Chapter 32 I'm not late, am I?

Gu Heng smiled, looked at the frozen demons, and said nonchalantly,

"I'll be blunt. It's useless for you lot to guard this broken place that I've already emptied out. This Far North Ice Field will soon be carved up by other great demons. With your current strength, staying here is just waiting for death."

"How about this: sign a master-servant contract with me. Follow me from now on, and I'll ensure that if I get a bite of meat, you'll have a mouthful of soup. How does that sound?"

As soon as he said this, a deathly silence fell over the area in front of the Dragon Palace.

A master-servant contract?

That was the most harsh and humiliating contract in the cultivation world!

Once signed, one could never rise again. For the always-arrogant Dragon Clan, this was simply more painful than being killed!

"You... what did you say?!"

A Dragon Clan warrior finally couldn't hold it back anymore.

His eyes were blood-red, and his chest heaved violently, like a volcano about to erupt.

"You want our noble Dragon Clan to sign a master-servant contract with a human?! Why don't you go and die—"

Before the word "die" could fully leave his mouth,

Gu Heng slightly lifted his eyelids.

Buzz—

A flash of the supreme Law of the Peak Tribulation Transcendence Stage flickered and vanished!

Crack—

The ice layer for ten thousand miles around instantly shattered under the crushing weight of this aura.

The wind and snow filling the sky instantly came to a halt, as if even time itself was frozen by this power.

That Dragon Clan warrior, who had just been glaring with fury, was instantly pinned to the ground by this pressure.

His dragon scales shattered inch by inch, and blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining the ice beneath him red.

Not just him; every Dragon Clan warrior present felt the terror of death at that moment. Their proud Bloodline was simply more fragile than paper before this power.

"Senior, please appease your anger! Senior, please appease your anger!"

At the critical moment, Prime Minister Turtle came scrambling and crawling over.

"Senior must be joking! These young brats are ignorant; please don't lower yourself to their level!"

Prime Minister Turtle's old face was deathly pale. "Master-servant contract or not, our lives were saved by you, Senior! You are our second parent! Any arrangement is fine!

Never mind signing a contract; even if you wanted this old servant to stew himself right now to nourish your body, I would have absolutely no objections!"

As he spoke, Prime Minister Turtle frantically winked at the Dragon Clan warriors behind him who were being crushed so hard they couldn't breathe.

Only by surviving would the Dragon Clan have hope!

In front of this supreme being who could instantly obliterate even Bing Kui, what was there to talk about regarding nobility?

Dignity? It was all a joke!

After testing the edge of death, the Dragon Clan warriors' pitiful pride had long been crushed to dust by Gu Heng's terrifying strength.

Seeing Prime Minister Turtle's humble state, low as the dust,

and feeling the pressure that could grind them into meat paste at any moment, all the Dragon Clan warriors yielded.

They lowered their heads, eyes flickering with helplessness, and simultaneously bit their tongues to force out a drop of essence blood containing the power of their Origin.

"We... are willing to serve Senior as our master... and shall never betray you for all eternity..."

The essence blood gathered in mid-air.

Gu Heng's expression was indifferent. He didn't withdraw the pressure but casually raised his right hand and lightly tapped the void with his fingertip.

Buzz—

The blood-colored runes instantly split in two; one half sank into Gu Heng's brow, while the other half turned into countless blood-colored streaks of light, engraving themselves deep into the Divine Souls of every Dragon Clan member present.

The master-servant contract was complete!

The moment the contract took effect, all the Dragon Clan warriors felt an insurmountable shackle appear deep within their Souls.

With just a single thought from this white-robed youth, their Souls would fly away and spirits scatter instantly, without even a chance for Reincarnation.

Only then did Gu Heng slowly withdraw his pressure.

The halted wind and snow began to howl again, and the atmosphere in front of the Dragon Palace had undergone an earth-shattering change.

"Very good."

Gu Heng clapped his hands. "Since we're on the same side now, I won't be formal. I have some private business to handle, so I'll be going first."

He glanced at the kneeling Prime Minister Turtle and instructed, "Pack up your things and bring everything you can. Arrive at the Qingyun Sect in the Eastern Province before the Hour of the Rooster tomorrow."

"Yes! This old servant obeys! I will certainly not fail my mission!"

Prime Minister Turtle didn't ask any questions and directly shouted his acceptance.

He immediately stood up, leaning on his cane, and began directing the Dragon Clan warriors who were just scrambling up from the ground. "What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear the Master's orders? Hurry and assemble the army, and pack up all the remaining scraps for me! At dawn tomorrow, the whole army sets out for the Qingyun Sect!"

After making the arrangements, Prime Minister Turtle scurried over to Gu Heng again, bowing his head respectfully. "Master, this old servant will see you off."

"No need."

Gu Heng waved his hand, preparing to tear through the void.

