Translator: Lynn
The cave, although small, could only accommodate one person entering and exiting through its door. Inside, it had a radius of about ten feet. However, the aura within the cave was much denser than what could be sensed from the outside.
Xu Ziqing entered the cave and sat down cross-legged. He raised his hand to cast a restraint, completely sealing the cave. But before he could settle down, two golden lights suddenly flashed, striking the restraint he had set up. The restraint was instantly enveloped in a faint golden light, with a touch of cold killing intent.
At some point, a white-clad figure with an ethereal appearance sat opposite Xu Ziqing.
Xu Ziqing was slightly surprised. “Brother Yun?” he immediately composed himself. In the past, Yun Lie rarely took the initiative to appear. Whenever he did, it meant that Xu Ziqing had done something wrong, and it seemed to be the case now. So he immediately reflected on his actions.
Observing his solemnity, Yun Lie’s eyes flickered, and he spoke, “It’s not about your words and deeds. You don’t need to do that.”
Xu Ziqing felt embarrassed and coughed lightly. “…I was thinking too much,” he said. Then he asked, “Brother Yun, do you have something to tell me?”
Yun Lie replied, “You can share what’s on your mind.”
Xu Ziqing felt touched. “So Brother Yun understands me…”
Yun Lie’s expression was cold, and his tone remained calm. “If you establish a foundation here, you will become a member of my Xiaozhu Peak. We belong to the same family, and we have known each other for a long time. There’s no need to overthink it.” Xu Ziqing’s eyes softened significantly upon hearing this.
“Xu Ziqing understands Brother Yun’s intentions,” he said.
Yun Lie nodded slightly. “Just ask.”
With his worries alleviated, Xu Ziqing asked as before, “Brother Yun, do you know who the gatekeepers of the Dragon Ascension Gate are? And why is there this Dragon Ascension Gate Conference?”
Yun Lie pondered for a moment before answering, “There are numerous small worlds surrounding the vast world of Qingyun, and 371 of them are connected to the big world through the Dragon Ascension Gate. The Dragon Ascension Gate contains a turbulent storm that periodically closes. Every ten years, when the storm weakens, the gate can be opened to accept people from the small worlds, facilitating communication.”
Xu Ziqing secretly nodded, realizing that there was a reason behind this assembly occurring every ten years.
Yun Lie continued, “The gatekeepers of the Dragon Ascension Gate are all Golden Core stage cultivator realm cultivators.”
This revelation shocked Xu Ziqing.
Golden Core stage cultivator? Did that mean their cultivation bases were higher than those of his companions?
Yun Lie glanced at him indifferently and proceeded to explain the matter in its entirety.
It turned out that millions of years ago, a powerful individual had discovered that the big and small worlds were connected by the rising dragon gate. They spread this news throughout the vast world. As a result, within a few decades, hundreds of dragon gates were found. From then on, not only extremely powerful cultivators could enter the small worlds, but those with weaker cultivation bases could also visit.
However, the hurricane within the Dragon Gate raged, and only Golden Core stage cultivator cultivators could safely enter and exit under normal circumstances. There were very few individuals in the small worlds who had reached this level of cultivation. Many monks with exceptional potential had perished due to their shallow understanding, mistakenly believing that entering the dragon gate would enhance their physique. In response, many sects in the big world reached an agreement to send a Golden Core stage cultivator to the small worlds every ten years to act as a guardian, preventing numerous young, reckless, and overconfident geniuses from falling into danger.
However, the environment in the big world was vastly different from that of the small worlds, and many cultivators were engaged in life-and-death struggles. As a result, they were reluctant to come to the small worlds to serve as guards.
Afterward, numerous sects held discussions and finally reached a consensus.
Although the small world was limited in size, it had produced numerous geniuses over the years. However, due to the innate environment’s constraints, most cultivators in the small world faced a precarious path towards immortality. While the big world had no shortage of geniuses, it also had many outstanding disciples. So why not recruit individuals with exceptional aptitude from the small world? This gave rise to the concept of entering the Dragon Gate after the foundation building stage. There were two reasons for this choice.
First, even if the hurricane within the Dragon Gate weakened every ten years, those below the foundation building stage would meet their demise upon entering.
Second, only those who could successfully build a foundation in the harsh environment of the small world were considered worthy of gaining attention in the big world. If anyone could enter the big world to compete for resources, it would be unfair to those struggling within the big world.
At the same time, the Ascension to the Dragon Gate Conference was established to select individuals with exceptional qualifications. The various rules of the conference aimed to provide advantages to the most outstanding geniuses in the small world, opening doors for them, and giving the gatekeepers an opportunity to attract talent for their sects.
By offering greater temptations to geniuses, the major sects willingly sent Golden Core stage cultivators to act as guards in the small world. To prevent resentment, each cultivator only needed to stay for ten years and would not be re-elected. They were also allowed to bring third-order spiritual veins into the small world. This move did not hinder their cultivation and offered ample compensation. As time went on, it became a highly sought-after position.
