“Of course, the term ‘Aureate Body’ is just figurative language,” Sword Saint Xing explained. “One’s body and physical body will grow far more resilient than before, almost as if diamond, impermeable to water or flames. Even if one travels through a Teleportation Formation without protection, one still won’t be harmed by the spatial turbulence. Even when falling into spatial rifts, one will be able to walk out alive!
“On top of the frightening growth in strength and resilience, one will gain considerable resistance against soul arts as well. Demonic tunes and even the Impartation of Heaven’s Will won’t be able to sway one easily anymore!
“The third realm of Great Sage is the Intuitive Impulse realm! To put it in simpler terms, it refers to an enigmatic sense toward danger or the unknown. It’s rather similar to the ability that seers wield, but it’s far more feasible to experts, especially in battle. Without using tortoise shells or copper coins, one will be able to intuitively sense impending calamities or fortune and select the most suitable course of action to take. Your mother and I have reached this realm. Last year, your soul lantern extinguished, but your mother and I could sense that you are still alive, and that’s what that drove us to continue searching for you…”
“My soul lantern extinguished?” Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched. “The Zhang Clan has my soul lantern? When did it extinguish?”
He had learned of soul lanterns from the books in the Sanctum of Sages. It was an artifact forged by weaving a sliver of an individual’s soul in a unique manner.
Usually, it would be located in a discreet location, placed under the care of special caretakers. The moment that the flame in the soul lantern was extinguished signified that the individual’s soul had dissipated as well. It was typically used in most major powers so as to take note of the statuses of those who had left the clan.
As such, it was not too surprising that he had a soul lantern, but the fact that it had extinguished…
This was a matter worth looking into.
“Your mother and I feared that something would happen to you, so I created a soul lantern out of your soul right after you were born. As for when it extinguished… it was at the start of the ninth month last year,” Sword Saint Xing said.
“…” Zhang Xuan’s eyelids twitched a little upon hearing the date.
The start of the ninth month last year… That happened to be around the time that he transcended to this world, the start of a new semester in the Tianxuan Kingdom’s Hongtian Academy.
Did his soul dissipate before I transcended over or when I possessed his body? Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder a little.
However, there was no point speculating about the past anymore, so he simply shook his head and dropped that thought.
“What’s the fourth realm?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“The fourth realm is the pinnacle of Great Sage, as well as the level that Yang shi has reached. It’s known as the Sempiternal realm. Sempiternal encompasses the idea of deathlessness, but it’s with reference not to the flesh but to the Primordial Spirit. No external force will be able to sway one’s mental state, and with a mere thought, one is not only able to kill but tear space apart as well! Only one who has reached this realm can be considered invincible beneath Ancient Sage!” Sword Saint Xing remarked.
“Your mother and I have been searching for an impetus to achieve a breakthrough to that realm, but it’s a pity that we haven’t been able to succeed…”
“Introspective Convalescence, Aureate Body, Intuitive Impulse, and Sempiternal…” Zhang Xuan committed the names of those four realms to memory.
He was not too sure about the latter three, but he had definitely felt the power of the Sempiternal realm back when he activated the droplet of blood from the Pavilion Master Seal. He had felt absolute power in his grasp, and with just a flick of his hand, he could easily have torn the world into pieces. There was nothing in this world that could possibly have endured his might.
If even the Sempiternal realm was that powerful, it was hard to imagine just how formidable Ancient Sage would be!
“Alright, let’s quickly leave!” After explaining the four realms of Great Sage, Sword Saint Xing beckoned for them to set off before leading the way forward.
The ancestor acknowledgement ritual was not too complicated. All of the elders of the Zhang Clan, including those retired and in seclusion, had come to witness the ceremony. In the ancestral hall, an esteemed elder of the Zhang Clan announced Zhang Xuan’s identity and history to the ancestors.
Zhang Xuan stood obediently in his allocated position, and the entire ceremony proceeded smoothly without any hiccups.
