Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

"Yan Mountain Island is layered with arrays, and fifty True Persons guard it. To escape without a trace, at least a Divinity Transformation cultivation is required."

"Could it be—"

The Galaxy Ancestor speculated aloud, his expression immediately turning grim.

Their Human Clan had just produced a single Divinity Transformation cultivator. If the Demon Race were to follow suit with one of their own, their current advantage would be significantly diminished.

The True Martial Ancestor thought of this possibility as well, his expression equally unpleasant.

Off to the side, Chen Jichuan noticed Cui Yan sneaking glances at him with a mix of curiosity and contemplation. Listening to the speculations from the Galaxy Ancestor and the True Martial Ancestor, Chen Jichuan couldn't help but internally call it absurd.

'The "True Person Tree" is right in my abdomen! Where would the idea of it gaining sentience even come from?!'

Cui Yan was truly an imbecile.

He knew none of the facts, yet here he was fearmongering.

But if this matter had been addressed in advance with the True Martial Ancestor, it wouldn't have been much of an issue.

Regrettably, before he had the chance, Cui Yan had already reported it, leaving Chen Jichuan in an awkward predicament.

Explaining would seem inappropriate.

Not explaining would also seem inappropriate.

"Forget it."

"Let misunderstandings remain misunderstandings. So long as I know there's no such 'True Person Tree spirit,' that's enough!"

Chen Jichuan decided to swallow the matter and let it rest.

After all, this was an extremely confidential issue. Apart from himself, Granny Gan, and the late Nine Peak Daoist, no one else knew the truth.

He casually reassured them, saying, "Let's not over-speculate. I've heard of the 'True Person Tree,' and it's akin to a ginseng spirit. Even if it gains sentience, it won't amount to much."

The two Ancestors, unaware of the confidence underpinning Chen Jichuan's words, remained concerned.

Fortunately, they obtained cultivation techniques from Chen Jichuan and selected two high-level techniques each from a set of eleven to study.

Once their cultivation techniques were modified and the techniques mastered, their strength would undoubtedly increase significantly, allowing them to handle Wuhe Star's situation more comfortably.

Only then did they set aside some of their worries, suppressing the matter for the time being, monitoring and investigating it discreetly.

Soon after, the True Martial Ancestor commanded Cui Yan to send communications to all of the True Martial Immortal Sect's locations and cities, spreading the news of Xu Ning's promotion to Divinity Transformation as the Alchemy Institute Director of Galaxy Sword Sect's Academy.

He himself, however, parted ways with the Galaxy Ancestor and Chen Jichuan, hastily retreating into seclusion.

The Galaxy Ancestor and Chen Jichuan, meanwhile, returned together to Sword City!

...

Sword City.

Transmission Hall.

Xiao Lan, Huang Quan, and over ten Protector True Persons and Elder True Persons from the Demon-Slaying Hall returned to the city after several years.

This time, in Sea Continent's inland, the frequent appearances of second-order Demon Kings caused considerable chaos. The Demon-Slaying Hall responsible for inland operations dispatched six True Person squads for a clean-up operation.

Xiao Lan and Huang Quan each led a team and were the last to return.

Two centuries had passed.

Though Xiao Lan lacked personal guidance from Granny Gan, she had been close to second-order before. Not long after that incident, she ascended to True Person status.

Originally a disciple of the Alchemy Institute, she should have entered the Pill Hall after becoming a True Person.

However, Xiao Lan ultimately chose the Demon-Slaying Hall, frequently going out to exterminate demons and evil spirits in Yuezhou and Sea Continent. Thanks to her fearless fighting style and her mastery of the "Five Wheel Fire Separation Technique," known for its ferocity, she gradually earned the title "Desperate Fairy Lan."

Through countless battles, her cultivation progressed steadily, and she had now reached the Sixth Layer Heaven True Person level.

While she couldn't compare with "Four Extremes True Person" Xu Ning, she was undeniably one of the most outstanding talents in the Galaxy Sword Sect.

By comparison.

Huang Quan, once among the "East River Three Masters" with her in Golden Corner City, was only slightly behind.

As Chen Jichuan's disciple, and his longest-standing, most favored one, Huang Quan advanced in cultivation equally rapidly under Chen Jichuan's personalized guidance.

He was only marginally inferior to Xiao Lan, having achieved the Fifth Layer Heaven True Person level.

But in terms of battle strength, he was arguably on par with Xiao Lan.

