Time flew by, and before long, the day of the opening of Dragon Mountain Blessed Land had arrived.
Dragon Mountain Peak:
This place sat at the crossroads of Spring Autumn Sect, Floating Cloud Sword Sect, Mountain River Sect, and Burning Incense Valley. None of the sects could claim this area.
Legend had it that an ancient divine dragon, wounded and weary, had once passed through this place. It had bled over the area, giving rise to the present-day Dragon Mountain Blessed Land.
Whether this tale held any truth was a mystery, but it was undeniable that the primeval qi here was more tumultuous than in any other place.
In addition to the chaotic primeval qi, numerous spatial rifts had appeared near the mountain's summit.
No one knew what lay beyond these rifts.
Behind them were possibly barren ruins or a lush paradise. However, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that the violent spatial storms would tear apart anyone entering the rifts.
The four great sects had discovered the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land a hundred years ago by chance.
Beyond a particular spatial rift lay a miniature world, a blessed land teeming with resources. Given its location, it was named the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land.
Under the lead of the Outer Sect Master Zhuo Bufan and several outer sect elders, Chen Fan and the other top 10 outer sect disciples rode a flying ship and arrived at the Dragon Mountain Peak.
The flying ship slowly descended.
There were already quite a number of people present on the Dragon Mountain Peak.
Judging from their attire, it seemed there were three groups, each representing one of the other great sects.
Those with mountains and rivers embroidered on their uniforms were from the Mountain River Sect.
Those with an incense burner embroidered on their uniforms were from Burning Incense Valley.
Finally, those with clouds and swords embroidered on their uniforms were from the Floating Cloud Sword Sect.
Chen Fan and the others were also wearing similar uniforms. A divine door was embroidered on their chests, depicting two contrasting scenes, one of spring and the other of autumn.
“Sect Master Zhuo, I didn’t think you’d personally lead the group here this time. What a rare sight!” The chaperones of the three great sects greeted Zhuo Bufan, seeing him and his group disembarking from the flying boat.
Zhuo Bufan smiled and said, “I had nothing better to do, so I thought I might as well follow them here and take a look. I didn’t expect the other three great sects to have arrived first.”
The leading elder of the Mountain River Sect was Cai Chixia, known for his short temper despite his advanced age and formidable strength.
The leading elder of Burning Incense Valley was a striking middle-aged woman with a gentle countenance that seemed to exude an ethereal aura, as if she were enveloped in mist, resembling an immortal. Her name was Yu Shengyan.
As for the leading elder of the Floating Cloud Sword Sect, Leng Feng, his demeanor matched his name, akin to an unyielding block of ice that wouldn’t thaw even after millennia. Such aloofness was typical of sword practitioners, known for their cold and proud dispositions. [1]
“Sect Master Zhuo, since your Spring Autumn Sect is here as well, let’s not delay things any further. Let’s work together and open up the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land,” Leng Feng said coldly, his tone as cold and sharp as a sword.
Zhuo Bufan remained unruffled by Leng Feng's demeanor, fully aware of his character.
“Brat, it turns out you’re a disciple of the Spring Autumn Sect!” a cold voice interjected.
“That’s right,” Chen Fan said plainly, having noticed Wang Tengfei long before.
“Very good. I've been searching high and low for you, but it was as if you had vanished from the world. So you’re a disciple of the Spring Autumn Sect. Great!”
Wang Tengfei’s eyes were cold, and so was his tone.
“What’s the matter?” Leng Feng asked coldly.
Wang Tengfei answered, “Elder Leng, here's what happened. A month ago, I went to World’s End Pavilion to bid on the Realm Breaking Pill on my cousin’s behalf, only to be unexpectedly robbed by this brat...”
“Oh? Something actually happened.”
Leng Feng's gaze turned as sharp as a sword, and he looked toward Zhuo Bufan. “Sect Master Zhuo, one of your disciples has shamelessly plundered a Realm Breaking Pill from our sect's disciple like a common bandit. You must provide an explanation to our Floating Cloud Sword Sect for this matter!”
