He is naturally not someone who is afraid to face a threat, but he will always prepare for the worst.

He began to think about the worst possible outcome—what could happen with all the information he had.

"I really hate for being weak…" Hengsheng thinks of many ways, but he cannot think of any good solution for the worst outcome.

Because of one only reason, he was too weak.

The best thing he could think of was to use the 10 million system points that he was confident would get after he completed the crisis quest, and use it as a resource for whatever he had to do for his survival whether fight or escape.

"Let's hope that the other continents won't fail." Hengsheng prays silently hoping Luck will be on their side.

After that, Heng Sheng continued to cultivate with focus and determination. He intended to break through to the middle stage of the Spiritual Foundation Realm before the Heavenless Dao Cult army arrived.

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On the western side of the Golden City, there were residential areas where wealthy cultivators and well-known forces resided whenever they stayed in the city, whether for business or to participate in events.

The residential area was vast, containing countless residences of powerful cultivators. Unlike mortals, who built their homes close together for safety and mutual assistance, cultivators preferred to build their residences to stay as far away from unfamiliar individuals as possible.

The reason was also a matter of safety—while mortals sought help from neighbors, cultivators feared that their neighbors would bring them harm.

Trust was rare in the world of cultivation. When two forces built their residences close to each other, it was a clear sign to the outsider that they held trust in one another, as seen in the case of the Lan Clan and the Wang Clan.

At the center of the residential area was a section reserved for the most powerful forces on the continent, including first-rate and second-rate factions.

However, this place had recently descended into chaos. The Golden Sword Sect had launched an attack on the residences of three first-rate—The region lord that ruled over the three directions of the metal flow plains, Thunderclap Blade Sect of the South, Iron Edge Hall of the West, and the Jin Dynasty of the North.

Not only the three region lord's residences but six out of twelve second-rate forces' residences were also wiped out along with the three first-rate forces in a single night.

When news of this event spread to the other factions residing in the area, they became uneasy. They did not know the reason behind this attack and feared that they would be the next targets. Many suspected that the overlord had finally revealed its true nature as a tyrant.

Some began to gather the allies and joined their forces to resist the overlord's might.

However, not long after, another piece of news arrived—the three first-rate forces and six second-rate forces of the Metal Flow Plains had actually been planning to overthrow the overlord status quo.

They secretly moved their armies without anyone's notice for years, and now their armies had already entered the Golden Sword Sect’s territory, and the battle had broken out on the outskirts of the central region of the Metal Flow Plains.

This explained why the Golden Sword Sect had taken action against the nine forces, but it did not bring the remaining factions any relief. Instead, it left them with a new concern.

All of them had the same question—why had the nine forces dared to challenge the overlord?

They should have understood the true strength of the overlord. Even if they had a newly ascended True Immortal among them, they still could not possibly stand against the overlord. Where did their confidence come from?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The situation remained uncertain not long after that, the Silver Lotus Pavilion the region lord of the East—the only first-rate sect that had not yet turned against the overlord—issued a call to gather the remaining forces in the residential area. Many factions had the same thought: what was the Silver Lotus Pavilion planning to do?

They believed that the sect intended to form an alliance, bringing together those who were not part of the unexpected conflict in order to defend themselves from both the overlord and the nine forces.

Many accepted the invitation, as they, too, shared the same concerns.

With a moment of chaos about to begin, they understood one thing—survival would be impossible if they remained alone.

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Within the forbidden mountains of the Lan Clan, Lan Wangtian sat on a cultivation mat beneath the giant tree at the peak of Secard Mountain, listening to Lan Tianyuan’s report on the situation happening in the Golden City.

"The last report from Mingzhi states that the Silver Lotus Pavilion East was with the Golden Sword Sect all along. During the gathering, they pretended to propose forming a new alliance with the remaining forces, even offering to join hands with the nine forces to overthrow the Golden Sword Sect’s rule."

