Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 541 The Grand Competition Situation! A Multitude of Powerful Figures!

Chen Fan took the jade slip and immersed his consciousness into it, where lines of names and brief information came into view.

The list of Nascent Soul cultivators participating in the national competition in the thirty-six prefectures of the Great Yu Cultivation Kingdom is as high as three hundred.

The top-ranked states like Youzhou, Yunzhou, Leizhou, and Jianzhou sent almost exclusively Nascent Soul cultivators at the late Nascent Soul stage, with some even reaching the Great Perfection of the late Nascent Soul stage.

Their battle record column recorded phrases such as "once killed three people of the same level", "fought against a Nascent Soul stage demon beast in Yunmeng Marsh without defeat", and "mastered incomplete divine power", each of which exuded a fierce and terrifying aura.

Chen Fan's gaze swept over those names, and a slight ripple stirred in his heart.

The size of the Southern Star is vast, far exceeding the area sealed away.

Here, the mid-stage Nascent Soul is merely a stepping stone into the middle level, while the late-stage Nascent Soul is considered a significant figure. The late-stage Nascent Soul at its peak has already touched the edge of the Divine Transformation realm, enough to be revered as an ancestor in a province.

With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Chen Fan continued reading, carefully reviewing the entire list, his brows furrowing slightly.

The list showed seven people at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm with great perfection, over forty people at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, and the majority at the mid-stage and early-stage Nascent Soul realms.

But... there is no Nascent Soul stage.

There wasn't a single name of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Chen Fan withdrew his divine sense and looked up at Han Yueshan, who was standing beside him with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds.

"Lord City Lord, it seems there are no seniors at the Nascent Soul level on this list?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

Upon hearing this, Han Yueshan turned around, his face showing no surprise, as if he had expected Chen Fan to ask this question.

He smiled, a knowing smile in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Chen has observed very carefully." Han Yueshan stroked his long beard and said slowly, "Indeed, in this year's Great Yu Kingdom competition, there are no Nascent Soul cultivators among the lists submitted by the thirty-six prefectures."

His gaze fell upon the churning sea of ​​clouds outside the spirit boat, and his tone became more meaningful:

"Those who can cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm, which one of them hasn't gone through countless tribulations and whose will is as firm as a rock? They all have their own pride and their own path."

Chen Fan remained silent.

"In a first-tier cultivation country, a Nascent Soul cultivator is already a powerful figure, capable of founding a sect, dominating a province, and even influencing the succession of imperial power. In the Great Yu Dynasty, the strongest were those at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. They were either from royal families, patriarchs of top sects, or carefree, elusive rogue cultivators." Han Yueshan's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Chen Fan's ears.

"For these people, participating in such a national competition and competing against a group of Nascent Soul juniors is already beneath their dignity. Moreover, the final prizes of the competition hold little appeal for them."

Chen Fan listened quietly, stroking the cool jade slip in his hand.

Han Yueshan glanced at him and continued, "After the national competition comes the Zhao Kingdom's once-in-a-century selection of imperial retainers. That is the real grand event that can attract the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators. But even so, only a minority of Nascent Soul cultivators on Tiannan Star are willing to become imperial retainers of the Zhao Kingdom."

"Oh? Why is that?" Chen Fan asked at the opportune moment.

"Binding." Han Yueshan uttered two words, his eyes sharpening. "Once you become a retainer, you're subject to the royal family's commands. While you enjoy resources and privileges, you lose your freedom. Cultivators defy the heavens, seeking immortality and freedom. How many people have toiled for a thousand years, finally breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, only to willingly wear shackles and be driven by others?"

"Unless their path to immortality is severed, their lifespan is nearing its end, and they need to rely on vast resources to seek a glimmer of hope; or they come from humble origins and urgently need the support of a powerful patron; or they harbor greater ambitions and wish to use the power of the Zhao Kingdom to reach a higher realm... otherwise, most Nascent Soul cultivators would rather be a local tyrant or travel the world in search of opportunities than be confined to the ancestral hall."

Chen Fan nodded silently.

What Han Yueshan said coincided with what he himself thought.

Cultivating immortality is about freedom and transcendence; if one is bound or constrained, it will be difficult to achieve enlightenment.

If he hadn't wanted to use the Zhao Kingdom's teleportation array to go to the Great Qin Star and then try to find the Reincarnation Mirror at the Cultivation Alliance, he would never have gone to such lengths to squeeze into the selection process for the enshrinement!

However, there are some paths he has to take in order to revive Tianxiangzi.

"Thank you for your clarification, City Lord," Chen Fan said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Han Yueshan waved his hand and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Chen, there's no need to be so polite. Since you've asked, you must also be interested in the selection of the honored disciple. With your abilities, if you can stand out in the national competition and obtain a recommendation, you might be able to compete for it in that selection. However..."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "The selection process in Zhao is far more difficult than in a first-tier cultivation country. If Fellow Daoist Chen wants to become a royal retainer, he'll likely need to possess qualities that would allow the royal family to make an exception and promote him!"

Chen Fan's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered slightly.

Zhuomo learned from Jidaozi that there was a possibility of being granted special privileges.

The selection of imperial retainers, held once every hundred years by the Zhao Kingdom's royal family, is an opportunity for all cultivators on Tiannan Star to rise above their circumstances. As long as one can stand out in the competition and be favored by the Zhao Kingdom's royal family, there is a possibility of being granted an imperial retainer token, regardless of one's cultivation level.

This road is the only shortcut he can see right now.

However, the Great Yu Kingdom's grand competition has already gathered many heroes, and the selection process in the Zhao Kingdom will be even more of a battle of gods.

At that time, there will be many late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and Great Perfection cultivators, and even Nascent Soul cultivators will compete for the limited number of exceptional slots.

"I understand," Chen Fan replied calmly, without saying anything more.

Han Yueshan said no more and turned to continue handling his business.

The spirit boat pierced through the clouds and mist, speeding towards the imperial city of Dayu.

After finding a secluded room at the stern of the boat, Chen Fan sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

To outsiders, he appeared to be meditating, but in reality, with a single thought, he vanished from the spot!

A world within a bowl.

Inside the quiet room, Chen Fan's figure appeared out of thin air.

He went to the warehouse where the materials were stored first.

From the ruins of the Soul Refining Sect and the various storage bags obtained after fighting back against the pursuers, a large number of rare and precious materials, finished magic weapons, and even fragments of magic treasures have accumulated here.

Many of these materials have different properties and mixed spiritual energy, making them unsuitable for direct cultivation. However, they are excellent for refining and enhancing one's natal magic weapon.

With his thoughts racing, Chen Fan first took out the Black Soul Banner.

This banner has been with him the longest. It started as a low-level magic weapon, gradually devouring souls and incorporating rare materials. Now it is a magic treasure in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

The banner contains over a million souls, including many fierce souls of Nascent Soul cultivators.

The banner was pitch black, with countless faces of agony surging within, emanating a chilling and piercing aura.

He raised his hand and waved it, and a simple weapon-refining furnace rose from the ground in the center of the quiet room.

This furnace is not a precious alchemy treasure like the Qiankun Furnace, but rather a tool he uses daily to refine materials and repair magical artifacts.