Lu Qing extended a trace of his divine soul power and carefully probed within.
Since the Third Holy Lord had already erased the original soul imprint, Lu Qing easily left his own imprint on the Five Elements Pearl and refined it.
Once the Golden Spirit Pearl recognized him as its master, it immediately transformed into a streak of flowing light and entered his brow acupoint.
Soon, it arrived at the center of the acupoint space.
However, unlike the Fire Spirit Pearl, which had tried to seize the central position last time, the Golden Spirit Pearl behaved differently. Upon arrival, it obediently followed a mysterious trajectory, orbiting around the Earth Spirit Pearl rather than competing for dominance.
It showed no intention of contesting for position, resembling a proud swordsman who simply did what he deemed right.
As the Golden Spirit Pearl revolved a few times, a peculiar connection formed between the three pearls.
Suddenly, Lu Qing's perception of the remaining two Five Elements Pearls grew much stronger.
He closed his eyes, carefully sensing them.
"The remaining two pearls... The Wood Spirit Pearl is in the Extreme West, while the Water Spirit Pearl lies in the Eastern Sea. Once the matter at Sacred Mountain is settled, I should set off to collect them."
Lu Qing eagerly anticipated the changes that would occur once all Five Elements Pearls were gathered.
His Perfect Golden Core was both formless and complete, embodying all five elements.
Thus, these Five Elements Pearls were a natural fit for him.
He had a strong premonition that once he assembled all five, he would gain immense benefits.
After reveling in his thoughts for a while, Lu Qing calmed himself down.
Taking out a communication talisman, he briefly informed his master of the situation and mentioned that he might be staying at Sacred Mountain for some time.
Then, he entered a state of cultivation.
With the spiritual essence in the cave dwelling on Sacred Mountain being so dense, he couldn't afford to waste it.
While Lu Qing cultivated in seclusion on Sacred Mountain, the world outside was shaken by its recent movements.
Mingyue Sect, one of the major sects of Zhongzhou.
Even before the revival of spiritual energy, it had wielded immense influence over Zhongzhou.
Occupying vast territories of the central region, it feared no other factions in Zhongzhou except Sacred Mountain.
Now, with the world undergoing drastic changes and spiritual energy surging once more, the sect had acquired vast resources, and many elders had broken through to new realms, greatly enhancing their strength.
Particularly, not long ago, two of their Supreme Elders successfully transcended their Heavenly Tribulations, stepping into the Golden Core Realm.
As a result, even their attitude toward Sacred Mountain had become somewhat ambiguous.
Thus, when the Sacred Mountain envoys appeared in the hall of Mingyue Sect, the sect master’s expression carried a hint of intrigue.
The lead envoy, clad in white, stepped forward and spoke with solemnity: Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novęlfire.net
"Three Holy Lords have decided to convene a Sacred Assembly, inviting all major sects and factions of the world to gather in Sacred City one month from now to discuss the great matters of the realm."
The Mingyue Sect Master arched a brow. "A Sacred Assembly?"
"Indeed. The Three Holy Lords, witnessing the chaos following the revival of spiritual energy, the strife, and the suffering of the common people, wish to establish order and stability once again."
"They seek to prevent widespread devastation and unnecessary bloodshed."
"This is the invitation, marked with the divine imprints of all Three Holy Lords. Please review it, Sect Master Su."
The white-robed envoy solemnly presented a golden invitation.
Mingyue Sect Master flicked his sleeve, and the golden invitation, as if responding to an invisible force, flew into his grasp.
Upon opening it, a faint but overwhelming pressure emanated from the letter, making his heart skip a beat.
At the bottom of the invitation, three distinct divine power imprints glowed faintly.
Their contents matched the envoy’s words.
The sect master carefully studied the three imprints and felt a surge of unease.
Then, he looked up with a smile. "Please relay my gratitude to the Three Holy Lords. Mingyue Sect will certainly attend the Sacred Assembly as scheduled."
The white-robed envoy nodded. "Since the invitation has been delivered, we shall take our leave, as there are many more sects to visit."
Once the Sacred Mountain envoys departed, the Mingyue Sect Master's expression turned grave.
He stared at the invitation for a long while before speaking. "First Elder, Second Elder, what do you make of this?"
Two figures suddenly emerged beside him. One of them took the invitation and studied it closely, especially the three divine imprints.
After a moment, he sighed. "No wonder those three old monsters have ruled Sacred Mountain for a thousand years. Their power surpasses mine by a fair margin."
The other elder also examined it and nodded. "Indeed. The other two are formidable, but the First Holy Lord is particularly terrifying. His power subtly stirs the surrounding spiritual energy, suggesting his realm is far beyond ours."
The Mingyue Sect Master’s heart pounded. "The First Holy Lord is that strong?"
He had yet to transcend his tribulation and step into the Golden Core Realm, so while he could sense the tremendous force of the divine imprints, he couldn't fully discern their nuances.
Hearing the elders' assessment of the First Holy Lord, he was stunned.
"As the first to ascend to the Golden Core Realm in this new era, he is truly not to be underestimated."
The First Elder sighed deeply.
The sect master hesitated. "Then, should we attend this Sacred Assembly?"
"Yes," the First Elder replied. "Let’s go and see for ourselves what these three old monsters are scheming."
Unlike the measured response of Mingyue Sect, another prominent Zhongzhou sect, Guiyuan Sect, reacted with open disdain.
Within their grand hall, many elders sneered as they read the invitation.
"A Sacred Assembly to reestablish order in the world?"
"Those three old monsters still think the world belongs to them? Do they really believe they can dictate the rules of this new era?"
"They are just relics, trapped within Sacred Mountain. Even if they have reached the Golden Core Realm, what can they do? Do they think they can still rule over us?"
"Hmph, it’s time to teach them that this world has moved on!"
"This Sacred Assembly is an opportunity! It's time for Guiyuan Sect to seize control of the realm!"
Meanwhile, in the Western State, within the tranquil halls of Qingyang Temple, several elder daoists studied the golden invitation in quiet contemplation.
"The Three Holy Lords actually have the ambition to reshape the world's order?"
"But they cannot leave Sacred Mountain… Do they not fear destroying their own reputation with such a move?"
"They are not ones to act without careful thought. They must have something to rely on."
"Interesting… I wonder what gives them such confidence."
"Let us attend and find out. The world has indeed grown chaotic—it may be time to restore balance."