Chapter 468 (2)
Such an opportunity, so readily available, how could he possibly not seize it?
No matter what, he had no intention of leaving Cang County to return to the royal capital.
"I wonder if that person will receive an invitation from Sacred Mountain… and where Zhirui has gone off to lately. Otherwise, I could ask him about the situation."
As Yan Canghai pondered, a figure appeared outside the study.
"My lord, Shadow Guard Number One has something to report!"
"Speak." Yan Canghai remained focused on the confidential letter in his hand, not even looking up.
These Shadow Guards were his personally trained elites, tasked specifically with intelligence gathering.
"A few white-robed envoys just entered the county and went to the Wei family. Judging by their attire, they should be the envoys of Sacred Mountain, the ones currently causing an uproar across the land." Shadow Guard Number One reported.
"What did you say?"
Yan Canghai abruptly stood up, his face filled with shock....
"Envoy, you must be joking, right?"
In the Wei family residence, the Wei Household's chief steward was equally stunned as he looked at the several white-robed envoys before him, their auras unfathomable, completely beyond his comprehension.
Just moments ago, these figures had arrived, presenting a golden invitation, claiming that Sacred Mountain was inviting the Wei family to the Sacred City to attend the Holy Assembly.
Having heard much about this Holy Assembly that was currently the talk of the entire world, Wei Dazongguan certainly knew of its existence.
But he had never imagined that the Wei family would actually receive an invitation.
For a moment, he was at a loss, unable to believe what was happening before his eyes.
"This is no joke." The leading white-robed envoy spoke solemnly. "This invitation bears the divine imprint of the Three Holy Lords themselves—how could it possibly be forged?"
"As long as the invitation is presented to your family head, he will naturally be able to verify its authenticity."
Wei Dazongguan numbly accepted the invitation.
Upon opening it, he saw three mysterious seals emanating a profound aura.
Though he couldn't confirm whether it was genuine, he knew such an imprint could not be easily counterfeited.
"Envoy, rest assured. Once the family head returns, I will present this to him at once." Wei Dazongguan said seriously.
The white-robed envoy smiled upon hearing this. "That is well. We have other matters to attend to, so we shall not impose further. We take our leave."
"Envoy, would you not stay for a meal? The food and wine have already been prepared," Wei Dazongguan quickly offered.
"There is no need for such trouble."
As his voice fell, the figures of the white-robed envoys gradually faded and disappeared.
Witnessing such an unfathomable technique, Wei Dazongguan felt even more awed.
Not daring to delay, he immediately ordered a horse to be prepared and, along with several guard captains, set off for Jiuli Village with the golden invitation in hand.
...
When Wei Shanhai and the others in the villa at Jiuli Village saw the invitation, they were just as shocked.
They immediately took it to the half-mountain courtyard to seek out Doctor Chen.
"Doctor Chen, do you think this invitation is real?"
In the courtyard, Doctor Chen examined the golden invitation while Wei Shanhai stood anxiously beside him.
Never in his life had he imagined that Sacred Mountain would personally send an invitation to the Wei family.
No matter how he thought about it, the Wei family simply wasn’t qualified.
His first instinct was to suspect that the invitation was fake.
However, the three imprints on the invitation were undeniably intricate and profound, making him hesitant to dismiss it outright.
"These three seals indeed bear the power of Golden Core Realm cultivators."
After scrutinizing the invitation for a while, Doctor Chen nodded.
"So it's real?" Wei Shanhai’s eyes widened.
"It seems so," Doctor Chen replied.
During his time in Zhongzhou, he had once seen the Third Holy Lord. Though it was merely a puppet avatar, one of these imprints carried an aura identical to that of the Third Holy Lord.
Moreover, the Wei family was merely a small clan—there was no reason for three Golden Core cultivators to go to such lengths just to deceive them.
"But why? We are just a minor family—what qualifications do we have to receive an invitation from Sacred Mountain?"
Now certain of the invitation’s authenticity, Wei Shanhai found it even harder to believe.
Doctor Chen simply smiled at him.
Wei Shanhai hesitated under his gaze before suddenly realizing something.
"Doctor Chen… did Sacred Mountain also send invitations to you and Lord Lu?"
Logically, the ones most qualified to be invited should have been Doctor Chen and Lu Qing, both being Golden Core cultivators.
"I did not receive one, but Ah Qing did. He and Zhirui have already departed for Zhongzhou ahead of time."
"Lord Lu went to Zhongzhou?" Wei Shanhai suddenly understood.
Previously, Lu Qing had brought Xiaoyan and Xiaoli to the villa before leaving, saying he had something to take care of. It turned out he had gone to Zhongzhou with Lin Zhirui.
Lu Qing and Lin Zhirui heading to Zhongzhou, and then the Wei family receiving an invitation from Sacred Mountain…
A thought suddenly struck Wei Shanhai.
Doctor Chen saw his expression and chuckled. "No need to overthink it. Since Sacred Mountain has sent an invitation to your Wei family, there must be a reason."
"If you are willing, you might as well go and broaden your horizons."
"Any delay, and you might miss this grand event."
Doctor Chen’s words made Wei Shanhai waver.
Under normal circumstances, he would have hesitated to go to Zhongzhou.
The world was currently in chaos, and Zhongzhou was home to countless powerful experts.
With so many strong figures attending the Holy Assembly, the event was bound to be turbulent beyond imagination.
With their meager strength, they would merely be insignificant pawns, easily caught in the storm.
However, if Lu Qing was also in Zhongzhou, that changed things.
"Doctor Chen, you're not going?" Wei Shanhai asked.
"I prefer peace and quiet—I have no interest in such excitement." Doctor Chen shook his head. "Besides, someone needs to stay and watch over Jiuli Village."
Wei Shanhai glanced at the rare medicinal plants growing outside the half-mountain courtyard and the dense spiritual energy surrounding the village, nodding in understanding.
At this point, Jiuli Village was practically an immortal paradise. Any item taken from here could easily spark a battle among warriors in the outside world. Someone indeed needed to stay behind to guard it.
"I will take my time to think about it."
After leaving the half-mountain courtyard and returning to the villa, Wei Shanhai spent a long time contemplating.
In the end, he decided to travel to Zhongzhou and attend the Holy Assembly.
Of course, it was not just because Lu Qing was there, giving him a sense of security.
More importantly, his cultivation had been stuck at the peak of the Precelestial Realm for a long time.
Despite numerous attempts, he had been unable to grasp the slightest opportunity to break through.
He had even sought advice from Lu Qing and Doctor Chen multiple times.
Yet, even with their guidance, he still could not pierce through the bottleneck.
For a time, Wei Shanhai had felt deeply frustrated, even despairing that he might remain at this stage for the rest of his life.
But now, the invitation from Sacred Mountain stirred something within him.
This grand event would gather the strongest cultivators from all over the world.
The sheer scale of the assembly was unimaginable.
Perhaps, amidst the gathering of countless experts, he would find the opportunity to break through?