Zhou Yi finalized the arrangements for the celebration and proceeded to the Immortal Palace Hall to give the Palace Master Zhou a detailed report. "Understood."

Palace Master Zhou nodded after hearing the report, his expression heavy and unreadable. "This celebration concerns the reputation of our Purple Sword Palace; there can be no slip-ups. You must handle the reception of guests from various Immortal Palaces with utmost care and caution, showing no disrespect! In half an hour, I will personally proceed to the Purple Sword Grand Hall to announce Ye Qin's appointment as the Fifth Elder of the Purple Sword Palace."

"Yes!" Just as Zhou Yi was about to withdraw, he hesitated, voicing the doubt lingering in his heart.

"Ancestor, is it truly appropriate to appoint Ye Qin as the Fifth Elder of the Purple Sword Palace? Although this youth possesses immense potential and has rendered unparalleled service to the Purple Sword Palace, his cultivation is still only at the first layer of the Core Formation stage—far too weak. Moreover, we do not know if he can eventually become an Nascent Soul cultivator. If he remains unable to reach the Nascent Soul stage while holding the rank of an Elder, it might tarnish our Immortal Palace's prestige in the East Sea. Since our Palace has not yet formally announced Ye Qin's appointment as an Elder, perhaps it would be better to reward him with other honors and instead recruit a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator to serve as the Fifth Elder, which would enhance our Immortal Palace's strength more effectively."

"The Nascent Soul cultivators in the East Sea are either trained by other Immortal Palaces or are rogue powerhouses who have established themselves as overlords. They are not so easily recruited by our Immortal Palace!" Palace Master Zhou shook his head. "Sect Master Yu's lifespan is drawing short; his retirement from the position of Northern Sect Master will likely occur within the next fifty to sixty years. Among the Northern Islands, there are very few Palace Masters qualified to contend for the leadership of the Heavenly Dao Alliance's Northern Sect Master position—you can count them on five fingers—and they are all actively planning for it. Over the past few centuries, the status and influence of the Purple Sword Palace in the Northern Islands have been steadily rising. One-fifth of the Immortal Palaces in the Northern Islands have formed alliances, openly or covertly, expressing support for our Palace to take the Northern Sect Master position. Roughly the remaining half of the Immortal Palaces remain undecided, awaiting clearer signals as to who has a real chance at securing the Grand Seat. This celebration will also allow us to gauge the stance and potential changes among those Palaces. Our Purple Sword Palace must maximize its strength over these fifty to sixty years to prepare for the bid for the Northern Sect Master seat. With the vast supply of elixirs and spirit stones provided by our Immortal Palace, Ye Qin can reach the ninth layer of the Core Formation stage in the shortest time possible. To my knowledge, he already possesses at least four Godless Flying Swords recorded in the upper volume of the Purple Jade Ancient Codex, and within a few years, he will be able to forge the true Grand Five Elements Sword Array. Ninth-layer Core Formation combined with the Grand Five Elements Sword Array—this level of power, even without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, guarantees invincibility among his peers at the Core Formation level, effectively equaling the contribution of half a Nascent Soul cultivator. If we do not win him over now to become a trusted, pivotal general of our Purple Sword Palace, once he reaches the peak of the Core Formation stage and solidifies his power, winning him over later might prove ineffectual. I have my own plans for this matter; you need not speak further."

"Yes, Ancestor!"

Seeing the Palace Master's decision was final, Zhou Yi sighed faintly and dared not press the issue further. He exited the East Xuan Hall and made his way to the magnificent main hall of the Purple Sword Immortal Palace—the Purple Sword Grand Hall.

At this time, Core Formation cultivators numbering one to two hundred, along with several thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Purple Sword Immortal Palace and dozens of other Immortal Palaces, had already gathered inside and outside the Purple Sword Grand Hall. They were buzzing with discussion, speculating on the intent behind Palace Master Zhou’s urgent summons. Of course, some idle cultivators were taking the opportunity to exchange notes on cultivation insights and fortuitous encounters. Among these cultivators were solemn, profound old men, spirited and heroic young men, and graceful, beautiful female cultivators. Their ranks spanned from peak ninth-layer Core Formation masters down to first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivators. In one corner of the Purple Sword Grand Hall, a small cluster of over a dozen Core Formation male and female cultivators were gathered. Judging by the insignia stitched onto their exquisitely luxurious attire made of celestial silk and cloud-spun fabrics, they were all core members of the Zhou Clan from the Purple Sword Palace, all holding the esteemed rank of Core Formation cultivators and high status within the Palace.

