[Immortal Continent, Southern Archipelagos, Thousand Isle Archipelago]
Nine years could change many things.
For mortals, nine years could be enough for children to grow into adults, for young men and women to marry and establish families, for old rulers to die and new rulers to take their places, but for cultivators, especially those who had stepped onto the path of longevity, nine years could pass like the turning of a page.
Yet the Thousand Isle Archipelago had changed considerably during those nine years.
The once tranquil waters of the Southern Archipelagos were no longer as peaceful as they had been before.
Nine years ago, two Nascent Soul-level experts had fought above these waters.
Their battle had been terrifying.
Every collision between their divine abilities had caused the heavens and earth to tremble, enormous waves had risen like mountains, and the surrounding islands had suffered the consequences of a battle that was fundamentally beyond the level of ordinary cultivators. Some islands had been shattered outright, their spiritual veins destroyed beneath the force of the battle, while countless sea creatures and low-level cultivators had died without even understanding what had happened.
The centre of the disaster had been Thousand Isle City.
Once one of the most prosperous cultivation cities in the archipelago, it had been completely razed to ashes.
The magnificent pavilions, bustling markets, cultivation shops, inns, auction houses and countless residences had all disappeared beneath the devastation, leaving behind little more than scorched earth and broken foundations.
Thankfully, the Thousand Isle True Monarch had intervened.
As the strongest existence overseeing the Thousand Isle Archipelago, the True Monarch possessed strength that ordinary cultivators could only look up to. With his support, Thousand Isle City had been rebuilt within a relatively short period, its ruined foundations repaired and its formations reconstructed, allowing cultivators to once again gather there.
But although the city had returned, its former atmosphere had not.
The new Thousand Isle City was more restrained.
There were still countless cultivators coming and going through its gates, flying swords and spirit boats could still be seen crossing the sky, merchants still opened shops along the streets, and cultivators still gathered in teahouses to discuss cultivation and exchange information, but beneath that prosperity was a layer of caution that had not existed before.
Everyone remembered what had happened.
A Nascent Soul battle could turn an entire region into a graveyard.
No one knew when another conflict would erupt.
And no one wanted to be caught in the middle of it.
However, while the older generation remained cautious, the younger generation had begun to flourish.
The upheaval of the past nine years had produced an astonishing number of geniuses.
Some had suddenly awakened extraordinary bloodlines, others had obtained ancient inheritances from secret realms, while some had simply displayed cultivation speed that defied common sense, breaking records that had remained untouched for centuries.
Among them, one achievement had caused the greatest commotion.
A cultivator who was merely a hundred years old had successfully reached the Purple Palace Realm.
One hundred years.
In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, reaching Purple Palace within a century was already an extraordinary achievement, but the significance of this particular breakthrough was far greater.
The previous record had been one hundred and fifty years.
The new genius had reduced it by a full fifty years.
Such a result had caused countless cultivation families and sects to pay attention.
After all, a cultivator's early cultivation speed often determined how far they could eventually travel.
A hundred-year-old Purple Palace cultivator had centuries of potential ahead of them.
If their talent remained extraordinary, entering the Golden Core Realm was no longer a distant possibility.
Perhaps even Nascent Soul was within reach.
For a time, the entire Immortal Continent was filled with discussions about the younger generation.
But beneath the visible competition between geniuses was another battle that had been taking place quietly for years.
The golden runes.
More than a decade ago, golden runes had descended from the heavens and scattered throughout the world.
At first, many cultivators did not understand what they were.
Some believed they were fragments of an ancient inheritance, others believed they were remnants left behind by an ancient supreme expert, while some suspected they were connected to the great celestial phenomena that had begun appearing across the continent.
Eventually, however, rumours began to spread.
Anyone who possessed one of these golden runes would experience a strange Dao rhythm surrounding their body.
The rhythm was extremely faint and could not easily be detected, yet its effects were astonishing.
Cultivation became smoother.
Comprehension became faster.
Some cultivators claimed that techniques they had struggled with for decades suddenly became clear after obtaining a golden rune, while others had broken through bottlenecks that had remained unmoved for years.
The most frightening part was that the effect seemed to apply not only to cultivation realms but also to the techniques themselves.
The golden rune appeared capable of assisting comprehension, allowing cultivators to deepen their understanding of techniques and reduce the difficulty of breaking through both minor and major bottlenecks.
Whether every aspect of the rumour was true was impossible to determine.
But it did not matter.
The rumour had already spread.
And once cultivators believed that something could accelerate cultivation, there would always be people willing to kill for it.
Across the Immortal Continent, countless hidden battles began.
Rogue cultivators who had accidentally obtained golden runes were especially unfortunate.
Without the protection of a powerful sect or family, even a cultivator who had been lucky enough to obtain such an opportunity could easily become the target of others.
Some were followed.
Some were secretly assassinated.
Some were captured and forced to surrender their treasures.
Those who were fortunate enough to realise the danger in time disappeared completely, changing their identities and hiding in remote cultivation cities, unwilling to reveal even the slightest abnormality.
As for cultivators with powerful backgrounds, few dared to act against them recklessly.
But for ordinary rogue cultivators, possessing a golden rune was almost like carrying a priceless treasure through a city filled with bandits.
Thus, an invisible hunt had spread across the continent.
Whenever someone suddenly displayed an astonishing cultivation speed, whenever someone who had previously been mediocre suddenly demonstrated extraordinary comprehension, whenever an unknown cultivator broke through several bottlenecks in a short period of time, there would always be someone watching from the shadows.
The golden runes had not only changed the cultivation speed of some people.
They had changed the entire cultivation world.
