The sound of bells echoed, spreading ripples in all directions.
Countless divine rainbows quickly converged from various parts of the Jiulin Dao Field, heading toward the central hall.
The area was surrounded by radiant immortal light, with clouds and mist rising, and a grand mountain gate. Silver waterfalls cascaded down, and ancient pines and cypresses stretched endlessly. Majestic divine mountains and ancient peaks stood tall, exuding an immortal aura.
Deep within the mountains, one could see countless palaces and pavilions, as if standing in the ninth heaven, surrounded by clouds and immortal mist.
A vast and boundless Dao field was located here, capable of accommodating countless cultivators and beings to listen to the Dao.
At this moment, an elderly Daoist with a simple face, wearing a Daoist robe with wide sleeves and a hair bun, stood in the center of the Dao field, holding a horsetail whisk. His immortal demeanor and transcendent aura were awe-inspiring.
His appearance was simple and ancient, but upon closer inspection, one would notice his eyes were as deep and vast as an endless starry sky.
His robe seemed to be embroidered with countless stars, radiating a terrifying aura that shook heaven and earth.
This person was the Dao Master of the Jiulin Dao Field, a True Dao Realm existence who had survived four Heavenly Decline Tribulations. His name was Elder Jiulin.
Below Elder Jiulin stood his many disciples, each possessing considerable cultivation.
Among them, the chief disciple had already condensed a Dao Seed many epochs ago, becoming a Dao Realm existence.
"Master, what is the reason for summoning us here?"
The chief disciple of Elder Jiulin was a middle-aged man with a stern face, wearing a star-patterned Daoist robe. His demeanor was solemn.
He was very respectful toward Elder Jiulin and couldn't help but clasp his hands and ask in confusion.
In the distant sky, divine rainbows continued to arrive.
Disciples who had been in seclusion in their cave dwellings were also startled by the bell sounds.
Everyone looked puzzled, wanting to know what had happened to prompt Elder Jiulin to order the bells to be rung, summoning all the disciples back.
In the history of the Jiulin Dao Field, this had only happened during major events.
Elder Jiulin looked at the confused expressions of his disciples and shook his head, saying, "I'm not entirely sure either. This is a message from the Palace Master."
"The Palace Master has ordered all elders to lead their core disciples to the Imperial Immortal Palace. It seems something major has happened."
Even he said this, which made the disciples even more shocked and puzzled.
This was actually an order from the Palace Master?
Elder Jiulin's gaze was profound as he swept it over the disciples before him, sighing imperceptibly in his heart.
These disciples had joined the Jiulin Dao Field in different epochs, but only a handful had achieved the Dao Realm.
The most talented among them were still lingering at the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level, likely with no hope of reaching the Dao Realm in this lifetime.
If this continued, the Jiulin Dao Field would inevitably decline and fade into obscurity, becoming a mere footnote in the Imperial Immortal Palace.
In the past, during the Jiulin Dao Field's glory days, it had dominated the Imperial Immortal Palace's ranking list.
The top three spots on the list were all occupied by disciples from the Jiulin Dao Field. What a glorious time that had been.
Unfortunately, those days of brilliance were gone, and the current Jiulin Dao Field had fallen to the point where few disciples could catch his eye.
Elder Jiulin sighed softly but suddenly thought of something and scanned the arriving disciples.
"Where's Jing Xiao?"
"This girl is about to break through to the mid-stage Immortal King realm. Although she joined later, her strength is not inferior to her senior brothers and sisters. She's a promising talent."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he asked his chief disciple.
As the top figure among the current generation of the Jiulin Dao Field, Elder Jiulin cared deeply about Jing Xiao.
"Junior Sister Jing Xiao should be on her way back," the chief disciple replied with a smile, clearly admiring the hardworking junior sister.
"Although Junior Sister Jing Xiao comes from a humble background, her talent is no less than that of disciples from major families. She's diligent and hardworking, and in the future, she might even condense a Dao Seed and achieve the Dao Realm."
Elder Jiulin smiled noncommittally at his words.
Even the chief disciple believed that Jing Xiao came from a humble background, inferior to the other disciples.
But they didn't know that before Jing Xiao joined the Jiulin Dao Field, the Palace Master himself had personally come to ask if she wanted to become his disciple.
With such a connection, how could her background be humble?
Previously, when Jing Xiao had clashed with Ling Yuxian, the current top figure of the Imperial Immortal Palace, the Palace Master had even intervened to resolve the situation.
Elder Jiulin was well aware of these details.
As he and his disciples were discussing, divine rainbows descended from the distance, and among them, a pink-robed woman stood out.
Her skin was fair, her face delicate, and her figure tall and slender. She carried a Daoist sword on her back, her black hair flowing in the wind, exuding an ethereal and cold beauty.
Delicate bells were tied around her ankles, jingling softly as she walked.
"Jing Xiao pays her respects to Master."
Although many disciples had joined the Jiulin Dao Field, few were accepted as direct disciples by Elder Jiulin.
Among the current generation, only Jing Xiao and a handful of others had earned this honor.
After arriving at the Dao field, she gracefully bowed to Elder Jiulin and then greeted her senior brothers and sisters in turn, displaying proper etiquette.
"Not bad. Your cultivation has improved significantly," Elder Jiulin said with a smile, nodding slightly.
"Master, may I ask why you've summoned us here?" Jing Xiao asked curiously.
"It's not me who summoned you. The Palace Master suddenly issued an order, so I've decided to select some disciples from the Jiulin Dao Field to accompany me." Elder Jiulin explained.
His words caused the arriving disciples to look shocked and surprised.
Jing Xiao was no exception, her face showing astonishment at the fact that this was an order from the Palace Master.
However, she didn't ask further and waited for Elder Jiulin's arrangements.
Elder Jiulin didn't waste time and selected a few disciples with the highest cultivation levels to accompany him to the Imperial Immortal Palace. Jing Xiao was naturally among the chosen.
After selecting the disciples, Elder Jiulin waved his sleeve, opening a void passage that traversed the universe, preparing to lead everyone there.
However, on the way, he didn't forget to remind Jing Xiao not to clash with Ling Yuxian again.
Jing Xiao, understanding Elder Jiulin's good intentions, quickly nodded in agreement.
Among the many Dao fields in the current Imperial Immortal Palace, the Jiulin Dao Field wasn't particularly strong, barely ranking in the upper-middle tier.
Although Jing Xiao was considered the top figure among her peers in the Jiulin Dao Field,
when compared to the younger generation of the entire Imperial Immortal Palace, she fell slightly short.
Her rival, Ling Yuxian, was the undisputed top figure of the Imperial Immortal Palace, overwhelming her peers.
Even the leaders of the younger generation from other top-tier forces in the Prime-Origin Civilization were wary of Ling Yuxian.
The last time Jing Xiao had fought Ling Yuxian, she had been defeated in a single palm strike.
She wasn't foolish and wouldn't provoke another conflict.
Although Elder Jiulin was curious about why Jing Xiao and Ling Yuxian had clashed—it seemed they had known each other before—he didn't press further.
Ling Yuxian was currently the most special figure in the Imperial Immortal Palace, and even he didn't dare to underestimate her.
Some things didn't need to be investigated too deeply.