In the territory governed by the Chi Yuan Immortal Sect.
The Immortal Ascension Conference is considered by all noble families in the mortal world as a top-tier event.
It is also the only opportunity for most mortals in their lifetime to turn their fate around.
Each Immortal Ascension Conference does not force everyone to participate, but is voluntary; as long as one has never taken part in an Immortal Ascension Conference before, regardless of age or gender, they are all welcome to try!
The reason it is not mandatory is actually to leave a way out for the various families under the Immortal Sect.
These noble families typically nurture their children until they are around twelve or thirteen years old before allowing them to take part in the Immortal Ascension Conference to have a chance to enter the Immortal Sect.
The reason for this age is the bloody lessons accrued over the years by the families; those who enter the Immortal Sect too early often become indifferent to family relationships, seeing the family's investment as a matter of course.
Familial affection can be so moving that it touches the heavens.
And the Immortal Sect itself actually needs disciples who are bound by family ties to take up some key positions.
Thus, they tacitly allow family disciples to come to the Immortal Sect to grow after they have grown older and developed feelings for their family.
...
The news of the Immortal Ascension Conference being held in advance was announced, and Golden Sparrow City immediately boiled with excitement.
The messengers who went out of the city to spread the news were endless.
On the largest drill ground in Golden Sparrow City.
Even though they did not know when the Inspection Envoy would arrive.
The City Lord Mansion's staff had already set up the venue and even called in the large families to check for any oversights.
Su Ping, as the Inspector, only needed to sit at the main stage in the venue.
Su Ping looked at the Immortal Ascension Conference venue, which was gradually taking shape.
The familiar scene brought flashes of himself from twenty years ago to Su Ping's mind.
Back then, he was also waiting anxiously in a similar place for a chance at Immortal fate.
Clad in ragged clothes, he dared only stand in the shadows of the crowd, as humble as an ant.
"That year, at the age of twenty, I stood at the Immortal Ascension Conference, as insignificant as a grunt."
Su Ping felt moved and sighed softly in his heart:
"Who could have imagined that, twenty years later, I would become the most esteemed person at this Immortal Ascension Conference."
"Life is like a game of chess, unpredictable indeed!"
Thinking of the changes in his circumstances, Su Ping felt somewhat proud of himself.
Su Ping could sincerely say:
That he had attained his position today through his own effort!
He, Su Ping, had not cheated!
The Immortal Sect's Inspection Envoy arrived sooner than expected.
It happened when Su Ping and the City Lord, having finished their venue business, were preparing to have a small gathering at a brothel to enjoy some music.
A small Immortal Boat, about twelve meters long, flew to the skies above Golden Sparrow City.
Soon after, a Cultivator at least in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation, accompanied by two followers in the First and Second Layer, descended directly to the City Lord Mansion.
Su Ping hurriedly had White and Grey, the Spiritual Rats, hide in their burrows and tidied up his appearance before entering the City Lord Mansion.
"Such a young Inspection Envoy!"
Upon entering the hall, Su Ping saw the Immortal Sect's Inspection Envoy, who was already waiting there.
With brows like drawn swords and stars for eyes, a tall and slender figure robed in a pure white long garment, and carrying three long swords on his back.
His appearance seemed even more like a Sword Immortal than Su Ping.
What's more, based on the intuition of Su Ping as a cultivator, this Inspection Envoy couldn't be over thirty!
"A cultivator in the Late Period of Qi Cultivation at the age of thirty… This Inspection Envoy must at least be an Inner Sect Disciple!"
"He's truly an elite cultivator cherished by the Immortal Sect!"
"But I no longer need to be jealous or envious, before long I too will be a genius of the Immortal Cultivation World!"
Su Ping's mind was filled with silent remarks, but outwardly he maintained the humility that a frustrated Inspector should display before a superior.
This young Inspection Envoy nodded slightly as a greeting, apparently in a rush or perhaps unwilling to stay long in the thickly aura-lacking Golden Sparrow City.
He got straight to the point and handed over a set of magic artifacts to assess the Spirit Root from the Immortal Sect to Su Ping.
