Chapter 1: Eightieth Birthday

On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the city of Xuan, the capital of the Great Kun Kingdom, the Zhong family residence was bustling with activity. Today, the main gates of the Zhong family were wide open, and eight hundred tables were set up for a grand banquet. Whether inside the residence, outside the gates, or even on the street where the main gate was located, seats were arranged everywhere. Anyone who came to celebrate, regardless of their familiarity, was welcome to take a seat.

Today was a significant day, as it marked the eightieth birthday of the patriarch of the Zhong family, Old Master Zhong.

Old Master Zhong was a legendary figure, having started from nothing and built a vast fortune over fifty years. His life was like a myth in the Great Kun Kingdom. Even the former emperor of the Great Kun Kingdom had once shared a drink with him.

Throughout his life, Old Master Zhong never entered government service; he was a merchant. However, his status in the Great Kun Kingdom was extremely high. Over fifty years, the wealth he accumulated was so vast that it could no longer be measured in pounds. It was so much that even the emperor envied him, and it surpassed the wealth of the thousand-year-old noble families.

Even Old Master Zhong himself did not know how much wealth he had, as large sums of money continued to flow into his name from all directions every day.

Perhaps fate had a cruel twist, but Old Master Zhong had no descendants. He had no children, despite having married eight wives and concubines, none of whom could bear him a child. It seemed as if heaven had deliberately left this great man with a significant regret.

However, Old Master Zhong did not blame his wives and concubines. Instead, he adopted many foster sons. Now, he had over a hundred foster sons. These foster sons were taught various skills and maintained the vast family business. Old Master Zhong was very devoted to them, and each of his foster sons was a martial prodigy, chosen for their innate talents.

The foster sons also had children, so although Old Master Zhong had no biological children, he had many descendants.

With so many foster sons, each of them harbored a bit of hope for the family's vast fortune. They were like the emperor's children, none of whom were easy to deal with.

From early morning, a large number of guests began to arrive, filling the Zhong family residence with a strong festive atmosphere.

In the inner courtyard of the Zhong family, there was a five-story pavilion that stood out like a pagoda, very prominent.

On the top floor of the pavilion, an old man was looking out at the guests who had come to celebrate. The old man had white hair and a white beard, with sharp eyes and a dignified appearance that commanded respect. He was the pillar of the Zhong family, Zhong Shan.

The old man's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was deep in thought.

At this moment, a middle-aged man with a kind face came up from the lower floor. Even though the old man was facing away from him, the middle-aged man bowed slightly.

"Father, the banquet is ready, waiting for you to start it," the middle-aged man said kindly.

Interrupted by this, Old Master Zhong came back to his senses and turned to look at the middle-aged man.

"Zhong Tian, have you reached the eighth level of the Postnatal realm?" the old man asked calmly.

"Yes, Father, I have reached the eighth level of the Postnatal realm, but I am already fifty years old, and I have no hope of reaching the Prenatal realm in this life," the middle-aged man sighed.

"Hmm," Old Master Zhong nodded.

Then, led by Zhong Tian, they walked down the stairs and slowly made their way to the main hall where the guests were seated.

The main hall was already filled with guests, half of whom were Old Master Zhong's foster sons, and the other half were important officials of the Great Kun Kingdom. Although Old Master Zhong did not hold an official position, his status in the Great Kun Kingdom was very high, almost on par with the four thousand-year-old noble families.

On the north side of the hall, there was a large golden character for "longevity," a gift from the current emperor to Old Master Zhong for his birthday.

At this moment, the tables in the hall were all occupied, and the guests were discussing animatedly, but no one had touched the food or drink.

"Old Master Zhong has arrived," a servant suddenly announced.

At this announcement, the hall fell silent, and even the people outside stopped talking.

Old Master Zhong, with his white hair and beard, entered the hall from a side door, accompanied by his eldest foster son, Zhong Tian. Although he was old, he was still in good spirits, and a gentle smile appeared on his face as he reached the central seat.

"Thank you all for coming," Old Master Zhong said to the guests.

"Old Master, you are too kind,"

"It's our duty, it's our duty,"

"Absolutely, it's our duty."

...

The guests responded with humility, and Old Master Zhong merely nodded.