The gatekeepers at the conference observed the geniuses with outstanding qualifications and secretly expressed their favor in an attempt to win them over. Although they couldn’t openly reveal their intentions, gatekeepers who appeared friendly could easily gain favor from the geniuses. Recruiting more talent would yield significant rewards for their sects. However, the gatekeepers were not exclusively from one sect. Instead, all the renowned sects near Shenglong Gate would negotiate among themselves and take turns.
Upon listening, Xu Ziqing immediately understood the situation.
It was peculiar that Tang Wenfei showed more politeness towards those with single spiritual roots. It turned out that it wasn’t him valuing single spiritual roots, but rather his sect and the resources it possessed.
Yun Lie’s Wuling Immortal Gate was also a major sect near Shenglong Gate, but this time, someone from their sect was not chosen as the gatekeeper.
After contemplating for a moment, Xu Ziqing asked, “Brother Yun, do you…” He hesitated to say “know him” and continued, “Are you familiar with Tang Wenfei?”
Yun Lie remained silent.
Observing this, Xu Ziqing felt a little embarrassed. He didn’t realize that it might be painful for Yun Lie to discuss Tang Wenfei. After all, Tang Wenfei was a Golden Core stage cultivator, and if Yun Lie didn’t know him, it was only natural…
Just as he was about to change the topic, Yun Lie spoke again, “I don’t know this person, but based on his attire, he is a member of Xiaoshui Immortal Sect.”
For some reason, Xu Ziqing felt that Yun Lie was struggling to remember, and his expression seemed peculiar. However, he dismissed it as an illusion and continued, “…Xiaoshui Immortal Sect?”
Yun Lie glanced at him and replied, “Xiaoshui Immortal Sect is a third-rank sect, and their introductory cultivation method is called ‘Liuyun Technique’.”
Xu Ziqing was intrigued to learn that sects were ranked, and he inquired about the Wuling Immortal Sect’s position. Yun Lie responded, “The Wuling Immortal Sect is ranked as a second-rank sect.” He continued, “The Xiaoshui Immortal Sect possesses a lower-rank heavenly cultivation method called the ‘Xiaoshui Zhenjing.’ It harnesses the power of the sky, flowing clouds, and the seas and flowing water. When cultivated to its peak, the flowing water and clouds merge into one, leading to ascension to immortality.”
Understanding the significance, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but sigh, “The Xiaoshui Immortal Sect possesses a heavenly-level cultivation technique! No wonder Senior Tang possesses such a cultivation level… If the Xiaoshui Immortal Sect is third-rank, what kind of background does the Wuling Immortal Sect have? Could it surpass it?”
Yun Lie fell silent this time and after a while, he replied, “…It’s hard to say.”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback and then chuckled, “I put you in a difficult spot, Brother Yun.”
Upon reflection, he realized that if the Wuling Immortal Sect could surpass the Xiaoshui Immortal Sect, there must be realms beyond its reach. He had asked impulsively, and given Yun Lie’s reserved nature, he probably couldn’t explain it immediately. It would be better to focus on his practice for now and gradually gain understanding after entering the immortal gate.
After the conversation with Yun Lie, Xu Ziqing felt overjoyed and became more confident about the funeral. He decided not to ask any more questions at the moment and sat down cross-legged.
As he began his cultivation, Xu Ziqing felt a slight swelling in his temples. Countless spiritual energy poured down from the heavenly spirit, rushing into his meridians like a torrent. The Twelve Orthodox Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians were all washed by this influx of spiritual power. His dantian also felt sore and swollen from the overwhelming amount of spiritual energy. The spiritual energy was continuously compressed into pure spiritual power, which circulated through the large and small circles, driving the practice of his techniques.
The spiritual power accumulated and transformed into a powerful torrent, flowing through his meridians. After unblocking several channels, it encountered a bottleneck. The torrent accumulated strength and gathered with the spiritual power behind it, then charged forward with determination, colliding again and again. With an inaudible crack, a hole was opened!
The torrent continued to flow, breaking through and opening more acupoints. The power of the spiritual energy penetrated so quickly that it created a swirling spiritual vortex above Xu Ziqing’s head.
This was the difference brought by the presence of a third-order spiritual vein compared to a normal environment. Xu Ziqing diligently cultivated the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique,” and the pure spiritual power in his body surged. It penetrated the remaining blocked meridians, completely opening the half-closed acupuncture points.
The torrent of spiritual power flowed smoothly through his inner world, integrating acupoints, meridians, and dantian into a cohesive system. This unique circulation of spiritual power established a profound connection with everything in his inner world.
Although Xu Ziqing felt the tingling pain as his meridians were cleansed, he found solace in the joy it brought. He sensed his spiritual power growing thicker and more vigorous than ever before. Yet, he yearned for more, feeling his dantian greedily devouring the spiritual energy and converting it into pure power.
In the midst of this, Xu Ziqing suddenly felt a change in his heart and opened his eyes. It had already dawned, and he realized that the night had passed unnoticed.
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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