Eternal Bonds: A Journey with the Fated Immortal

Chapter 45: Ascension to the Ancient Clan? Recruitment? The Official Rise of the Family

“Bold!”

Upon hearing these words, a group of Imperial Court Saints were filled with anger this time. Their gazes became sharp as they all looked at Su Changsheng. Even the middle-aged woman, referred to as Aunt Ye by the Ninth Princess and the only existence that made Su Changsheng wary, also cast her gaze towards him. However, her gaze was calm, devoid of any murderous intent.

Boom!

A chilling killing intent descended, emanating from around ten Imperial Court Saints. Although there was no participation from the Saint King, this condensed terrifying killing intent would cause even an ordinary Saint to turn pale and cough up blood in shock. However, for Su Changsheng, these forces were like a gentle breeze brushing against his face. He effortlessly dissolved the killing intent with a casual sweep of his gaze. He remained calm and continued sipping his tea, appearing unperturbed.

Although this Imperial Court expert group was all Saints, their realms were not profound. At most, they were in the Sixth Heaven realm. Even if they joined forces, they were not his match, a mere display of killing intent.

“Enough!”

The Ninth Princess spoke up, stopping everyone, and at the same time, she admired Su Changsheng.

“You’re quite impressive. Although your talent is not astonishing, your courage surpasses many young talents!”

“Do you know that even a Great Sage would not dare to say such things?”

Upon hearing this, Su Changsheng remained indifferent as he looked at the Ninth Princess, his gaze unafraid.

“That may be true for others, but I am myself. Just because they dare not say it doesn’t mean I won’t!” he calmly replied.

Although Su Changsheng preferred to avoid trouble and didn’t want to cause unnecessary commotion, it didn’t mean he was afraid of confrontation. What would cultivation mean if he allowed others to oppress him without resistance? Therefore, Su Changsheng didn’t mind fighting back if someone dared to bully him. If need be, he could always flee.

“Very well, I truly admire you. I am Princess Ji Lin, the Ninth Princess of the Imperial Court and one of the direct heirs. I will qualify to ascend to the throne in the future!”

“How about it? Do you want to follow me? Although your talent is not astonishing, I guarantee that you will become a powerful figure in the future under my guidance!”

“Perhaps even a quasi-emperor!”

The Ninth Princess waved her petite hand. Despite her young age, around sixteen or seventeen, she exuded an imperial aura at this moment as if she was the future Empress.

“What?!”

Behind them, a group of Imperial Court Saints were shocked and changed their expressions. The young Imperial Court Saint now had a strong tinge of jealousy in his eyes. After all, even he hadn’t been bestowed with such an honor. That Saint King, known as Aunt Ye, also showed a hint of astonishment in her eyes.

At this moment, everyone turned their gaze to Su Changsheng, including Su Yun and the other strong members of the Su family. They all wanted to know Su Changsheng’s choice.

“I decline.”

Su Changsheng raised his gaze and continued to sip his tea leisurely. His handsome face remained calm and unruffled, like an immortal in exile, without the slightest ripple on his face.

What a Great Sage figure! What quasi-emperor?

This might be a grand and beautiful promise for others, but for Su Changsheng, it was nothing more than a poisoned promise.

The Ninth Princess’s identity was indeed noble, with the prospect of ascending to the throne of the Changsheng Empire in the future. Once she ascended, how prestigious would that be?

Even the supremes would have to bow their heads, a truly extraordinary feat. However, throughout history, the struggle for succession had always been the cruelest and bloodiest conflict, especially in a formidable force like the Changsheng Empire.

Once entangled in it, even a quasi-emperor-level powerhouse could easily end up as nothing more than a pile of bones. As a mere Saint, he would rather stay away from all this. He didn’t want to get involved. Furthermore, the future promised by the Ninth Princess held no allure for him.

Aside from the system he possessed, his future was destined to be an unparalleled Dao, not to mention the several wives by his side. Whether it was the “Purple Gold” Fate Star or the “Golden” Fate Star, they would all become emperors, and immortals in the future. Wasn’t that stronger than being a subordinate under the Ninth Princess?

Moreover, if he became a subordinate of the Ninth Princess, how could he ride this proud little Phoenix in the future? He didn’t want to gain a sesame seed and lose a watermelon.

“It seems you’ve made your decision. In that case, I won’t insist!” The Ninth Princess said and locked eyes with Su Changsheng. Their black and golden eyes met for a long time, and in the end, the Ninth Princess conceded, averting her gaze.

“However, I will stay in the True Saint Continent for the next few years, waiting for the opening of the Grand Saint Secret Realm in the Burial Demon Valley. If you have a change of heart, just let me know!”

“My offer will always be valid!”

With that, the Ninth Princess stood up, waved her hand, and walked out of the reception hall.

“Oh, by the way, approve the evaluation for the Su family and give them the standards of an ancient clan.”

“I believe that with Mr. Changsheng here, the Su family will become an ancient clan within a thousand years!”

