Chapter 1 - One: Eightieth Birthday

July seventh, in the country of Da Kun, at the Zhong Mansion in Xuan City.

Today at the Zhong Mansion, the grand gates were wide open, and eight hundred tables were set for the banquet. Whether inside or outside the mansion, even the street where the Zhong Mansion gate was located, at this moment, was filled with seats. Anyone who came to congratulate, regardless of their relationship, could take a seat.

Today is an important day. it is the eightieth birthday of Mr. Zhong, the patriarch of the Zhong Mansion.

Mr. Zhong is a legendary figure. Starting from scratch, he has spent fifty years building this vast family fortune. His life in the Great Kun Empire resembles a mythical legend.

Even the former Emperor of the Great Kun Empire has shared drinks and conversation with Mr. Zhong.

Throughout his life, Mr. Zhong never entered officialdom, he was a businessman. However, in the Great Kun Empire, his status was exceptional. Over fifty years, Mr. Zhong amassed wealth beyond measure, surpassing even the envy of the imperial capital, Yanjing. His wealth exceeded that accumulated by millennia-old aristocratic families.

Even Mr. Zhong himself was unsure of the extent of his wealth because vast sums of money poured into his coffers from all directions every day.

Perhaps it was fate's whim that Mr. Zhong had no descendants despite marrying eight wives and concubines, none of whom bore him children. It seemed as if heaven intentionally left behind a tremendous regret for Mr. Zhong's illustrious life.

However, Mr. Zhong did not blame his wives and concubines. Instead, he adopted a large number of disciples. At present, Mr. Zhong had no fewer than a hundred disciples.

Mr. Zhong imparted various knowledge to his disciples, who were entrusted with maintaining the vast family business. He took great care of each disciple, all of whom were martial arts prodigies. It seemed as though Mr. Zhong chose his disciples based on their innate talent and potential.

Despite not having biological children of his own, Mr. Zhong had numerous descendants through his disciples, who had their own families. Therefore, he had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

With so many disciples, each harbored a glimmer of hope for Mr. Zhong's family legacy. It was akin to the descendants of an emperor; none of them were to be underestimated.

From early in the day, a multitude of well-wishers began to arrive, filling the Zhong residence with joyous energy.

In the inner courtyard of the Zhong residence stood a five-story tower-like attic, towering conspicuously within the estate.

At the highest level of the attic, an elderly man stood, gazing down at the guests arriving from all directions.

The elderly man had snow-white hair, and his eyebrows and beard were also white. His eyes gleamed with vitality, and his countenance exuded an aura of dignity, commanding respect without any need for anger. This was Zhong Shan, the unshakable pillar of the Zhong family.

The furrow on the elder's brow hinted at a contemplative mood, as if he were pondering something of great importance.

At that moment, behind the pavilion, a middle-aged man with a sincere appearance ascended from below. Even though the elder's back was turned to him, the middle-aged man still bowed respectfully.

"Father, the banquet is ready. We're waiting for you to start." The middle-aged man spoke earnestly.

Interrupted by the remark, Mr. Zhong also snapped back to attention, turning to look at the middle-aged man.

"Zhong Tian, have you reached the eighth stage of the post-celestial realm?" the elder asked calmly.

"Yes, foster father, I have reached the eighth stage of the post-celestial realm. However, I'm already fifty years old this year, and I have no hope of reaching the innate realm in this lifetime," the middle-aged man sighed.

"Mm," nodded Old Master Zhong.

Then, under the guidance of Zhong Tian, he descended the stairs and slowly walked towards the front banquet hall.

Inside the hall, it was already filled with guests. Half of them were Zhong Shan's adopted sons, while the other half consisted of some important officials of the Great Kun Empire. Although Old Master Zhong did not hold an official position, his status in the Great Kun Empire was still quite high. While not on par with the four great millennial families, it was not far off.

At the north end of the hall, there was a massive golden "" character, a gift specially bestowed by the current emperor to Old Master Zhong for his birthday.

At this moment, the hall was filled with seated guests, engaged in lively discussions, as if conversing about something important, yet no one touched the food and drinks on the tables.

"The Master Zhong is here!" a servant suddenly exclaimed.

As soon as the servant called out, the hall fell silent, and no one outside spoke.

Then, the elderly Master Zhong, with his white hair and eyebrows, entered through a side door, assisted by his trusted disciple Zhong Tian.

Despite his age, Master Zhong appeared lively and spirited. As he reached the central seat, a gentle smile graced his face.

"Thank you all for coming," the Master Zhong addressed the crowd.

"Where would we be if not here for you?"

"It's only natural, only natural."

"Exactly, it's only right."

