Volume 3 Chapter 12

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Volume 3 Chapter 12: Zhantai

To the east of the bustling Middle-earth and south of the glacial Arctic, there stands a magnificent mountain reaching a thousand feet high, named "Wuling Mountain." Near the boundless East Sea, it boasts beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. Although this mountain is neither the tallest nor the most spectacular in the vast Shenzhou Continent, it is certainly the most unforgettable.

"In spring, the mountains smile gently; in summer, they are lush and green; in autumn, they are clear and adorned; in winter, they are bleak and asleep." This is Yunyouzi’s description of Wuling Mountain in "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas—Mountain Sea Chapter." "Rivers boil, mountain tombs burst, cliffs become banks, deep valleys become hills," is how the renowned book "Wandering" describes Wuling Mountain. The stunning beauty of Wuling Mountain can be glimpsed in these poetic writings.

Xu Qingfan had long yearned to see the scenery of Wuling Mountain from various books, yet he never had the chance to witness it himself. Two years ago, during his travels, he couldn’t visit due to time constraints. But this Newcomer Comparison gave Xu Qingfan the perfect opportunity to fulfill his long-held wish.

In the mortal world, there exists a legend that the peak of Wuling Mountain is the dwelling place of legendary immortals, and only such beings could reside in a mountain of such majestic mystery. It is said that anyone who can reach the top of Wuling Mountain could be taken as an immortal’s disciple. Alas, for thousands of years, no mortal has ever climbed to the peak of Wuling Mountain, even though its slopes are not particularly steep.

For thousands of years, countless mortals, strong and ambitious, have vowed to climb to the top of Wuling Mountain to see its full view or be accepted by immortals as disciples. But without exception, they all get lost halfway up and mysteriously return to the foot of the mountain. Thus, the belief that immortals reside at the top of Wuling Mountain has only grown stronger among mortals.

A thousand years ago, the king of a powerful kingdom vowed to visit the top of Wuling Mountain to witness the legendary immortals. He gathered countless strong men from his country to carve a path through the mountain. However, the stones of Wuling Mountain were exceedingly hard, and after ten years of effort and tremendous resources, only a few miles of mountain road were opened. The endeavor left the kingdom in ruins, and it was eventually conquered by a neighboring nation. Since then, no one has dared attempt to open a path to Wuling Mountain.

In truth, no immortals reside permanently at the top of Wuling Mountain, but it is protected by barriers and formations set by cultivators, making it inaccessible to mortals.

The top of Wuling Mountain is a basin-shaped plateau covering dozens of acres. Being a high-altitude basin, it enjoys a mild climate with eternal spring, unlike other mountain peaks that are snow-covered and freezing. Cultivators refer to this place as "Zhantai."

In order to ensure fairness in the Newcomer Competition, the six Holy Lands have set the venue at Zhantai, holding the event every sixty years. The Newcomer Competition officially claims to encourage progress among newcomers in the Immortal Realm and strengthen the bonds between factions, but in reality, each faction hopes to use the Newcomer Competition every sixty years to gauge the strength of the others.

Although Zhantai has been the site of the Newcomer Competition since the founding of the six Holy Lands, its significance to the Immortal Realm goes far beyond that.

Tens of thousands of years ago, various powerful races coexisted on the Shenzhou Continent, with humans being the most insignificant and oppressed. During that time, the strongest human leaders met in Zhantai to discuss how to drive out other races and strengthen humanity.

Ten thousand years ago, demon cultivators wreaked havoc across the Shenzhou Continent, leading to countless deaths among cultivators and mortals. Fed up, the cultivators held a grand gathering in Zhantai and vowed to eradicate demon cultivators.

Four thousand years ago, the Demon Lord emerged, causing a great disaster in the Cultivation World. The six Holy Lands united with various sects to discuss strategies, and the meeting took place in Zhantai.

Therefore, Zhantai is not only the venue for the cultivation world Newcomer Competition held every sixty years, but also the first place cultivators think of when the cultivation world faces disasters. It is the fixed location for major meetings among the great sects of the cultivation world, and in some ways, it symbolizes the cultivation world itself.

Because of Zhantai’s great significance, no sect has ever dared to claim it as their own, even though the area is rich in Spirit Qi, strange beasts, and Spiritual Herbs.

Silently pondering the various details about Wuling Mountain and Zhantai, Xu Qingfan was eager to explore their entirety.

