn't have any ill intentions after he took over the Longsky Hall.
Since Yu Taohang had taken the initiative, Chu Ning chose him as his opponent.
Slowly rising, Chu Ning calmly said, "This place might not be suitable for a battle. Let's go to the Boundless Sea outside the city instead.
After our fight, we can proceed with the ceremony without delay!"
Chu Ning stood up and was about to fly out of the hall.
Hearing that Chu Ning wanted to spar with Yu Taohang, the other cultivators also stood up one after another.
Most of them had never witnessed a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in action.
"It seems like this battle with Daoist Yu is not going to happen!"
At this moment, Chu Ning suddenly looked up at the sky outside the hall.
Yu Taohang responded with a cold smile.
"What? Are you trying to..."
His words were cut short as his heart stirred, and his gaze followed Chu Ning's to the sky.
Not only him, but Ling Xuan and Meng Ruyuzhen also had similar expressions.
The other cultivators, with their lower cultivation levels, reacted half a beat slower.
However, Ling Xuan's voice soon rang out, clarifying the situation for everyone.
"A Tenth Rank Demonic Beast, and it's not just one, but two! One from the Snow Peak Mountains and the other from the Boundless Sea, have appeared in the inner sea just outside the Immortal City."
Upon hearing Ling Xuan's words, the cultivators in the hall revealed surprised expressions.
Demonic beasts from the Snow Peak Mountains or the Boundless Sea rarely appeared in the middle sea, let alone the inner sea near the Immortal City.
However, everyone's attention quickly shifted back to Chu Ning.
After all, Chu Ning was the first to discover these two powerful beasts, and even earlier than the three Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. This implied that Chu Ning's Divine Sense was even stronger than them.
Yu Taohang and the other two naturally thought of this as well, and they exchanged glances, their faces showing a mix of surprise and doubt as they looked at Chu Ning.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Chu Ning's expression remained calm.
"Very well, it seems that taking over as the Grandmaster of the Longsky Hall won't be easy.
Even the demon race wants to interfere. Those who are interested can accompany me to meet these two beasts."
If Bai Ling were there, she would have heard the subtle hint of coldness in Chu Ning's tone, despite his calm demeanor.
However, the others weren't familiar with Chu Ning, so they couldn't discern this nuance.
They only saw that after Chu Ning finished speaking, he didn't wait for their reactions and swiftly flew out of the hall, heading towards the Immortal City outside.
The crowd followed suit, flying out one after another, keeping close behind him.
Chu Ning directly activated the Sky Order, lifting the flight restriction above the Immortal City.
Even Golden Core cultivators could fly with ease.
In a short while, over a hundred people had gathered in the inner sea outside the Immortal City.
(End of Chapter)
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