The two were the Demon-Slaying Hall's brightest rising stars, yet they barely had any personal association. It could even be said that apart from official duties, they had no personal interactions at all.

Xiao Lan was focused on her cultivation, singularly determined.

Huang Quan, on the other hand, held Xiao Lan in contempt due to her past involvement with his master, Xu Ning. Intentionally avoiding her, he maintained a distance.

Today, upon entering the city, their behavior remained the same.

As soon as they left the Transmission Formation, they said nothing, parting ways with their respective teams.

Other Demon-Slaying Hall True Persons were accustomed to such conduct.

Shortly after returning to the city.

Huang Quan headed directly to Galaxy Academy to visit Xu Ning.

Upon entering the academy, he overheard various discussions. Perking his ears, he listened for a while, discovering that the topic of discussion was the selection of the Academy Master for Galaxy Academy.

Over the past year.

The leaders of the Galaxy Sword Sect's Ten Halls and Two Prefectures had debated the matter numerous times without reaching any consensus. The primary issue stemmed from Xu Ning's sudden rise and how best to place him.

Currently serving as the Alchemy Institute Director and a Ten-layered Heaven True Person, Xu Ning was a natural fit for the Academy Master role.

However, other qualified candidates within the Galaxy Sword Sect were also abundant.

Still, appointing someone else above Xu Ning would be difficult to justify.

Thus, the debate over the Academy Master position had expanded to include discussions about Xu Ning's placement within the sect's hierarchy.

Complicating matters, Xu Ning was not in the city, leaving his opinion on the issue unattainable and causing the matter to drag on indefinitely.

Huang Jiao met his elder brother and explained, "The Academy Master supports our master. Many True Persons in the city do as well. But several Hall Masters have their own candidates and are unwilling to back down. Recently, arrangements were made for all nominees to gather in Sword City to determine their intentions before a final decision."

Huang Biao, standing nearby, frowned and voiced his concern, "If no agreement is reached, there's a high probability that the decision will come down to a vote among all True Persons. However, with our master out of the city and his intentions unknown, we disciples dare not act on our own to rally votes. As a result, 'Hongyuan,' 'Laigu,' and 'Zhang Xian' have already gained a significant lead."

Huang Biao was clearly anxious for their master.

The other disciples also shared his concern for their master.

As Huang Quan walked and listened, by the time he reached his residence, he had gathered most of the context. Turning to Huang Biao and Huang Jiao, he said, "Master has always acted with a clear plan. If he has chosen to remain out of the city at such a critical moment, he must have his reasons. There's no need for us to worry. Even if this time doesn't work out, Master is only 300 years old—there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. The position of Academy Master is bound to be his eventually. Why rush?"

Having been by Chen Jichuan's side the longest, Huang Quan understood his master's mindset better than anyone.

Hearing his reasoning, Huang Biao and Huang Jiao, though still slightly dissatisfied, begrudgingly went along with it.

While they were discussing this matter.

Suddenly, someone arrived with news—

"Dean Xu has returned and requests the presence of the three True Persons."

Hearing this, Huang Quan and the others were visibly startled. Then, their faces lit up with joy as they responded without delay and headed straight to Xu Ning's residence.

The news of Xu Ning's return quickly spread throughout the academy and then across the entire Sword City.

Shortly afterward.

It was soon revealed that Xu Ning had summoned his seven True Person disciples upon his return.

Many speculated that this was a sign Xu Ning intended to vie for the role of Galaxy Academy Master.

In no time.

Gales of turbulence swept through Sword City!

...

Xu Ning's Residence.

Chen Jichuan observed the seven seated below him—

Huang Quan, Huang Biao, Huang Jiao, Huang Dong, Huang Liang, Zhang Hee, and Yao Xingyu.

Of the original "Prison Mountain's Twenty-Eight Sons," twenty were still alive today. Thirteen remained in the Qi Refinement Realm, while the seven before him had broken through to the second-order.

While they typically trained and operated independently, it was rare for all of them to gather in one place today.

Chen Jichuan scanned them one by one, naturally focusing first on the five members of the Huang family.

This was the second generation of the Huang family.

At the outset, only Huang Quan had frequent, close interactions with him. Later, Huang Xuan, bold and astute, rallied his entire family—through a mix of persuasion and coercion—to Shiwu City, placing them under Chen Jichuan's wing.

This turned out to be the wisest decision of Huang Xuan's life.

The Huang family soared to prominence.

Once incapable of producing even a single Qi Refining cultivator, the family saw seven members ascend one after another. Over the next two centuries, these seven members all advanced to second-order True Persons.