"Su Xing, on behalf of the emperor, I wish Old Master Zhong a long life and good health," a man in a purple robe stood up and said to Old Master Zhong.

Clearly, this was a prince of the current Great Kun Kingdom.

"Zhao Lin, on behalf of the family head, I wish Old Master Zhong a life as bright as the sun and moon, and eternal youth,"

"Qian San, on behalf of the family head, I wish Old Master Zhong a bright future and a long life,"

"Sun Li, on behalf of the family head, I wish Old Master Zhong a life of happiness and family joy,"

"Li Ru, on behalf of the family head, I wish Old Master Zhong good fortune and boundless blessings,"

Four more middle-aged men bowed to Old Master Zhong and offered their wishes.

"Hmm, thank you, Your Majesty and the heads of the four families. Please be seated," Old Master Zhong said with a faint smile.

The guests sat down, and then Old Master Zhong's foster sons came forward one by one to wish him a happy birthday.

The grand banquet lasted for three days, a full three days.

During this time, Old Master Zhong only appeared on the first day and did not show up again.

During these three days, all of Old Master Zhong's foster sons returned to celebrate their father's birthday. Some of them, after paying their respects, immediately returned to their family businesses, while others were retained by Old Master Zhong.

Three days later, the grand banquet ended, and in a meeting hall of the Zhong family, Old Master Zhong sat alone at the head of the table, holding a red ball the size of a longan, gently caressing it as if it were his most precious possession.

He polished it repeatedly, and after nearly an incense stick's time, he carefully placed it in a small cloth bag, then tied it with a fine thread and hung it around his neck.

"Let them come in," Old Master Zhong called out softly.

"Yes," Zhong Tian's voice came from outside the door.

Soon, led by Zhong Tian, seven more people entered. Three of them were about the same age as Zhong Tian, around forty to fifty years old, while the other four were much younger, only in their thirties.

"Father," the eight men bowed to Old Master Zhong simultaneously.

"Hmm, sit down," Old Master Zhong said calmly.

"Yes," the eight men sat down immediately.

"Zhong Di, Zhong Xuan, Zhong Huang, Zhong Yi, Zhong Liu, Zhong Shiba, Zhong Shijiu, have you all stabilized at the tenth level of the Postnatal realm?" Old Master Zhong asked.

"Yes, Father," they all replied.

One of the younger men said in surprise, "I only reached the tenth level of the Postnatal realm ten days ago. I was planning to surprise Father, but I didn't expect you to know already."

"Zhong Shijiu, at thirty-two, reaching the peak of the Postnatal realm is indeed a surprise," Old Master Zhong looked at his youngest foster son and smiled faintly, showing his affection for him.

"Father, you flatter me," Zhong Shijiu said, blushing.

"Hmm, do you know why I called you here today?" Old Master Zhong asked.

"We don't know, Father," they all shook their heads, looking at him curiously, wondering why he had called them.

"In a few days, it will be the Dragon Gate Assembly. You will accompany me to the Dragon Gate Assembly," Old Master Zhong said calmly.

"Dragon Gate Assembly? Father, do you know where it is held? Only the four noble families and the royal family know," Zhong Shijiu exclaimed excitedly.

The others also looked at Old Master Zhong with excitement.

Zhong Tian, the kind-faced middle-aged man, remained silent, though he was surprised, he did not show much joy.

"Yes, I will take you to the Dragon Gate Assembly. At that time, elites from various countries will gather there, most of them at the peak of the Postnatal realm, and some even at the Prenatal realm. You will accompany me, and I hope that one of you will be chosen by a celestial sect to become a disciple, learning the supreme immortal path and achieving immortality," Old Master Zhong said with a hint of longing.

"Yes, Father," they all said excitedly.

In the world, there were immortals. Although some people considered it superstition, the Zhong family, being such a large family, knew that immortals were real, not just a myth. However, they had never found a way to achieve immortality. They had the desire but no means to achieve it.

"I am taking you to the Dragon Gate Assembly for two reasons. One is to help you escape the世俗 world and enter a celestial sect. The other is to help me with a task," Old Master Zhong's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Father, just tell us what it is, and we will do it," Zhong Shijiu said immediately.

Seeing his youngest foster son promise without even knowing what the task was, Old Master Zhong felt a sense of comfort.