Wuling Mountain is about 69,000 miles from Jiuhua Mountain, but the cloud beneath Xu Qingfan’s feet was conjured by several elders of the Jiuhua Gate. Despite carrying hundreds of Jiuhua disciples, its speed still far surpassed Xu Qingfan’s Nimbus Cloud. Therefore, in less than three days, the mountain scenery of Wuling Mountain loomed into view for Xu Qingfan.

At the edge of the bustling Middle-earth, countless peaks of various sizes stood tall, like waves of mountains layered upon each other. Amidst this rugged landscape, a majestic mountain towered into the clouds, its grandeur not compromising its graceful beauty, leaving a lasting impression—it was the renowned Wuling Mountain of the Shenzhou Continent.

As Xu Qingfan marveled at the distant Wuling Mountain, expressing, "The ancients did not deceive me," the scenery quickly drew closer. In an instant, the cloud beneath his feet carried everyone to the mountainside of Wuling Mountain. Upon closer inspection, the mountain’s grandeur was even more striking. But before they could observe further, the elders of Jiuhua Gate guided the cloud swiftly upwards towards the peak.

After ascending more than a hundred feet, radiant lights suddenly shimmered above everyone’s heads. Amidst the celestial glow, a gap slowly opened in the clouds encircling Wuling Mountain, allowing the Jiuhua Mountain group to continue their ascent.

After experiencing this scene repeatedly three times during their ascent, the summit of Wuling Mountain finally appeared before the Jiuhua Mountain group.

Atop Wuling Mountain was a basin covering several acres, filled with ancient trees, peculiar flowers, and exotic herbs. The abundant Spirit Qi created an idyllic paradise-like scene.

In the basin, a magnificent jade platform stood tall in the southernmost part, with hundreds of dignified cultivators seated upon it. Some had white hair, some looked stern, and some appeared wise and ethereal. Regardless of their appearance, their eyes were filled with spiritual light, and although their Spirit Qi fluctuations were subtle, they were incredibly powerful. Clearly, these were the sect leaders and elders from various schools here to attend the Newcomer Competition.

Below the platform, four to five thousand cultivators stood quietly. Compared to those on the platform, these cultivators were much younger and less powerful, ranging from the Lingji Stage to the Qi Refining Stage. They were evidently the younger generation of disciples sent by their sects to participate in or observe the Newcomer Competition.

Seeing so many powerful cultivators before him, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but feel a bit awed. Xu Qingfan had never seen such a large gathering of cultivators before, let alone so many with such impressive skills.

These cultivators will likely be the elite of the cultivation world for the next century. Although their temperaments vary, each one emanates strong confidence, clearly accustomed to being proud of their talent and strength.

But among these four to five thousand young elite cultivators, how many would reach the Condensed Core Stage? Xu Qingfan suddenly wondered.

Perhaps four or five hundred years ago, people like Zhang Hualing and Zhou Huahai, as well as the elders on the platform, were also standing quietly below, waiting for the Newcomer Competition to start. Back then, they were surrounded by thousands of equally skilled peers, but now, how many have reached Core Formation? Just look at the mere two to three hundred on the platform in the Condensed Core Stage.

As Xu Qingfan was lost in thought, the cloud beneath his feet continued on, drifting towards the platform. At the same time, the hundreds of Core Formation experts on the platform stood up and gracefully floated over to greet the Jiuhua group.

"Shame on us! Jiuhua Mountain is the closest to Wuling Mountain, yet we arrived the latest. We owe you apologies, dear Taoist friends," Zhang Hualing said with a chuckle, bowing slightly as they approached the welcoming Core Formation experts.

"Sect Master Zhang, there’s no need to be so polite. We, too, have just arrived. Besides, there’s still more than a quarter of an hour until the set time. Sect Master Zhang, you are not late; we are early," replied a middle-aged man with a prosperous look, bowing and smiling in response.

Along the way, Bao Qingfang, the top expert among the Jiuhua Gate disciples of the "Qing" lineage, had already introduced the features of the sect leaders and some well-known elders coming to participate in the Newcomer Competition to Xu Qingfan and the others. So when Xu Qingfan saw this person, he glanced at him slightly and realized that he was Zeng Lianxian, the Sect Master of the "Five Elements Sect" among the six great Holy Lands.