Before leaving, she smiled back, and her stunning face seemed to be filled with a sense of freedom. Soon, the Ninth Princess and her entourage departed, leaving behind a Saint from the Imperial Court. The evaluation of the Su family was quickly approved, and the determination of their status as an ancient clan was left behind before the Saint hurriedly left.

“So, the Su family has become an ancient clan?”

In the grand hall, Su Yun stared blankly at the golden token in his hand. On the front side was the character “Su,” and on the reverse side was the emblem of the Ancient Clan. This token represented the level of influence of a force. All registered in the information of the Eternal Imperial Court.

As a force under the command of the Eternal Imperial Court, they could regularly apply for a batch of resources, which was considered a benefit of being a force. However, in critical moments, all forces had to obey the commands of the Eternal Imperial Court. This relationship was similar to that of an empire and its vassals.

“This is great! The Su family has become part of the Ancient Clan!” excitedly exclaimed a group of Su family elders. “And it was bestowed by the Ninth Princess of the Imperial Court. This is a tremendous honor!”

“It’s just a title. The Su family still has a long way to go to become a true Ancient Clan. You must continue to work hard, make the Su family stronger, and become an Ancient Clan, a noble clan, as soon as possible,” Su Changsheng said calmly, glancing at them.

“We will heed the instructions of the Patriarch!” responded the group of powerful Su family members, their hearts quivering. Recalling the recent conflict, they realized that it was solely thanks to the Patriarch’s support that they managed to hold their ground. They felt ashamed and resolved to cultivate diligently, develop the family, and assist the Patriarch as soon as possible.

“You may leave. We have the Clan Competition in three years. Try to uncover as many talented individuals within the family as possible. They are the future of our clan,” Su Changsheng waved his hand, dismissing them.

Soon, the Su family elders retreated, leaving only Su Changsheng behind.

“The Great Saint’s Secret Realm in the Burial Demon Valley? Opening in the upcoming years?” Su Changsheng lightly tapped the table, contemplating the words spoken by the Ninth Princess. He felt a sense of doubt. What kind of Secret Realm was this that even the dignified Ninth Princess personally came to inform him of? Could it possibly hold world-shaking opportunities?

“Forget it. It’s not my concern. Honestly, I’d better focus on finding wives and concubines,” Su Changsheng shook his head. Even if there were extraordinary opportunities in that Secret Realm, he would not enter. For now, he preferred to focus on growing safely.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for promoting the family to a top-tier force. You are now awarded a family gift package. Would you like to claim it?]

“Claim it!” Su Changsheng wasn’t particularly surprised by the system’s prompt and immediately claimed the gift.

[Ding! Opening the gift package—] [You have obtained one Grand Elder at the Saint-level!] [You have obtained ten Elders at the Half-Saint level!] [You have obtained ten Clan Protector Armaments and one Saint King Armament!] [You have obtained a set of family cultivation resources…] [You have obtained a Clan Protection Formation capable of withstanding a Saint King!] [You have obtained an increase in family fortune, greatly enhancing the probability of disciples breaking through their realms, slightly improving their aptitude, and significantly increasing the chances of obtaining opportunities…] [You…]

Soon, a series of prompt sounds rang out, leaving Su Changsheng slightly dizzy, but he keenly caught a few key pieces of information.

“Ten Saints? Saint King Armament?” Su Changsheng couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. Ten Saints directly filled the gap in the high-end combat power of the Su family. The Saint King Armament would also be effective for him, greatly enhancing Su Changsheng’s own strength. With the Saint King Armament and the Nine Calamities Secret Manual, Su Changsheng was confident in facing a battle against a Saint King.

However, this was more than enough. The surge in high-end combat power within the family, coupled with the boost from the family’s fortune, meant it was time for the Su family to soar.

“It’s time for the Su family to rise!” Su Changsheng stood up, stretched lazily, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. Imperial Clan? Immortal Clan? Who would rule over the Longevity Heaven Realm in the future was still uncertain. Ninth Princess, you want to recruit me as your subordinate? Well, I also want to ride on your back and have you give birth to a little Phoenix for me! Let’s see who comes out on top in the future.

Time passed, and half a year quickly went by. During this period, Su Changsheng either guided Su Ziyuan in her cultivation or shared the bed with Bai Yuege, hoping for her to conceive as soon as possible, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.

He hadn’t found any new wives or concubines either. However, it was worth mentioning that Su Ziyuan’s cultivation had already reached the peak of True Essence. Without her desire to lay a solid foundation, she would have already reached the Divine Transformation realm.

Perhaps due to her cultivation progress, this young woman was already itching for the clan competition to dominate the others and then carry out the plan to ride on the ancestor’s back.

During this time, the Ninth Princess would often visit, trying to recruit Su Changsheng as her subordinate while seemingly seeing through his inner thoughts and teasing him with her words. This left Su Changsheng speechless. He would have long been less polite and forcefully taken her if he wasn’t wary of her status.

Finally, three months later, Bai Yuege became pregnant.