“Everyone, the nine-colored glow over the Eastern Territory a month ago was not caused by a rare treasure or a breakthrough, but rather—the Eastern Territory has found the root cause of the spiritual energy leakage, and the world's spiritual energy has begun to slowly recover!”
Zhao Yunzhou stood on the stage, his voice suddenly rising, carrying an uncontrollable excitement: “That nine-colored glow is precisely an auspicious sign bestowed by the Heavenly Dao!”
The crowd below fell silent for a moment before bursting into a commotion even more frenzied than the bidding war for the pill earlier.
Xi Lie stood straight up. “Spiritual energy recovery? Is this for real?”
Nan Qiong's hand stroking his beard paused, his eyes filled with shock. “This matter concerns the destiny of the entire Eastern Territory. Unless City Lord Zhao is absolutely certain, he would never dare to speak of it so lightly on such an occasion.”
Ling Hanshuang took a sip from her teacup, her expression showing no ripples. The recovery of spiritual energy was a good thing; the Eastern Territory had finally made it through the dark times.
Zhao Yunzhou looked around the venue and said in a clear, resonant voice, “It is absolutely true! Over the past month, the cultivators of the Eastern Territory must have felt it—the concentration of spiritual energy is growing denser by the day. Before long, our Tianyan Continent will be able to return to its grand state from seventeen years ago!”
Qi Chong lowered his head, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes.
If the Eastern Territory's spiritual energy really recovered, it would rise in less than ten years. By then, Yunque Heavenly Capital's position on the Tianyan Continent would likely be shaken.
The jade cup spun rapidly between his fingertips. He recalled how, not long ago, Zhao Yunzhou had humbly begged him for a rare material, and he had put on quite a show of arrogance at the time. Thinking about it now, that material was likely related to this matter.
That old fox sure hid it deep.
On the stage, Zhao Yunzhou shifted the topic, his tone suddenly turning sincere. “The elders of the Grand Primordium Sect deserve the greatest credit for the Eastern Territory being able to find the root cause of the spiritual energy leakage this time!”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “Currently, the Grand Primordium Sect is recruiting disciples. If any of you wish to join a sect and cultivate, the Grand Primordium Sect is an excellent choice!”
After saying this, he coughed awkwardly. That little girl had told him that the formation on the spatial rift could only provide temporary relief, and that the Grand Primordium Sect was willing to find a way to search for a supreme treasure to completely seal the rift.
Although he didn't believe a little girl at the Foundation Establishment realm could find any supreme treasure, for the sake of that thirty percent profit, and considering that the Grand Primordium Sect indeed deserved credit, it was just a small favor—merely a matter of speaking a single sentence.
Once Zhao Yunzhou finished speaking, Xue Mingzhao led Su Mingyuan onto the stage. She cleared her throat, her face full of solemnity:
“Everyone! How many years has the Eastern Territory been barren? Seventeen years! A whole seventeen years!”
She raised her hand to wipe away non-existent tears, her tone filled with grief:
“How many geniuses have grown old and died while stuck in the Qi Condensation realm because of the lack of spiritual energy? How many sects have disbanded overnight because they couldn't afford to support their disciples? How many sects were forced to leave their homes and relocate to other territories just to live at the mercy of others?”
The Eastern Territory cultivators below felt their noses tingle. These words struck a chord deep in their hearts, and some had already begun to empathize.
Xue Mingzhao's tone grew increasingly impassioned:
“For seventeen years, the Grand Primordium Sect has worked tirelessly, searching through every mountain and river of the Eastern Territory to find the root cause of the spiritual energy depletion. We didn't do this to become some savior of the Eastern Territory!”
“We did it so that—in the future, the cultivators of the Eastern Territory will no longer have to feel inferior to others when they cultivate!”
“We did it so that—when cultivators from the Eastern Territory travel, they won't be mocked by others as ‘country bumpkins from a barren land’!”