And the Eastern Region was no exception.
---
Eastern Region, Lin Golden Core Family.
Within the main hall of the Lin Family, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy.
The Elder Council had gathered.
Unlike ordinary family meetings, no one was drinking tea or exchanging polite words.
The elders were arguing.
"We cannot continue waiting!"
An elder slammed his palm against the table, his expression grim as he looked around the hall.
"The Seven Star Palace has already begun expanding into our region, and they are no longer hiding their intentions. Several families that showed signs of rapid development have already been attacked, their resources seized and their younger generation taken away!"
His voice echoed through the hall.
"Their so-called recruitment is nothing more than forced servitude!"
Several elders nodded solemnly.
Everyone knew what had happened.
The Seven Star Palace had originally been one of the great Nascent Soul sects of the Eastern Region, but in recent years its behaviour had become increasingly aggressive.
Any cultivation family that displayed rapid growth, especially families that produced promising younger generations, could attract their attention.
The Seven Star Palace would first send people to investigate.
If the family was willing to submit, they would be absorbed into the sphere of influence of the Seven Star Palace.
If they refused, things would become considerably uglier.
Resources would be seized, businesses would be destroyed, promising disciples would be captured, and some geniuses would be forcibly taken away under the excuse of being recruited into the sect.
Those who resisted rarely ended well.
The Lin Family had remained relatively safe until now because it had not grown aggressively enough to attract the full attention of the Seven Star Palace.
But that could change at any moment.
"We need protection," another elder said, his voice low but firm. "Remaining independent is no longer realistic. The Seven Star Palace is becoming too aggressive, and once they decide to target us, relying on our own strength will not be enough."
"Then which side should we join?"
The hall became quiet.
There were two obvious choices.
The Purple Extremity Dan Sect.
The Dao Reaching Sect.
Both were Nascent Soul-level sects within the Eastern Region, and both possessed enough strength to contend with the Seven Star Palace.
But choosing the wrong one could be disastrous.
At the far end of the hall, the Head Elder remained silent.
His hands rested inside his sleeves, his aged face calm despite the heated argument unfolding before him, but his eyes were constantly moving as he listened to every word.
The Lin Family had reached an important crossroads.
If they chose correctly, the family could survive the coming turmoil and perhaps even prosper.
If they chose incorrectly, their entire inheritance could be dragged into a war between Nascent Soul forces.
"Dao Reaching Sect," an elder finally said.
His voice was not particularly loud, yet it immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"I believe the Dao Reaching Sect is our best choice."
An elder sitting opposite him frowned.
"Why?"
The first elder did not hesitate.
"Our family has had a slight connection with the Dao Reaching Sect for generations. Although that connection has become much weaker over time, there is still some relationship between the two sides. If we join them now, at least we are not complete strangers."
He paused before continuing, his fingers tapping lightly against the wooden table.
"More importantly, the founder of our Lin Family was once an Inner Sect Disciple of the Dao Reaching Sect."
The words caused several elders to exchange glances.
That piece of history was not a secret within the family, but it had not been particularly important for many generations.
The ancestor who had founded the Lin Family had indeed once been a disciple of the Dao Reaching Sect.
However, he had eventually left the sect and returned to establish the Lin Family.
One elder shook his head.
"That was a very long time ago."
"Exactly."
Another elder immediately interrupted.
"How can something that happened generations ago still be considered an advantage? The founder left the Dao Reaching Sect, he did not remain there until the end."
The first elder looked at him.
"You misunderstand."
He leaned slightly forward.
"I am not saying that our founder's former status will allow the entire family to receive special treatment. I am saying that compared with completely joining an unfamiliar sect, we at least have an existing connection with the Dao Reaching Sect."
"Even if that connection is weak, it is still better than nothing."
The elder who had challenged him frowned but did not immediately respond.
Another voice suddenly sounded from the opposite side.
"Then what about the Purple Extremity Dan Sect?"
Everyone looked over.
The elder continued, "The Purple Extremity Dan Sect may be the better choice."
"Their influence among cultivation families is considerably greater than you think. A family protected by an alchemy sect has access to pills, medicinal resources and alchemy inheritances that other families cannot easily obtain."
The first elder shook his head.
"That would only be an advantage if our family had something they valued."
"What do you mean?"
"Alchemists."
His expression became serious.
"The Purple Extremity Dan Sect favours cultivation families with outstanding alchemy talent, especially those capable of producing high-level alchemists. Such families can provide them with resources, disciples and connections, creating a mutually beneficial relationship."
He looked around the council.
"But what does our Lin Family have?"
No one answered.
"Our strongest advantage is not alchemy," the elder continued, "and we do not possess a famous alchemist capable of attracting their attention. We would be joining them as one ordinary cultivation family among many."
His fingers lightly tapped the table.
"Do you really believe the Purple Extremity Dan Sect would value us enough to protect us from the Seven Star Palace?"
The hall became silent.
The Head Elder finally raised his eyes.
His gaze swept across the arguing elders, and although the argument had not yet reached a conclusion, he already understood what everyone was truly afraid of.
The Seven Star Palace was not simply attacking enemies.
It was searching for future threats.
The Eastern Region was changing too quickly.
New geniuses were appearing, old inheritances were resurfacing, golden runes were driving cultivators into madness, and the balance between the great Nascent Soul forces was beginning to shift.
The Lin Family could no longer afford to remain uninvolved.
The Head Elder slowly clenched his fingers beneath his sleeve.
For the first time, he felt that the storm sweeping across the Eastern Region was not something the Lin Family could simply avoid.
Sooner or later, they would have to choose a side.