Eternal Bonds: A Journey with the Fated Immortal

Chapter 39: The Imperial Court of Eternal Life and Su Ziyuan, the Chosen One

“Elder, the Su family desires to rise to the top-tier ranks and needs the approval of the Imperial Court of Eternal Life. Should we formally request an evaluation?” A month after the grand wedding, Su Yun approached Su Changsheng and gave a report.

During this period, the Su family had made substantial progress. They secured a portion of the territory from the Beast-Controlling Sect and experienced a significant increase in power. Many forces had pledged allegiance to them, and numerous skilled individuals had joined their ranks. The Su family boasted many experts, with almost a hundred reaching the Eternal Antiquity realm and several thousand in the Dharma Appearance realm, surpassing many top-tier powers in the True Sacred Continent.

By all standards, the Su family had met the requirements to become a top-tier power. However, there was still a significant obstacle to overcome—the Imperial Court of Eternal Life.

The Imperial Court of Eternal Life was a formidable force that ruled over numerous divine domains, one of the overlords of the Eternal Heaven realm. Established by the Great Emperor of Eternal Life, it was an exceptionally potent true imperial power. All the forces within its jurisdiction were obligated to adhere to its rules.

To ascend to a higher level of power, it wasn’t sufficient to fulfill the necessary conditions. They also needed to pass the evaluation of the Imperial Court of Eternal Life. On the cusp of achieving top-tier status, the Su family only lacked this evaluation to solidify their position.

The Imperial Court… Su Changsheng fell into deep thought.

In his prime, he interacted with influential figures from the Imperial Court of Eternal Life. It was an exceedingly powerful force, and for the Su family to become an imperial clan, they would inevitably need to engage with the Imperial Court of Eternal Life.

Nonetheless, that was a matter to be addressed later. For now, the Imperial Court of Eternal Life was an immensely powerful entity that the Su family couldn’t afford to provoke. Since confrontation was out of the question, their best course of action was temporarily complying with its regulations and integrating themselves into its system.

“In that case, go ahead with the application. The Imperial Court shouldn’t pose problems for a family of our size!” Su Changsheng nodded.

“Yes, Elder!” Su Yun’s face brightened with a hint of joy. The imminent elevation of the Su family to top-tier status filled him with pride and enthusiasm as the family’s leader.

Soon after, Su Yun left respectfully.

It has been a month, and Bai Yuege still hasn’t conceived. It will also take time for Qingge to give birth. It appears I may need to continue my efforts or take another spouse! Su Changsheng thought and lightly tapped the table with his finger.

Given his current level of cultivation and the physical attributes of his wives and concubines, who possessed at least Divine Bodies, conceiving a child wasn’t a simple matter. If luck wasn’t on their side, it could take several years rather than just a few months. He might need to focus on new wives and concubines to expedite the process, casting a wider net to increase the likelihood of success.

Finding individuals with Divine Body talents is quite challenging! Su Changsheng let out a light sigh. Divine Bodies were extremely rare. Despite the vast number of beings on the continent, the count of those with Divine Bodies could be easily enumerated, and most of them were male. Identifying a female with a Divine Body was incredibly difficult.

The prospects were still scarce even if they broadened their search to include individuals with extraordinary talents beyond Divine Bodies. Such endeavors couldn’t be accomplished in a short period.

Oh, that’s right. The Su family still has a Chosen One. I’ve been quite occupied lately and nearly forgot about her! Su Changsheng’s thoughts stirred as he recalled Su Ziyuan, a Chosen One whose destiny rivaled that of Bai Yuege, possessing an extraordinary fate. However, she carried the Su surname and shared the same bloodline, making Su Changsheng feel somewhat conflicted.

Never mind, let’s meet her first! Su Changsheng inwardly sighed. If she was a suitable match, the fact that she was surnamed Su wouldn’t be a significant concern. After all, he had even taken down the Empress of the Chosen Ones, so another Su wouldn’t make much difference.

Buzz!

With these thoughts in mind, Su Changsheng lightly tapped his finger, and in the next instant, he disappeared from his initial location.

…

Tianyuan City spanned vast distances, rivaling a small dynasty in its territory. As the rulers, the Su family controlled almost a third of its expanse, housing an astonishing number of Su family members.

On the outskirts of the Su family’s territory, a beautiful and determined young woman opened her eyes inside a moderately-sized palace. A bitter expression crossed her delicate features.

“My cultivation has regressed once again. It’s been three years, and I’ve shown no progress. This is incredibly frustrating!”

“How can I ensure that my parents’ memorial tablets are placed in the ancestral shrine if things persist like this?”

The young woman, named Su Ziyuan, belonged to the ninth branch of the Su family and was on the fringes of being considered an outsider. Her status within the Su family was rather modest. Her parents were also ordinary members of the Su family, not holding a particularly esteemed position. Their cultivation was average, only reaching the level of Divine Powers. Despite this, they held a certain status and had access to resources.

However, three years ago, her parents perished in an attack by the Gu family. Following their deaths, her status plummeted, and many of her resources were withheld. If that were the extent of her troubles, it would be manageable. However, it seemed that her parents’ demise had deeply affected her. In her subsequent cultivation attempts, not only did she fail to make any headway, but she also regressed and declined rapidly.

In just three short years, she had dropped from being a True Yuan realm prodigy to merely the first level of the Qi Sea realm. No matter how she cultivated, the mana accumulated in her Qi Sea inexplicably dissipated. This brought immense frustration to Su Ziyuan because if this trend continued, she would be demoted from the main branch and relegated to the side branch.

The Su family did not tolerate inefficiency. Even if one belonged to the main branch, insufficient cultivation could result in demotion to the side branch. As a side branch member, they would be banished from Tianyuan City and dispatched to remote regions to oversee certain ventures. If luck wasn’t on their side, they might be in demanding and challenging environments.

Su Ziyuan was not daunted by hardship, but she was determined to avoid the prospect of her parents’ memorial tablets not entering the ancestral shrine if she was relegated to the side branch.

I still have time. If I can make it into the top ten in the family’s grand competition or break through to the Heavenly Human realm before then, I can secure my place in the ancestral shrine! Su Ziyuan thought clenched her fist, her determination unwavering.

With three years remaining until the family’s grand competition, she believed that despite the slim odds, her diligent efforts could lead to success.

“It’s time to gather resources for the upcoming week!” Su Ziyuan murmured and stood up, massaging her sore body before leaving the palace for another location. The expansive Su family territory was divided into multiple branches to efficiently manage resources for lower-ranked disciples. Su Ziyuan had a nearby resource hall. However, her astonishment was evident as she gazed at the mere ten spiritual stones she received.

In the cultivation world, resources like spiritual stones and the rarer essence were crucial for absorbing spiritual energy. Essence was worth a thousand times more than spiritual stones. Previously, she was given a hundred spiritual stones and a small piece of essence every month. Yet, this time, she was only provided with ten spiritual stones.

Such a limited amount wouldn’t suffice for her basic cultivation needs, let alone rapid progress. With just ten spiritual stones, achieving a top-ten position in the family competition in three years or breaking through to the True Yuan realm would be exceedingly challenging.

“Su Ziyuan, given your current standing, we’re already being generous by allocating you resources,” the resource hall overseer remarked while frowning. “Remember, you’ve made no headway in your cultivation and have regressed. You’re teetering on the brink of falling from the Qi Sea realm. The Su family doesn’t tolerate inefficiency. This directive comes from Elder Changsheng!”

“Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, you’ll be demoted to a side branch disciple in a week.” He shook his head and explained.

Upon hearing this, Su Ziyuan’s face paled, and she struggled to catch her breath.