Seven people approached first; among them, the frail old man with a face full of suffering and wearing sackcloth barefoot was Venerable Xuan Jian, the representative from Penance Valley. The elderly woman in white with a stern expression next to him was Li Tianying, the head of the "White Lady Palace" from the six great Holy Lands; as for the bald elderly man in a gray robe with a kindly face, he should be Qinglingzi, the sect leader of "Qingxu Gate." The man furthest left, with a demeanor full of solemnity and white eyebrows, was Master Xu Heng, the abbot of "Zen Cloud Temple."

Besides the Sect Masters from the six great Holy Lands, two people also caught Xu Qingfan’s attention. One was a very tall man with ragged clothes, a bare chest, disheveled hair, and golden rings hanging from all limbs, likely Man Tian, the chief of the great hall of the "Eight Wilderness Hall." The other was a white-haired Taoist in Bagua attire, likely Taoist Jiuze, the Sect Master of "Liuhe Gate."

Both "Eight Wilderness Hall" and "Liuhe Gate" have strength and reputation in the cultivation world just below the six great Holy Lands, with considerable influence, and have always harbored ambitions towards Jiuhua Gate’s status as a Holy Land. In every Newcomer Competition, these two sects achieve results closest to Jiuhua Gate and sometimes even surpass it. Xu Qingfan often heard Zhao Qingxuan say that whenever he encountered disciples from these two sects, their words were often arrogant and disrespectful, clearly not taking Jiuhua Gate seriously.

Of the two, "Eight Wilderness Hall" poses a greater threat to Jiuhua Gate. It’s said that the eight chiefs of "Eight Wilderness Hall" each have cultivation at the late stage of the Golden Core Stage, with numerous disciples under them, skilled in mysterious techniques and proficient in physical arts, as well as controlling monstrous insects. Their strength is formidable. Moreover, since "Eight Wilderness Hall" was established more recently, it couldn’t occupy any spiritual mountains rich in Spirit Qi in the Shenzhou Continent and had to settle for eight relatively Spirit Qi-abundant but remote areas where they built their halls to reside. Because these halls are located in desolate surroundings, they named themselves "Eight Wilderness Hall."

However, because the Spirit Qi in Eight Wilderness Hall is relatively thin, and although this sect excels in physical arts and controlling monstrous insects in the cultivation world, overall, their cultivation methods are not as profound and mysterious as those of the six great Holy Lands. Additionally, since the sect has been established for a shorter time, it has fewer accumulated resources, which makes them particularly envious of Jiuhua Gate’s Spirit Qi-rich Jiuhua Mountain, its thousands of years of accumulated resources, and the mystical techniques within the sect.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan looked at Man Tian, the chief of the "Eight Wilderness Hall," who appeared honest and was nodding and smiling at Zhang Hualing with a kind expression, seemingly without any malice. However, Xu Qingfan knew that anyone who could cultivate to the Golden Core Stage had extraordinary intelligence, and Man Tian was no exception. His real nature couldn’t possibly be as simple as his appearance suggested, just like his opinion of Jiuhua Gate wouldn’t be as friendly as his expression seemed.

In comparison to "Eight Wilderness Hall," "Liuhe Gate" poses a slightly smaller threat to Jiuhua Mountain, but is still not an easy rival. "Liuhe Gate" has an establishment time as long as the six great Holy Lands and excels in formations, talismans, and sealing arts. Their cultivation methods are exceptionally mysterious, easily harnessing the forces of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Since their lower-ranked disciples often travel in the mortal world to exorcise demons and bring rain, their reputation among mortals is extremely high. Many legends of gods among mortals may well be created by this sect.

It is precisely because "Liuhe Gate" has a very high reputation in the mortal world that countless exceptionally talented individuals have chosen to join them, making the cultivators of "Liuhe Gate" some of the highest in the Immortal Realm among major sects. However, the reason "Liuhe Gate" has such strength but is still not one of the six great Holy Lands or the seventh Holy Land is that their cultivation method has certain flaws. After their disciples reach the Condensed Core Stage, their cultivation speed becomes extremely slow, resulting in only four or five masters at the Golden Core Stage, and not a single master at the Mahayana Stage.

Therefore, while the ambition of "Liuhe Gate" to annex Jiuhua Gate is not as intense as that of the "Eight Wilderness Hall," if they are given the chance to acquire the various mysterious cultivation methods of Jiuhua Gate and compare them with their methods, they certainly wouldn’t pass up the opportunity. Moreover, the members of Liuhe Gate have always had a notable obsession with the term "Holy Land," so Jiuhua Gate surely remains cautious toward them.