After that, he took out a bottle of pills and placed it on the table:
"In the following period, I must trouble Senior Brother Su considerably."
"This bottle of Nourishing Yuan Pills serves as the remuneration from the Immortal Sect for Senior Brother's involvement in this Immortal Ascension Conference."
"Should you discover more individuals with a Spirit Root, the usual rewards will be distributed accordingly."
"Additionally, these two are Outer Sect Disciples selected during the last conference; feel free to make use of them, Senior Brother!"
"I take my leave!"
Having finished his instructions, the Inspection Envoy did not bother meeting with the City Lord and the others who were waiting eagerly outside; he simply flew up and returned to the Immortal Boat.
Shortly after, the Immortal Boat emitted a faint milky white spirit light and vanished into the distance from Golden Sparrow City with a swish.
Su Ping took the pills and glanced at the two Outer Sect Disciples at the First and Second Layers of Qi Cultivation who had been left to assist him.
He said slowly:
"For the time being, you will stay here in the City Lord Mansion to prevent any potential chaos in the city during this time."
"Golden Sparrow City has been quite stable in recent years, but there have been vicious incidents in the neighboring big cities where Loose Cultivators who practiced Evil Skills kidnapped those suspected of having a Spirit Root!"
"Yes, we will strictly obey Senior Brother's command!"
The two Outer Sect Disciples who had been dispatched hurriedly agreed and assured they would maintain the order of the Immortal Ascension Conference!
As cultivators who were clearly new to the sect.
Thinking themselves the orthodox cultivation path, they were full of pride and arrogance.
This made Su Ping unable to resist offering a few words of encouragement, further invigorating the two of them.
"Inspector, the Immortal Boat... the Immortal Boat has flown away!"
Upon seeing Su Ping emerge, the City Lord and others who had been anxiously waiting quickly surrounded him, somewhat afraid that something had gone wrong.
"Do not be anxious, everything regarding the Immortal Ascension Conference will proceed as usual, and I will be in full charge of it when the time comes!"
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful!"
"To have the Inspector himself host the Immortal Ascension Conference, our Golden Sparrow City is truly blessed this time!"
The City Lord and his people, hearing that the conference would not be disrupted, breathed a sigh of relief and offered their congratulations.
However, in the eyes of some sly old foxes, a hint of unease flickered.
The previous Immortal Ascension Conferences had never encountered such situations.
The Immortal Sect's Inspection Immortal Boats would wait for a city to finish its conference and take the selected disciples before moving to the next location.
Unlike this occasion, where they left the affairs to an Inspector directly.
It appeared as though they planned to wait until all the city conferences were over before collecting those disciples in one go?
While such efficiency was naturally higher, since when did the Immortal Sect prioritize efficiency in disciple selection?
Su Ping declined the City Lord and others' invitations to a banquet.
He also refused the gifts from the Ji Family that included a young woman of soon-to-be marriageable age.
Su Ping, who was also conscious that something might be occurring within the Immortal Sect, quickly headed to the Nine Leaf Workshop upon leaving the city.
After trading a new batch of white sugar, Su Ping probed the old cultivator about the Immortal Ascension Conference being scheduled earlier than usual.
He learned that the Yun Family was equally baffled and was secretly seeking information about the situation.
Su Ping decided not to delve deeper.
Su Ping exchanged all the Spirit Stones from this transaction for various waste pills.
The old cultivator was not surprised by this.
It wasn't because he guessed that Su Ping could turn waste into treasure.
Instead, from Su Ping's perspective as an Inspector, he speculated that perhaps the latter aimed to cultivate a batch of Martial Artists or tame fierce beasts with the waste pills.
Thus, in any potential accidents, he could seek to survive as best as possible.
With more Martial Artists and beasts, they might not threaten a Qi Cultivation Great Cultivator of the Middle and Late Periods.
But at the very least, as cannon fodder, they could create short-lived chaos to secure a chance to survive.
As for a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator...
Well... if one encountered a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's attack in a mortal realm city,
Then it's probably best to accept fate, for there would be no chance to save oneself.