An entire clan of seven True Persons!

This feat alone solidified their reputation as a distinguished family across the entire Galaxy Sword Sect. Even though the Huang family had yet to produce a high-level True Person, their prominence within the sect was largely unchallenged due to their seven True Persons.

What's more, with a "Four Extremes True Person" as their patron, their status was indisputable.

The oldest among them, Huang Xuan, was not yet 400 years old. This meant the Huang family could remain influential for another six or seven centuries, potentially becoming an even more colossal entity over generations.

Thankfully, the current leaders of the Huang family, Huang Xuan and his son Huang Quan, were both careful and disciplined. They maintained strict control over their younger generation and kept a low profile in their daily conduct, avoiding excessive attention.

Yet even with their remarkable achievements, the Huang family remained under Chen Jichuan's protective wing.

In addition to the seven True Persons of the Huang family, Chen Jichuan had two other True Person disciples, Zhang Hee and Yao Xingyu. These two had been the first to excel among the "Prison Mountain's Twenty-Eight Sons," relying on their own efforts to reach the Qi Refining Tenth Layer. Chen Jichuan gave them a helping hand, enabling them to achieve True Person status.

Of the remaining thirteen disciples still at Qi Refinement, Chen Jichuan estimated that seven or eight had potential. When the time came, he wouldn't hesitate to lend them a hand as well.

Meaning.

In another few decades, excluding Huang Xuan and Feng Heng, he would likely have fourteen or fifteen True Person disciples under his direct mentorship.

Moreover, the True Persons who graduated from Galaxy Academy and treated him as their mentor spread across the Ten Halls and Two Prefectures. In two or three hundred years, even if Chen Jichuan didn't hold a leadership role within any of the Ten Halls or Two Prefectures, his influence would surpass that of the Twelve Leaders.

Fortunately, Chen Jichuan's ambitions didn't lie there.

...

As Chen Jichuan surveyed his disciples, his mind churned with thoughts.

He and the Galaxy Ancestor would eventually leave Wuhe Star to venture into the boundless starry expanse. However, after their departure, the Galaxy Sword Sect would require another Divinity Transformation cultivator to maintain stability.

Wuhe Star was their foundation.

Sentimentally, the Galaxy Ancestor had deep ties to the Galaxy Sword Sect and Wuhe Star.

While Chen Jichuan felt less attachment on an emotional level.

From a long-term standpoint, though, traversing the vast starry expanse would be an isolating endeavor. Having support from a stronghold like Wuhe Star, with its cultivators—especially those affiliated with the Galaxy Sword Sect—served as a natural network of allies.

Sharing a planetary origin, or even belonging to the same sect, created bonds of trust and collaboration that were hard to replicate.

Chen Jichuan wasn't sure how long he would remain confined to the Divinity Transformation stage. Ensuring Wuhe Star was developed into a stable home front was critical.

Even for his own sake, he had to arrange for the sect's leadership continuity before leaving.

No need to micromanage every detail—his primary concern was cultivating another Divinity Transformation cultivator in short order.

"I have the 'Dharma Pill,' which offers a substantial chance for a second-order peak cultivator to achieve Divinity Transformation."

"When paired with 'Enlightenment,' the success rate becomes even higher."

"The only challenge now is deciding on the recipient."

Chen Jichuan had been deliberating over the right candidate throughout his return journey.

There were many potential candidates to choose from.

The leaders of the Ten Halls and Two Prefectures, as ten-layered True Persons, were all possible options.

Beyond these Twelve Leaders, the sect also had five other top-level True Persons.

However, Chen Jichuan's rapport with them was far less personal compared to his own disciples. Given how rare and valuable the "Dharma Pill" was, he was unwilling to hand it over lightly.

"The most suitable candidate is Huang Quan."

"But the Huang family's influence is already considerable. If they were to produce a Divinity Transformation cultivator, they'd monopolize power in the Galaxy Sword Sect."

"That would not be a good outcome."

Chen Jichuan pondered deeply for a long time before narrowing his choices to Huang Quan, Zhang Hee, and Yao Xingyu: "From now on, I'll allocate some focus to nurturing these three. Whoever attains the second-order peak first will receive the 'Dharma Pill.'"

With this decided, Chen Jichuan refrained from saying more. He tested each disciple briefly, offered individual guidance, and then dismissed them.

Throughout the entire session.

The topic of the Academy Master contention, which most concerned his seven disciples, remained unmentioned by Chen Jichuan.

...