It concluded right before noon, and Zhang Xuan’s name was inscribed onto the Zhang Clan’s genealogy book.
Following that was the clan head inauguration ceremony.
There were all kinds of formalities and conventions to be respected for this solemn event, making it both bothersome and frustrating.
However, he also knew that it was of the utmost importance to respect these traditions. This was in line with the virtue of propriety that Kong shi had preached. It would be impossible to establish order and legitimacy without propriety, which made it ever so important in large powers like the Zhang Clan.
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The ceremony lasted all the way till sunset before it finally concluded.
With this, Zhang Xuan had officially succeeded as the clan head, becoming the most authoritative figure in the Zhang Clan.
“Phew, the ceremony is finally over! Son, we’ll be heading to the Luo Clan tomorrow to ask for the little princess’ hand in marriage!” Looking at the excellent man that his son had become, Sword Saint Xing could not help but feel satisfied within.
Zhang Xuan did not think that his parents would be so impatient as well, and he nodded helplessly. “Alright!”
The truth was that he was also feeling a little apprehensive inside. Everything seemed to be proceeding so smoothly that he was starting to fear that it was all a dream.
Sword Saint Xing walked up to Yang shi and clasped his fist with a smile. “Yang shi, I hope that you can follow us to the Luo Clan as well and bear witness to this joyous event!”
“My Senior is going to be wedded—it goes without saying that I have to tag along!” Yang shi stroked his beard.
The second Celestial Master Teacher in the world was going to marry the little princess of the Luo Clan—this was a historic event that he could not afford to miss!
The night passed in surprising silence.
This time, Zhang Xuan chose to have a good sleep to reinvigorate himself instead of cultivating.
As soon as dawn settled in, a huge crowd had already gathered around the Conference Hall of the Zhang Clan. All sorts of items and artifacts were loaded upon forty massive saint beasts, producing a sight of majesty and extravagance.
“Isn’t this… a little too grand?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“How can it not be grand? This is the wedding ceremony of the clan head of our Zhang Clan! If there isn’t at least this much, it would poorly reflect on us as the number one Sage Clan!” Sword Saint Xing replied haughtily.
Beside him, Sword Saint Meng nodded with a ravishing smile on her face, reminiscent of a blooming flower. She was surprisingly quiet despite the matter at hand.
Looking at the heavily loaded saint beasts, Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown, “How far away is the Luo Clan?”
The Master Teacher Continent was vast, such that even when one was riding on saint beasts, a journey could easily take several days or even months. If the destination was too far away, it might be better for him to construct a Teleportation Formation so that they could head there right away.
“Why? Just a few days of absence, and you are already in a rush to meet your little girlfriend?” Sword Saint Xing teased playfully.
“That’s not it…” Zhang Xuan’s face reddened in embarrassment.
“The Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan aren’t located too far away from one another. We specially prepared these aerial spirit beasts beforehand, and they are all at Saint 9-dan. If they fly at their full might, we should be able to reach our destination within three days, so there’s no need to get anxious!”
Seemingly seeing through Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, Sword Saint Meng added with a smile, “While a Teleportation Formation will allow us to get to the Luo Clan much faster, we’ll have to pay an astronomical price in order to teleport this many resources and saint beasts over. On top of that, the journey there is also a symbol of sincerity on our part, and it serves to inform the world of the matrimony between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan. It’s a formality that we have to respect so as to not sully the reputation of both the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan!”
“I understand…” Zhang Xuan nodded.
In any case, it was only a three-day journey, so there was no real need to use the Teleportation Formation.
He was not so impatient as to be unable to wait three days.
“Alright, let’s set off then!”
Since everyone was already present, Sword Saint Xing gave a command, and the saint beasts rose into the air. Zhang Xuan and his parents got onto the saint beast at the very front of the formation, and just like that, the magnificent marriage convoy began making its way toward the Luo Clan.