Before leaving,

his gaze fell upon Prime Minister Turtle's wrinkled old face, and he felt a slight stir in his heart.

Although this old turtle was slick and worldly, he was indeed efficient in his work—a rare management talent.

Since he had taken on a subordinate, he had to give him some benefits.

Gu Heng reached out and lightly patted Prime Minister Turtle's shoulder.

"Mhm, you're very sensible. Work hard, and there's hope for you to achieve Immortal Ascension in this lifetime."

Having said that, Gu Heng ignored everyone's reactions. With a flash of his body, he vanished on the spot.

The wind and snow continued as before.

Prime Minister Turtle froze in place.

He looked up, and a brilliance like never before erupted from his cloudy eyes.

His old face flushed red, and even his breathing became heavy.

Senior said... there's hope for him to become an immortal?!

Immortal Ascension!

For an old monster like him who had lived for tens of thousands of years, whose potential was long exhausted, and who thought he could only wait for death in this Far North Ice Field, this was an extravagant hope he didn't even dare dream of!

If it were anyone else—even a Great Power of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage—who said this to him, Prime Minister Turtle would have sneered in his heart, thinking they were just talking big.

But Senior was different!

Who was he?

A being who could turn a Tribulation Transcendence Yao Emperor to ashes with a light pat! Not to mention that Senior could easily trigger the Divine Light of Induction that only True Immortals ascending could summon!

Would such a True Immortal, destined to ascend to the Upper Realm, make fun of an old turtle for no reason? Absolutely impossible!

A True Immortal's words were like gold and jade; saying there was hope for his immortality was like a decree sent down by the Heavenly Dao!

"Immortal Ascension... I... I actually still have a chance at Immortal Ascension!"

Prime Minister Turtle shook all over with excitement. He suddenly turned around and, toward the direction where Gu Heng had disappeared, flopped to his knees again and roared with all his might, his voice hoarse:

"This old servant, Gui Qiansui, will surely grind my bones to dust and shed my heart's blood! I will not fail Senior's expectations!!!"

This roar shattered the snow filling the sky and also shattered the last bit of resentment in the hearts of all the Dragon Clan warriors present.

Looking at the deliriously excited Prime Minister Turtle, they suddenly felt that signing this master-servant contract... perhaps wasn't such a bad thing?

...

On the other side, Gu Heng's figure had long since disappeared.

On the way back, Gu Heng truly felt what the speed of the Peak Tribulation Transcendence Stage was like.

He could control the void of the Lower Realm at will.

He didn't need any flying Magical Artifacts, nor did he need to expend true essence to fly through the air.

With just a thought, he could casually manipulate the Laws of space, allowing him to perform ultra-long-distance jumps through the void of the Lower Realm.

This speed of traversing space was even a bit faster than the cross-province teleportation arrays that required a massive amount of Spirit Stones to activate.

"Sweet! Is this the joy of a max-level big shot?"

Gu Heng strolled leisurely through the void turbulence, watching the phantoms receding rapidly around him, feeling inwardly delighted.

However, traveling aside, he hadn't forgotten the huge fortune he had just scavenged from the Dragon Palace.

"System, max out 'passing opportunity' for me! Max it out to the limit!"

[Ding! Deducting one billion High-Grade Spirit Stones. 'passing opportunity' has been maxed out.]

[Congratulations to the host for successfully passing by a Secret Realm treasure—the undying flower.]

"The undying flower?!"

Gu Heng's eyes lit up. He could even "pass by" an undying flower inside a Secret Realm?

"Tsk tsk, one billion Spirit Stones—it was worth the price!"

Gu Heng nodded and no longer concealed his cultivation.

Rumble—

When Gu Heng's unconcealed Peak Tribulation Transcendence aura swept across the skies of the Eastern Province, the entire province completely boiled over.

The cloudless sky for ten thousand miles instantly turned a purple-gold color as Gu Heng passed by.

Cultivators from various Sects emerged from seclusion one after another, looking at the sky's phenomenon in utter horror.

"Heavens! What is that aura?!"

"Such terrifying pressure... which Tribulation Transcendence Great Power is traveling?!"

"Looking at that direction, they're heading to the Qingyun Sect! Could it be to attend the banquet?"

"Quick! Prepare a generous gift immediately! Head to the Qingyun Sect at once! To witness a meeting of Tribulation Transcendence Great Powers is a life without regrets!"

For a time, Cultivators throughout the Eastern Province, regardless of their cultivation level, speculated about the identity of this Tribulation Transcendence Great Power and swarmed toward the Qingyun Sect like a tide.

...

The next day.

Eastern Province, Qingyun Sect.

Today's Qingyun Sect could be described as having its most boisterous day in ten thousand years.

The Sect was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and Spiritual Qi was gathered by a great array into seven-colored auspicious clouds that lingered among the mountain Peaks.

