Rebirth of a Quasi-Immortal Spirit

Because Gao Ling had always given Gao Zhun a very reliable feeling, and the other party's tone just now really didn't seem to be joking, Gao Zhun actually began to consider the feasibility of Gao Ling's words.

After a long while, Gao Zhun finally reacted and her face turned bright red. She didn't know whether she was angry or ashamed. She was a twenty-year-old woman, which would be two years of adulthood on Earth. In the end, she was teased by an eight-year-old little girl. How could she, as the older sister, put her face down?

However, Gao Ling is different from ordinary little girls. Gao Zhun's idea of ​​spanking is impossible to achieve, otherwise he doesn't know how long the other party would hold a grudge against him!

After racking his brains for a while, Gao Zhun still couldn't come up with a way to punish Gao Ling. Finally, a wicked thought came to mind, and he could only pretend to agree, saying, "Little Ling'er, it's a promise, right? Thirty years from now, you must save your sister from this predicament, and then come to marry your sister in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men."

"An eight-bearer sedan chair?" Gao Ling looked at Gao Zhun in confusion.

Gao Zhun realized she had misspoke. Not to mention that Gao Ling had always lived in a family of cultivators, even in the mortal world of this world, there was no custom of an eight-bearer sedan chair for weddings. She had unintentionally revealed the ancient wedding customs of Earth. No wonder even the well-read and worldly-wise Gao Ling was dumbfounded.

Gao Zhun patted Gao Ling's head somewhat awkwardly, looking earnest: "Little Ling'er, what I mean is that you need to marry me in a very grand way. The eight-person sedan chair is just a metaphor, like having eight old monsters in the Tribulation Transcending stage carry the sedan chair for me or something."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It was just a joke anyway. Gao Zhun casually identified the sedan chair bearers as eight old monsters at the Tribulation Transcending stage. Gao Ling's expression was genuine, and he even nodded thoughtfully. Of course, Gao Zhun, standing behind Gao Ling, couldn't see Gao Ling's expression at that moment.

With the family competition approaching, the Gao family was much more lively than usual. Some of the disciples who had been training outside for many years returned to the family one after another to actively prepare for the upcoming competition.

This year's Gao family competition is unlike any other. Almost simultaneously, all families, sects, and other forces are holding similar competitions in their respective territories. The source of all this is that this year coincides with the once-in-a-millennium Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

The origin of the so-called Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is unknown. It has existed since the beginning of recorded history of various families, with all forces actively participating. The prerequisite for participating in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is to win one of the top places in their respective family competitions.

Super clans like the Gao family select the top ten from each stage of the competition, from the Nascent Soul stage to the Integration stage. First-class families select the top eight, second-class the top five, third-class the top three, and fourth-class and below can only select the champion of each stage to participate.

Don't say that such a selection is unfair to small families and forces. In reality, a Nascent Soul stage champion from a fourth-tier family might not even make it into the top 100 in a major clan competition among super clans. This is due to the difference in bloodline and foundation, which is difficult to overcome through hard work.

If we're talking about exceptional talent, in terms of bloodline purity and nobility, even top-tier sects have to give way to top-tier families, let alone those ranked lower.

Moreover, the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is not so easy to participate in. As the name suggests, the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is a platform for a group of cultivators with dragon and phoenix-like qualities to gather. Every thousand years is an era, and the peak power of each era will be born in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. Winning the top spot or ranking among the top in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering will undoubtedly make these people the leaders of this era, and also symbolize the peak strength of the entire human cultivation world in the next thousand years.

As for more details about the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, that's beyond the knowledge of Gao Zhun, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator who has no power other than his master.

Speaking of Elder Lei, Gao Zhun's master, Gao Zhun did ask him about the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. However, Elder Lei refused to answer, fearing it might affect Gao Zhun's performance in the family competition. Nevertheless, he made a promise to Gao Zhun: if she could successfully obtain a spot to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, he would impart all his knowledge to her.

Gao Zhun immediately curled his lip, dissatisfied, and said, "In the end, isn't it just that you want me to get into the top ten of the Nascent Soul stage in the family competition? It's the same with Xiao Ling'er's matter, and it's the same with the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering..."

Gao Zhun's dissatisfaction was not feigned. She was not without resentment towards the actions of the Gao family elders' council. She always felt like a puppet in their hands, and only by allowing herself to be manipulated and gaining enough honor and applause could she get what she wanted. This feeling of being used was not pleasant.

Elder Lei was a renowned figure who had been famous for many years. How could he possibly hide his little apprentice's little schemes from his eyes?

However, Elder Lei really couldn't say too much to Gao Zhun. When he noticed Gao Zhun's resistance, he could only sigh and gently persuade him: "Little Zhun, I don't know what the other elders in the Elder Council think, but I know what I think. Many times, one can only bear as much responsibility as one's ability allows. The cultivation world of the Immortal Spirit Continent is not calm and peaceful. Even I only know about the undercurrents beneath the surface. Not letting you get involved in those things too early is actually a way of protecting you."

"Disciple understands." Gao Zhun nodded, suppressing the small resentment in her heart. Indeed, she didn't know what the other elders thought, but she could feel that her master, Elder Lei, with whom she spent every day, was sincere in his words. If she could synchronize all the elders' thoughts with Elder Lei's in a self-hypnotic way, then everything seemed not so unacceptable.

After bidding farewell to Elder Lei, Gao Zhun felt somewhat lost, unsure of where to go. The closer the competition drew, the more she felt as if a pair of hands were gripping her throat, and the more she struggled, the more suffocated she felt.

"Is the pressure too much?" Gao Zhun asked herself in her heart. However, she knew that this was not the answer. Others might not know her current strength, but didn't she know it herself?

Despite being only at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, her strength rivals that of a typical half-step Integration stage cultivator. Aside from her close friends who obtained the "Nourishing Essence Method," perhaps only Gao Qi and Gao Yaobing are capable of challenging her. However, frankly, it would be difficult for the latter to pose a real threat to her.

Then, there is only one reasonable explanation. Gao Zhun looked at the clearly visible veins on her wrist. It must be the part of the bloodline belonging to the Yun family in her body that played a prophetic role. What will happen in the upcoming competition?

She closed her eyes, letting all negative emotions settle to the deepest part of her heart. When she opened them again, she was once again the beautiful, eternally cheerful, and sunny Gao Jiaxin.