Lan Tianyuan paused for a moment, trying to suppress a laugh as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke. Then, he continued.

"Fortunately, our Lan Clan and the Wang Clan declined the proposal. However, the Bai Clan, the Tong Kingdom, and many independent Saint Realm cultivators accepted it. When the atmosphere grew tense, and it became clear who stood on which side, the Silver Lotus Pavilion cultivators—along with a False Immortal from the Golden Sword Sect—appeared inside the Shadow Lotus Formation without anyone noticing and started slaughtering those who had accepted the proposal. No one survived or escaped. And…"

Lan Tianyuan continued his report, detailing the events inside Golden City as received from the First Elder’s party.

Aside from the chaos in the residential area, other parts of Golden City faced their own disturbances. The most bizarre event was the sudden disappearance of the headquarters of the Professions Association.

No one knew exactly when it had vanished, but by the time people noticed, the entire building was gone. Not just the building—most of the members of the Professions Association, whether professionals or receptionists, had disappeared along with it.

"The report ends here. The next scheduled update will be in three days if there are no new developments."

Lan Tianyuan stored the report scroll back into his space ring before turning his gaze back to his father, Lan Wangtian.

Lan Wangtian expression was filled with concern, yet a hint of hope flickered in his eyes.

"This could be an opportunity…" Lan Wangtian murmured as he contemplated the bold move he was about to make if the situation continued to unfold in this direction.

Lan Tianyuan's eyes widened as he realized what his father was implying. A deep sense of concern settled in his heart—this plan was far too risky. If they failed, they would lose everything their clan had built over a hundred thousand years.

"Father… are you certain? If those bastards are still hiding False Immortal cultivators in the southern region, we will—"

Before Lan Tianyuan could finish his sentence, Lan Wangtian interrupted him.

"There will never be a better opportunity than this."

Lan Wangtian gazed at the sky, lost in thought for a moment, recalling the past. Then, he turned back to his son and spoke.

"There is no better distraction than the Golden Sword Sect. Besides…"

He hesitated, debating whether he should share the information with his son.

"A few days ago, our Qi Luck artifact changed."

Lan Tianyuan frowned in confusion. He wasn’t sure what his father meant. Although he had reached the Saint Realm, the mysteries of Qi Luck were exclusive to those who had stepped into the boundary of the Immortal Dao.

For someone like him—who still had one more step to take before he could see through Qi Luck, Momentarily it was still a mystery.

Seeing his son’s confusion, Lan Wangtian continued.

"Qi Luck grants favor from the Heavens, but it also determines one’s destined potential. A few days ago, our Qi Luck artifact changed—our Lan Clan’s destiny has shifted from a Mortal Destiny Clan to an Immortal Destiny Clan."

Lan Wangtian’s gaze drifted toward the depths of the mountain, where the Lan Clan’s Qi Luck artifact was kept.

"What does that mean? Does our clan now have a True Immortal cultivator? How is that possible?"

Lan Tianyuan was still baffled. As far as he knew, no one had undergone the Dao Attainment Ceremony recently—certainly not without his knowledge.

"No, no one has broken through to the True Immortal Realm. I don’t know exactly how it changed, but I can guess… it must be because of Lan Hengsheng…"

Lan Tianyuan nodded in understanding as his father continued.

"With this new destiny, summoning the Heavenly Dao for the Dao Attainment Ceremony will be much easier. Even if the enemy has a False Immortal, they will not reach here in time. And by then… no one will be able to stop my ascension…"

Hearing his father’s words, Lan Tianyuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. He took a deep breath before making his decision.

"I will oversee the clan’s defenses. Please rest assured."

Lan Tianyuan had made up his mind—he would follow through with his father’s plan.

"I will begin the ceremony in a few days. Be prepared for outside intervention" Lan Wangtian stated before vanishing into his cultivation cave to make his final preparations.

His purpose was clear.

He will attain true immortality.

Become a True Immortal Cultivator.