Countless rare treasures and exotic beasts darted through the sea of clouds, and immortal music drifted through the air.

On the square at the Peak of Qingyun, various forces gathered, forming a sea of people.

Top forces from the Five Great Provinces had crossed mountains and rivers, traveling day and night to get here.

Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators, rarely seen in normal times, were as common as hair on an ox.

Those high-and-mighty Body Integration Stage Great Powers could only sit obediently in the back rows.

Only those true Half-step Tribulation Transcendence or Mahayana Stage Old Ancestors were qualified to sit in the VIP seats at the very front.

At this time, in a remote corner at the edge of the square, Wang Teng stood with a flushed face next to a tall youth with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes.

This youth wore a black robe. Although he didn't emit any terrifying aura, simply standing there gave off a feeling of looking up at a towering mountain.

This person

was Wang Teng's elder brother, Wang Aotian.

"Big brother! You're finally here! You don't know, I almost grew mold being locked up in that Forbidden Ground!"

Wang Teng gestured excitedly; because of his brother Wang Aotian's arrival, he was finally able to leave the Forbidden Ground legitimately.

Wang Aotian glanced indifferently at his worthless younger brother and shook his head slightly.

"I came this time to observe the Ascension Grand Ceremony and comprehend the Laws of the Heavenly Dao. As for getting you out, it was just a side matter."

Wang Aotian's voice was cold. "Wang Teng, your talent isn't bad, but your mind is too scattered. If you could settle down, you might be able to achieve half of what I have."

Wang Teng chuckled. "Big brother is right to lecture me! But big brother, do you think Old Ancestor Qingxuan can really ascend?"

Wang Aotian put his hands behind his back and looked toward the sky, a trace of fanaticism flashing in his eyes. "Whether he can ascend or not, what does it have to do with me? I only care about that sliver of Heavenly Dao Origin he will trigger."

Meanwhile, on the nine-layered white jade high platform in the center of the square.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan wore a brand-new purple-gold Daoist robe; his hair and beard were all white, giving him an immortal-like appearance.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, surrounded by a mysterious aura of the Great Dao, looking profound and unfathomable.

Then, the Old Ancestor opened his eyes and looked with satisfaction at the gathered forces.

Seeing those Mahayana Stage Old Ancestors and Sect masters who were usually arrogant now sitting below as obediently as primary school students, looking up at him.

He had waited for this day... for far, far too long.

Back then, his talent was mediocre, and he relied on the Lurk Tactic to crawl all the way to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. How much grievance had he suffered, and how many beatings had he taken?

Later, although he became the Old Ancestor of the Qingyun Sect, in order to deter external enemies, he had to act profound and unfathomable every single day.

Now, he was finally going to make it!

He had already imagined the scene: bathing in golden light during his daylight Ascension, with everyone watching in awe and envy. That would be the Peak, the most glorious moment of Qingxuan's life!

Before long, the sun began to set.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon the Peak of Qingyun, plating the square in a layer of golden light.

The various forces had mostly gathered.

Suddenly.

Rumble—

The originally clear sky suddenly darkened.

Supreme pressure poured down from the Nine Heavens, and the ring of the Divine Light of Induction began to spread from the sky!

The moment the golden light ring appeared and expanded, the entire Peak of Qingyun boiled with excitement.

"Divine light! It's the Divine Light of Induction!"

Cultivators from major forces stood up one after another, moved to tears.

Then, the various forces began whispering and urging.

"Why hasn't it started yet?"

"Yeah, the divine light has already manifested; why hasn't the ceremony started?"

"Hurry up, Old Ancestor Qingxuan is about to ascend!"

On the high platform, Old Ancestor Qingxuan's brow was tightly furrowed.

"Wentian!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan sent a voice transmission to Ye Wentian, who was standing nearby.

Ye Wentian looked at Old Ancestor Qingxuan and shook his head helplessly, indicating that it seemed the boy Gu Heng hadn't returned yet.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan's brow furrowed, and his heart sank.

"Could that kid have died in the Northern Province?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan muttered to himself. The Northern Province was a place of bitter cold, with demons running rampant; the cultivation world was full of dangers, and no one could say for sure.

"No, that kid has the life-saving divine object I gave him; he wouldn't die that easily."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan suppressed the unease in his heart. "Should we wait a bit longer?"

If Gu Heng wasn't there, the Ascension Grand Ceremony would feel like it was missing something.

Just as the Old Ancestor was thinking this.

At the very bottom of the venue's steps, the void rippled slightly.

A tall, slender figure dressed in white, pristine and untainted by dust, appeared mysteriously at the bottom of the steps.

Immediately after,

Gu Heng's clear, gentle, and slightly apologetic voice echoed leisurely over the large square.

"My apologies, everyone."

"I'm not late, am I?"