"Brother Yi!"

"Greetings, Cousin Yi!"

"Nephew Yi!"

Upon seeing Zhou Yi arrive, this group of Zhou Clan cultivators immediately surrounded him, greeting him enthusiastically. Regardless of age, they showed profound deference to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi possessed exceptionally high spiritual root talent, dual affinity for Metal and Water, and at barely over a hundred years old, he had already reached the sixth layer of the Core Formation stage. Furthermore, he was known for his steady demeanor and the bearing of a great Immortal Palace disciple. He was the most favored core disciple of the Zhou Clan, the one upon whom the Palace Master placed the greatest expectations, and the primary direct heir of the Purple Sword Immortal Palace. Once he attained the Nascent Soul stage, he would become the future Palace Master; thus, the Zhou Clan members naturally dared not slight him.

"Brother Yi, what exactly is the matter that caused the Ancestor to summon us back so urgently? I am currently at a critical juncture practicing a secret art and cannot afford much delay," inquired a heroic man, appearing to be in his mid-thirties, with unyielding curiosity directed toward Zhou Yi.

"Indeed. I was also just gaining experience overseas, hunting a high-tier Sea Whale Winged Beast. I suddenly received the Immortal Palace's urgent summons without any explanation. I had no choice but to abandon the heavily injured demonic beast midway and rush back immediately, incurring a loss of at least several hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

These ten-plus Zhou Clan disciples spoke one after another, looking to Zhou Yi for any insight. Such a large-scale convocation of Immortal Palace cultivators almost exclusively occurred during the most solemn occasions—such as the Ancestor's birthday celebration, the breakthrough of a Purple Sword Palace Core Formation cultivator to the Nascent Soul stage, or the succession of a new Palace Master. Alternatively, it would only happen if the Purple Sword Palace faced an existential crisis, necessitating the gathering of all its cultivators. However, nothing significant was happening within the Purple Sword Palace during this period, and the East Sea cultivation world was also peaceful, with no major events transpiring. This left the Zhou Clan disciples utterly perplexed.

"The Purple Sword Immortal Palace will soon have its Fifth Elder," Zhou Yi told them patiently.

"Who is it?"

"Could it be that someone in our Palace has broken through the bottleneck to the Nascent Soul stage and automatically attained Elder status?"

"This is great news! Which clan brother is so fortunate?"

"But I never heard any clan brother was nearing a breakthrough!" The Zhou Clan disciples were first shocked, then followed by eager, joyful inquiries.

"This time, it is not a member of the Zhou Clan becoming an Elder. Don't rush yourselves; the Ancestor will announce the identity to everyone shortly. Stop milling about here and help me receive the honored guests from the various Immortal Palaces. I have other matters to attend to and must leave now."

Zhou Yi shook his head. He did not fully comprehend the matter of appointing Ye Qin as an Elder of the Purple Sword Palace, but since the Palace Master had made the decision, he could only obey unconditionally.

Ignoring the surprised and confused expressions of the other Zhou Clan disciples, Zhou Yi began scanning the vast hall, searching for someone. He was looking for Ye Qin. Ye Qin was the central figure today; he could not be missed. Logically, Ye Qin should have been in the Purple Sword Grand Hall long ago, but there was still no sign of him.

Just as Zhou Yi was growing anxious, he saw a young, ordinary cultivator in a green robe, accompanied by a masked woman in a simple white gown, appear side-by-side at the entrance of the Purple Sword Grand Hall. It was none other than Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er.

After concluding his discussion with Palace Master Zhou Yu that day, Ye Qin had returned directly to Fire Mist Island via the teleportation array. Having been separated from Huangfu Bing'er for a long time, their spousal affection needed no further mention.

"Brother Ye! Madam Ye, you have finally appeared!" Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up, and he quickly strode forward, laughing heartily. He had seen Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er appear together during the Island Seizing Assembly, so he naturally recognized Huangfu Bing'er.