"Hmm, the task is not difficult. Once you join a celestial sect, you need to ask your master or an elder for a 'Restriction-Breaking Pill' for me," Old Master Zhong said excitedly.

"Yes," they all nodded.

"Father, what is a Restriction-Breaking Pill?" Zhong Tian asked, puzzled.

"A Restriction-Breaking Pill is not a very valuable pill in these celestial sects. Its function is to help someone break through the Postnatal realm, but it requires a person at the Golden Core stage or higher to refine it. Once you join a celestial sect and learn their secret techniques, you won't need this pill, so it is quite rare. Back then, I tried to exchange all my wealth for one from a Taoist, but he dismissed it, considering everything in the secular world as fleeting as clouds," Old Master Zhong sighed.

Hearing this, they all sighed. Indeed, compared to immortality, their wealth was nothing.

"Father, do you want to use the Restriction-Breaking Pill to break through to the Prenatal realm?" Zhong Tian asked immediately.

"All of you are my sons, so I won't hide it from you. Yes, I started cultivating late, and although I spent a lot of money on spiritual medicines, I could only reach the same level as you and could not advance further. I am eighty years old and have no hope of breaking through. The Dragon Gate Assembly happens every fifty years, and this is my only chance. I hope you won't let me down," Old Master Zhong said to his sons.

"Father, rest assured. If I am chosen by a celestial master, I will get the pill for you, even if it means not joining the sect," Zhong Shijiu said immediately.

"Hmm," Old Master Zhong nodded, a hint of emotion in his eyes.

"Father, I..." Zhong Tian hesitated, as he was only at the eighth level of the Postnatal realm.

Seeing his eldest son's concern, Zhong Shan smiled and said, "Prepare yourselves. We will set out in three days. Zhong Tian, come with me. I feel uncomfortable without your service."

"Yes," they all said immediately, and Zhong Tian was also excited. He knew he was unlikely to be chosen, but being able to see the Dragon Gate Assembly was an exciting prospect, at least a life without regret.

Then, they all left the hall, filled with excitement.

After the foster sons left, Old Master Zhong slowly stood up and walked to a courtyard at the back.

This courtyard required no servants and was off-limits to everyone, even the foster sons, unless Old Master Zhong allowed it.

Entering the courtyard, he closed the door gently and walked to his bedroom, where he sat on the bed and took out the red ball from around his neck.

At this moment, the red ball seemed to emit a faint red light, and above the red light, there were some colorful rays.

"Fifty-five years ago, when I climbed Mount Everest, I found this red ball and was sucked through a spatial rift to this place. This is a magical world because it has immortals. For fifty-five years, I have sought out celestial sects, but they all said I started cultivating too late, had poor innate talent, weak veins, and was too old, so I could never reach the Prenatal realm. Immortals? Cultivating to become an immortal? Was it because I didn't start cultivating until my twenties?"

"For decades, haven't I reached the peak of the Postnatal realm? Although I can't break through anymore, haven't I already succeeded? With just one Restriction-Breaking Pill, I can cultivate to the Prenatal realm, and then to the highest level, achieving immortality. Determination, who has stronger determination than me? To cultivate, I spent a great deal of effort to find ten-thousand-year-old ice and sat on it to cultivate for twenty years. Could those with better innate talent in the sect do that when they were at my level?"

"Traversing space, hah, I almost forgot about Earth's novels. Traversing space, why didn't it make my body stronger? Why am I still the same? Otherwise, I wouldn't have suffered so much over the years. Indeed, this traversal gave me a special ability. I can separate from my shadow, forming a spatial shadow that can take my form. Even if it is separated by millions of miles, this shadow can act under my control, as if I have another body. The shadow has no thoughts; only I do. Controlling two bodies is a very unique ability. This ability has helped me rapidly increase my wealth over the years, but what use is it? The shadow is limited by my physical body. I can only reach the same level as my physical body, and I can't break through the Postnatal realm. I just need a starting point, a Prenatal starting point. Once I reach the Prenatal realm, I will do better than anyone, work harder than anyone."

"Raising so many foster sons, finally, seven of them have reached the peak of the Postnatal realm before the Dragon Gate Assembly. It should work. Seven of them, at least one will succeed. Just one Restriction-Breaking Pill is enough for me, enough for me."

Old Master Zhong whispered to himself.