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

Chapter 540 First-Class Guest Elder! Reactions from All Sides!

Chen Fan took the jade pendant and put it into his sleeve.

Han Yueshan added, "I will make this matter public soon. At that time, all the people from the Seven Sects will know, and I'm afraid many will try to curry favor with me. Fellow Daoist Chen, you can handle it as you see fit."

Chen Fan nodded, took his leave, and departed.

Half an hour later, a notice bearing the city lord's seal was posted in front of the city lord's mansion.

The announcement read: "Chen Mu, a disciple of the Shangyun Sect, is hereby appointed as a First-Class Guest Elder of the City Lord's Mansion of Huangzhou City, holding the same rank as the Chief Secretary, and enjoying all corresponding benefits. This announcement is hereby made public to the entire city."

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Desolate Continent City in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

When the members of Shangyun Sect heard this news, they were all stunned.

Li Changhe's mouth was agape as the teacup in his hand shattered on the ground, but he was oblivious to it, staring blankly at the disciple who had come to deliver the message, as if he hadn't understood what the other was saying.

For the first time, a clear look of astonishment appeared on Mo Hanshan's perpetually cold face.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering a sentence: "Chen Mu is indeed someone we cannot fathom."

Master Feihe remained calm.

He had long recognized Chen Mu's extraordinary nature, but he never expected that this extraordinary nature would be realized in such a direct way.

First-class guest elder of the city lord's mansion, with a rank equivalent to chief secretary!

This status surpasses that of any of the sect leaders of the Seven Sects of the Desolate State. For him, the emergence of such a figure from the Shangyun Sect was an unexpected delight and an immense stroke of luck.

"Prepare a generous gift," Master Feihe said to Li Changhe. "No matter what, Chen Mu ultimately came from my Shangyun Sect. This friendship must continue."

The reactions from each group were even more fascinating.

Wu Daozi of the Golden Sword Sect smashed a teacup in his inn room.

Han Tieyi stood aside, silent for a long time, before finally saying, "Losing to him is not unjust."

Wu Daozi glared at him fiercely, but in the end he could only sigh.

After all, we're not as skilled as them, so what's there to say?

Now that they've climbed the social ladder by marrying into the City Lord's Mansion, the Golden Sword Sect dares not provoke them any further.

The elders and disciples of Baicao Valley, Tiejian Manor, Fenglei Pavilion, Huangsha Sect, and Lingxu Sect changed their attitudes very quickly.

The Huangsha Sect, which had previously been clamoring for revenge, immediately sent a generous gift to congratulate Fellow Daoist Chen on his promotion.

The white-haired old man from Baicao Valley even personally visited and presented a 300-year-old Ganoderma lucidum as a token of his appreciation.

Chen Fan refused to see any of the gifts offered, and only asked Li Changhe to accept them on his behalf.

Li Changhe was flattered and eagerly dealt with all the visitors, keeping himself very busy.

Three days later.

Han Yueshan issued an order to all the Nascent Soul elders and selected disciples of various sects to accompany him to the Imperial City of Dayu to participate in the national competition.

On the day of departure, a huge spirit ship was hovering above the city of Huangzhou.

The boat is thirty feet long and is made entirely of white spirit wood. Its hull is covered with flight array patterns, and there is a row of array eyes inlaid with spirit stones on each side, emitting a faint spiritual light.

This is the City Lord's vehicle, the Cloud Piercing Boat.

When Chen Fan boarded the spirit boat, Han Yueshan was already waiting at the bow. Beside him stood a man, burly and rugged-looking, wearing black armor and with a tiger-headed broadsword hanging at his waist.

This person's cultivation level was clearly at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, and his aura was as sharp as a blade.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, this is my deputy general, Qin Dao," Han Yueshan introduced. "Deputy General Qin is a body cultivator who specializes in the way of the sword. He has served in my office for fifty years."

Qin Dao clasped his hands and said, "I have long admired Fellow Daoist Chen's great name. He swept through the disciples of six sects with a single sword. I admire him."