"Greetings, Brother Zhou! The Palace Master mentioned there were still a few days until the celebration, so I returned to my spiritual island to handle some personal matters first. I apologize for making Brother Zhou wait." Ye Qin bowed and smiled.

"Greetings, Brother Zhou!" Huangfu Bing'er merely stood beside Ye Qin, offering a slight nod without saying much.

"No matter, so Brother Ye went back to accompany his wife; no wonder we haven't seen Brother Ye these past few days. Please, follow me inside; the Palace Master will be out soon." Zhou Yi smiled.

Ye Qin nodded faintly and stepped into the bustling Purple Sword Palace Hall alongside Huangfu Bing'er.

Inside the Purple Sword Grand Hall, numerous Core Formation cultivators from the Purple Sword Immortal Palace and the various assembled Immortal Palaces were surprised to see Zhou Yi personally escorting two early-stage Core Formation cultivators, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er, into the hall, leading to hushed whispers and speculation regarding the reason. Ye Qin scanned the assembled cultivators, feeling equally shaken internally. It was only in the last few days that he had clearly understood the formidable strength and vast influence the Purple Sword Immortal Palace held within the Northern Islands. This explained Palace Master Zhou Yu’s ambition to contend for the Northern Sect Master seat, one of the five great sects of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

The Purple Sword Immortal Palace commanded as many as five Nascent Soul cultivators, eighty-four Core Formation cultivators, two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, and tens of thousands of Qi Condensation cultivators. This immense power profoundly shocked Ye Qin. It was worth noting that in the Spiritual Mist cultivation world of the Central Plains Continent, the Azure Pill Sect from which Ye Qin originated possessed only eight Core Formation ancestors and was still considered one of the eight top-tier cultivation sects. Yet, the Purple Sword Immortal Palace alone boasted over eighty Core Formation cultivators—a number that surpassed the total of all eight major sects of the Spiritual Mist world combined. Furthermore, the Purple Sword Immortal Palace possessed five Nascent Soul cultivators. In the East Sea cultivation world, every Nascent Soul ancestor was powerful enough to establish their own Immortal Palace, gather a retinue of Core Formation followers, seize a large cluster of islands, and become an independent power. The Purple Sword Immortal Palace, including the Palace Master and the four Elders, had five such formidable ancestors. Immortal Palaces with this level of strength were rare in the East Sea. It could be said that the Purple Sword Immortal Palace ranked among the upper-echelon powers of the Northern Islands in the East Sea. Moreover, Palace Master Zhou Yu himself possessed exceptionally outstanding spiritual root talent, having reached the sixth layer of the Nascent Soul stage at just four to five hundred years old, making him one of the most potent contenders for the Heavenly Dao Alliance's Northern Sect Master position. Ye Qin had learned more details over these few days.

The Core Formation cultivators of the Purple Sword Immortal Palace comprised three main groups: direct disciples of the Zhou Clan, cultivators from external families who had married into the Zhou Clan, and external cultivators who had pledged allegiance to the Purple Sword Immortal Palace. Zhou Yi, Zhou Yao, and others were the cream of the crop among the direct Zhou Clan disciples, possessing excellent spiritual root potential, extremely high cultivation talent, youth, and rapid advancement speed—they were the meticulously cultivated talents of the Purple Sword Palace. Zhou Clan Core Formation disciples accounted for seventy-five percent of the Palace's total Core Formation count. Those who had intermarried with direct Zhou Clan members like Zhou Yi and Zhou Yao constituted the second group, the allied external Core Formation cultivators, making up twenty percent of the total. Ye Qin, an external cultivator who had not married into the Zhou Clan, belonged to the third group—those who had pledged allegiance—and accounted for less than half a percent, putting him in the distinct minority. The Palace Master of the Purple Sword Palace could only be a direct disciple of the Zhou Clan. However, the Elders of the Purple Sword Palace faced no such restriction; direct Zhou Clan disciples, allied external cultivators, or pledged external cultivators could all hold the position provided they rendered sufficiently great service to the Purple Sword Palace, or if they reached the Nascent Soul stage, which conferred automatic promotion to Elder. Although Ye Qin did not intend to remain dependent for long, having such a great backer as the Purple Sword Immortal Palace, even at his current first layer of Core Formation, offered him stability, which was immensely beneficial for his focused cultivation and for firmly establishing his footing in the East Sea cultivation world.