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The guests responded modestly, expressing their gratitude, while Master Zhong simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Suxing, on behalf of the Emperor, I respectfully wish Master Zhong longevity and well-being," a man in purple robes stood up and addressed Master Zhong.

Clearly, he was one of the princes of the current Great Kun Kingdom.

"Zhaolin, on behalf of our family head, I respectfully wish Master Zhong everlasting radiance and eternal youth."

"Qiansan, on behalf of our family head, I respectfully wish Master Zhong prosperity and longevity."

"Sunli, on behalf of our family head, I respectfully wish Master Zhong all the best and eternal family happiness."

"Liru, on behalf of our family head, I respectfully wish Master Zhong abundant blessings and limitless happiness."

Then, four middle-aged men bowed to Master Zhong.

"Well, thank you, Your Majesty and the four family heads. Please be seated," Master Zhong smiled lightly and responded.

The guests all sat down, and then Master Zhong's many adopted sons came forward one by one to congratulate him on his birthday.

The grand banquet lasted for three full days.

During this time, Master Zhong only showed his face on the first day. After that, he didn't make any more appearances.

Throughout these three days, all of Master Zhong's adopted sons returned to congratulate their foster father's birthday. Some who had paid their respects immediately went back to their respective family businesses, but some were kept back by Master Zhong.

Three days later, after the grand banquet had dispersed, in a meeting hall within the Zhong residence, Master Zhong sat alone at the head of the table. In his hand, he held a red ball the size of a longan, gently caressing it as if it were his most precious possession.

After wiping it several times and burning a stick of incense, the old man carefully placed it in a small cloth bag. Then, he threaded it with a thin string and hung it around his chest.

"Let them in," Master Zhong gently called out.

"Yes," came the reply from outside the door, presumably from Zhong Tian.

Soon, led by Zhong Tian, seven other people entered. Three of them were about the same age as Zhong Tian, around forty or fifty years old, while the other four were much younger, appearing to be only in their thirties or forties.

"Father," the eight individuals greeted Master Zhong in unison.

"Take a seat," Master Zhong said calmly.

"Yes," the eight individuals promptly sat down.

"Zhong Di, Zhong Xuan, Zhong Huang, Zhong Yi, Zhong Liu, Zhong Shi Ba, Zhong Shi Jiu, are your cultivations all stable at the post-celestial tenth level now?" Master Zhong asked.

"Yes, Father," they replied.

Only one of them, a slightly younger man, looked slightly surprised and said, "Father, I just reached the post-celestial tenth level ten days ago. I was planning to surprise you, but I didn't expect you to know in advance."

"Zhong Shi Jiu, at thirty-two years old, reaching the post-celestial pinnacle is indeed a pleasant surprise," Master Zhong said, looking at his youngest son with a faint smile, showing his particular fondness for this youngest son.

"Father, you exaggerate," Zhong Shi Jiu said, seemingly shy.

"Well, do you know why I called you all here today?" Master Zhong asked.

"We don't know," they all shook their heads, looking at their father in confusion, wondering why he suddenly summoned them.

"In a few days, the Dragon Gate Assembly will take place, and you will accompany me to the assembly," Master Zhong said calmly.

"The Dragon Gate Assembly? Father, do you know where it's held? Only the four major families and the royal family would know," Zhong Shi Jiu exclaimed excitedly.

At the same time, the others looked at Master Zhong with excitement on their faces.

On the side, the sincere-looking Zhong Tian sat quietly, showing no sign of joy despite his surprise.

"Yes, I will take you to the Dragon Gate Assembly. There, elites from various countries will gather, most of whom are at the post-celestial pinnacle, and there may even be pre-celestial experts. I hope you can attract the attention of one of the immortal sects and become their disciples, learning the supreme immortal path and achieving immortality," Master Zhong said.

"Yes, father," they exclaimed excitedly.

In the world, there were indeed immortals. Although some people considered it superstition, the Zhong family, being such a prominent clan, knew that immortals were not just a myth but existed. However, they had always lacked a method to reach them. They had desires but no means to pursue them.

"I will take you to participate in the Dragon Gate Assembly in the hope that you can escape from worldly troubles and enter the immortal sect. Also, I hope you can do something for me," Master Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Father, just name it. If it's within my power, I will do it," Zhong Shi Jiu said immediately.

Seeing that his youngest disciple hadn't even heard what he had to say and was already pledging his assurance, Master Zhong felt a wave of relief.

"Well, it's not a difficult task. All you need to do is join a certain immortal sect, then ask the master or elder of the sect for Pills that break through the realm for me," Master Zhong said excitedly.

Chapter end