Chen Fan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Vice General Qin, you're too kind."

Qin Dao grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and seemed to have a straightforward personality.

Subsequently, the Nascent Soul elders from various sects also boarded the ship.

The six individuals—Golden Sword Master of the Golden Sword Sect, Medicine Daoist of the Hundred Herbs Valley, Iron Zhenshan of the Iron Sword Manor, Thunder Sound Master of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, Sha Wanli of the Yellow Sand Sect, and Ling Xuzi of the Spirit Ruins Sect—are all at the early Nascent Soul stage. Among them, Golden Sword Master has the highest cultivation level, having reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.

Master Feihe was the last to board the boat.

He still rode the white crane, landed at the stern of the boat, bowed to Han Yueshan, and then sat down cross-legged to rest.

The seven Nascent Soul elders reacted differently when they saw Chen Fan standing beside Han Yueshan.

Master Jin Jian remained expressionless, merely nodding slightly.

The Medicine Daoist greeted them with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting, while Tie Zhenshan glared at Chen Fan and snorted.

Master Leiyin's gaze was complicated, but he nodded as a greeting.

A fierce glint flashed in Sha Wanli's eyes, then disappeared.

Ling Xuzi, on the other hand, politely bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Chen Fan took in all these attitudes, his expression unchanged, but he had a plan in mind.

Among these people, Jin Jian Zhenren and Sha Wanli still harbored hostility towards him, Tie Zhenshan was unconvinced, and the other three were more acceptable.

However, none of that matters. Once we reach the capital, everyone's interests will be aligned, and these personal grudges can be set aside for the time being.

My thoughts were churning.

The cloud-piercing boat quickly and slowly rose into the air, flying towards the northeast.

The Imperial City of Yu the Great is located about 50,000 li northeast of the desolate state.

At the speed of the Cloud Piercing Boat, it would take about five days to arrive.

After the spirit boat stabilized its flight, Qin Dao approached Chen Fan and offered him a flask of spirit wine: "Fellow Daoist Chen, would you like a couple of sips?"

Chen Fan took the wine pot and took a small sip.

As the wine entered my throat, a fiery heat surged into my lower abdomen. Although it was not as gentle as the spiritual tea, it had a unique and exhilarating taste.

Qin Dao took a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed, "To be honest, I've been in the City Lord's Mansion for fifty years, and this is the first time I've seen the City Lord care so much about a guest. Normally, even Golden Sword Immortal has to wait for the City Lord's mood to ride on this Cloud Piercing Boat, but today he personally sent someone to invite you to board. Tsk tsk."

Chen Fan glanced at him and said calmly, "Vice General Qin has been in the City Lord's Mansion for fifty years, so he must be very familiar with the Imperial City Competition."

Qin Dao's smile faded slightly, and he nodded. "I wouldn't say I'm familiar with it, but I have been there a few times. To be honest, the level of the Imperial City Grand Competition is far superior to that of the Desolate State Grand Competition. The Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Seven Sects of Desolate State are only mid-to-lower level in the Imperial City Grand Competition. The truly powerful ones are those from the major prefectures, such as Youzhou, Yunzhou, Leizhou, and Jianzhou. The Nascent Soul Ancestors sent by those prefectures are at least at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and there have even been late-Nascent Soul experts. And have you heard of that? That's not all. After the Great Yu Kingdom Grand Competition, there is another selection of retainers in the Zhao Kingdom, which is a true battle of gods. Our Desolate State has never even ranked in the Great Yu Kingdom Grand Competition, let alone the Zhao Kingdom's selection of retainers."

Chen Fan didn't reply, but simply held the wine pot, his gaze fixed on the churning sea of ​​clouds in front of the spirit boat, lost in thought.

Just then, Han Yueshan arrived, a smile on his face, and handed over a jade slip, saying:

"Fellow Daoist Chen, this is the list of those selected after the intercontinental competitions. It records the fighting styles of many people. Take a look!"