“Oh ho, what a guy you are, Chen Fan. You've truly shamed our Spring Autumn Sect by pilfering others' treasures like a bandit. You’re not worthy to be our sect’s disciple. Sect Master, I propose we cripple Chen Fan’s cultivation and hand him over to Floating Cloud Sword Sect for appropriate retribution. Our Spring Autumn Sect must never allow such scum to tarnish our reputation.”
Chen Changfeng spoke out before Zhuo Bufan could utter a word, expressing his righteous indignation.
“Sect Master, I believe Chen Changfeng's words ring true. Scoundrels like Chen Fan bring disgrace and dishonor to our Spring Autumn Sect. We must administer severe punishment,” added the Jade-Faced Playboy, He Junyang, with a cold smile.
Meanwhile, Zhong Li, Wang Tengfei, and the others looked on at Chen Fan with cold smiles.
Zhuo Bufan’s expression turned ugly.
Though initially trivial, this situation had now been blown out of proportion by the others, turning into a source of ridicule for the Spring Autumn Sect.
The fact that a disciple of the righteous path had resorted to banditry to acquire treasures would indeed become a matter of shame for the sect if it were to spread.
“Chen Fan, what is the truth of this matter?” Zhuo Bufan inquired sternly, fully aware that he couldn't simply accept Wang Tengfei's one-sided account and condemn Chen Fan outright.
“A bunch of idiots!” Chen Fan scoffed, regarding Chen Changfeng, He Junyang, and the others as mere buffoons. He shifted his gaze toward Wang Tengfei, who wore a smug expression, and said, “And you, you're the biggest fool of them all! 'Dumb as a pig' suits you perfectly, don't you think?”
“What, you dare call me ‘dumb as a pig?!’” Wang Tengfei’s cold smile froze in anger.
Chen Fan calmly said, “Considering you 'dumb as a pig' is already me being generous. Making up lies in front of others... Do you think everyone here is an idiot and you are some genius mastermind?”
“And what do you mean, your Realm Breaking Pill? Are all Floating Cloud Sword Sect disciples idiots like you? Simply inquire at the World's End Pavilion, and you'll discover who won the bid. Yet here you are, shamelessly claiming it as your own. Have you no shame?”
Chen Fan’s words caused Wang Tengfei’s face to flush red like a pig’s liver.
“Chen Fan, what exactly happened?” Zhuo Bufan asked softly.
“Reporting to Sect Master. A month ago, the World’s End Pavilion held an auction featuring a Realm Breaking Pill as its centerpiece. However, Lin Ba from the Watermoon City’s Lin Clan ultimately won it.”
“Afterward, Lin Ba and his group intercepted me and Senior Sister Qin Yao, demanding we hand over the Fire Spirit Chalcedony we had bought. Naturally, I was unwilling to comply, and in the ensuing confrontation, I ended up killing Lin Ba's group. Then, Wang Tengfei’s group jumped out, trying to be the oriole behind the mantis, but ended up getting injured by this disciple and fled.”
Chen Fan recounted the events succinctly. “Sect Master, a simple inquiry at the World's End Pavilion will reveal the truth about the Realm Breaking Pill.”
Zhuo Bufan's eyes gleamed as he turned to Leng Feng, whose expression had soured. “Elder Leng Feng, your disciple has his version of events, and mine has another. Mere words won't resolve this matter. In my opinion, we should delay the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land opening and first clarify this issue. Let’s each send a disciple from our great sect to the World’s End Pavilion to find out the truth. What do you think?”
Leng Feng’s expression became incomparably ugly. He glanced at the visibly anxious Wang Tengfei and swiftly reached a conclusion.
“Sect Master Zhuo, this matter is just a simple misunderstanding. There’s no need to disrupt our harmony over such a small matter. Now that everyone’s here, we should quickly open the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land without wasting time on insignificant issues,” Cai Chixia of the Mountain River Sect interjected, seeking to mediate the situation.
1. Leng Feng literally means cold edge ?