“We did it so that—every cultivator born and staying in the Eastern Territory can hold their heads high, never again having to suffer the cold glares and disdain of others!”
The Eastern Territory cultivators below felt their blood boiling. Their eyes grew redder by the second, and their fists clenched tightly.
Xue Mingzhao took a deep breath, her tone becoming even more tragic and stirring:
“Although we emptied our entire sect's savings for this—our Sect Master's private funds, the elders' coffin money, and even the three low-grade spirit stones my senior brother hid under his bed were scraped out and poured into this project! But!”
She waved her hand sharply, looking righteously self-sacrificing:
“Our Grand Primordium Sect is willing! For the future of the Eastern Territory, let alone emptying our savings, even if it means I won't be able to earn a single spirit stone in the future—”
She wiped away another completely non-existent tear, her voice trembling:
“—Our Grand Primordium Sect is still completely willing!”
The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous applause. Someone shouted, “The Grand Primordium Sect is truly righteous!” Others wiped away tears, saying, “This is the true spirit of a sect!” Some even declared on the spot, “I'm going to register at the Grand Primordium Sect tomorrow!”
Zhao Yunzhou watched with a forehead full of black lines. Isn't this girl's acting a bit too exaggerated?
Huang Siqi, Li Chengzong, and the others stroked their chins. Why did these words sound so familiar?
Standing beside Xue Mingzhao, Su Mingyuan's face flushed slightly, but he had already been trained well. His expression remained unchanged, his heart beat steadily, and he was even able to nod in cooperation.
Wen Shuxian and the others sat in their private box, feeling incredibly relieved that they didn't have to go on stage. Otherwise, they were truly afraid they wouldn't be able to hold it in and would ruin Xue Mingzhao's performance.
But as they calmed down and reflected on Xue Mingzhao's words, a wave of bitterness welled up in their hearts—for these past seventeen years, hadn't the Eastern Territory survived exactly like this, through every single hardship?
Once the applause died down, Xue Mingzhao raised her hand to signal for quiet. Her tone instantly switched from “tragic martyr” to “sincere recruitment” mode, faster than turning the pages of a book:
“Now that the auspicious sign of spiritual energy recovery has appeared, any cultivator who wishes to practice is welcome to join our Grand Primordium Sect. We dare not claim to be the strongest sect, but the Grand Primordium Sect promises everyone that once you enter our gates, we will never abandon a single disciple, and we will consider everything thoroughly for your sake!”
At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, “It's not that we don't believe you, but the spiritual energy doesn't seem much stronger than before right now. How long will it actually take to return to its previous levels? And how can you guarantee that it will continue to recover?”
The surrounding people nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with doubt.
Xue Mingzhao looked at Zhao Yunzhou, her voice clear and bright: “City Lord Zhao is guaranteeing the recovery of spiritual energy with his position as City Lord. Could it possibly be false?”
Zhao Yunzhou's eyelid twitched violently. In his heart, he cursed Xue Mingzhao eight hundred times—who agreed to guarantee this with their position as City Lord?!
But with hundreds of eyes below staring at him like searchlights, he was backed into a corner. He could only steel himself, take half a step forward, and declare in a loud voice, “I, Zhao Yunzhou, guarantee this with my position as the City Lord of the Eastern Territory! The spiritual energy will definitely continue to recover, and in just a few days, it will return to its peak glory of seventeen years ago!”
After saying this, he quickly glared at Xue Mingzhao, the “just you wait” in his eyes practically overflowing.
Just as the crowd quieted down slightly, someone else shouted, “Even if the spiritual energy recovers, the Grand Primordium Sect is just a small sect. Why should we go there? Everyone will definitely choose a large sect to join. Small sects have terrible benefits.”
Xue Mingzhao took a step forward, cleared her throat, and spoke unhurriedly, “Our Sect Master has already decided on the benefits for the disciples of the Grand Primordium Sect—”
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