At this moment, the sect leader of Liuhe Gate, Taoist Jiuze, had a calm expression, showing no joy or sorrow, with not the slightest emotional fluctuation. He merely nodded slightly to Zhang Hualing, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.

In addition, among the many Condensed Core Stage experts who had arrived, Xu Qingfan spotted familiar faces like Bowie, Xuan Xian, and Xuan Xiu. They, too, noticed Xu Qingfan and exchanged slight nods of acknowledgment.

After Zhang Hualing Zhou Huahai and others greeted the incoming sect leaders and elders, the white cloud below them split into dozens of smaller clouds. Each carried Jiuhua Gate’s elders and the sect leaders and elders from other sects towards the white jade platform. Meanwhile, the large cloud carrying Xu Qingfan and the others slowly flew towards the area where thousands of disciples from different sects stood below the jade platform.

Upon reaching the jade platform, the large cloud gently descended, and then it dispersed into nothingness. As Xu Qingfan felt his feet firmly on the ground, a surge of nervousness gripped him, knowing that he was about to represent Jiuhua Gate in the Newcomer Competition among the major sects.

Along the way, Xu Qingfan had many conversations with the other four disciples participating in the Newcomer Competition. Jin Qinghan, being Xu Qingfan’s long-time close friend, was naturally congenial. Both Lv Qingshang and Wang Qingjun were also quite friendly towards Xu Qingfan, even though Lv Qingshang seemed a bit downcast, and Wang Qingjun remained as taciturn as ever. As for Feng Qingtian, he remained his usual aloof self, often replying after Xu Qingfan spoke two or three sentences. Nevertheless, the concerns Xu Qingfan had about others being discontent with him did not materialize.

However, this also meant that Xu Qingfan felt even more pressure in the Newcomer Competition because he knew that if Jiuhua Gate didn’t perform well under his leadership, he would have little excuse to offer.

After landing, Xu Qingfan first looked up at the platform and saw that Zhang Hualing and the others from Jiuhua Gate had taken their seats. Zhang Hualing was seated on one of the six slightly larger chairs at the front, alongside the Sect Masters of the other Five Holy Lands, indicating that these seats were designated for the Sect Masters of the six Holy Lands.

Behind these six seats were over twenty slightly smaller ones. Man Tian and Taoist Jiuze were seated there, along with more than twenty cultivators of varying temperaments, evidently set for the Sect Masters of factions other than the six Holy Lands.

Including Zhou Huahai, the rest of the Jiuhua Gate elders took their seats in the farthest section, accompanied by two or three hundred people, evidently all elders from various sects.

While Xu Qingfan observed the elite Condensed Core Stage experts on the high platform, he suddenly felt a dozen sharp glances directed at him, most with a provocative intent. He furrowed his brows slightly but knew it wasn’t the time to show weakness, so he calmly returned their gaze.

As he looked at those scrutinizing him, Xu Qingfan noticed they were all at least at the late stage of the Inedia Stage, with most reaching the Lingji Stage. Each one looked proud, likely the top among the lower-level disciples of their sects. The common feature among them was the three purple stripes on their robes, marking them as the leaders of their sects’ participants in the Newcomer Competition.

Glancing at the three distinctive purple stripes on his own robe, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but smile wryly, realizing they all saw him as a formidable rival.

Among the leaders of the various sects in the Newcomer Competition, a few particularly caught Xu Qingfan’s attention.

First was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and kind gaze, one of the few whose look didn’t hold provocation. Next to him, Xu Qingfan noticed Lv Ziqing, Shang Nianyao, Xu Xiurong, and others from Qingxu Gate, evidently the leaders in the Newcomer Competition. To Xu Qingfan’s surprise, despite Lv Ziqing and Shang Nianyao’s strength, neither was leading Qingxu Gate, showing the formidable power of Qingxu Gate.

Seeing familiar faces, Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded at Lv Ziqing and the others, and Lv Ziqing and Shang Nianyao nodded back. Xu Xiurong, upon meeting Xu Qingfan’s gaze, blushed slightly and lowered her head.

Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but chuckle at Xu Xiurong’s reaction, amazed that even after nearly three years, she was still so easily bashful.

However, what captured Xu Qingfan’s attention even more were a few others.

First, there was a young man in a traditional robe, with an arrogant expression and the cultivation level of the middle stage of the Lingji Stage. He was surrounded by a dozen fellow cultivators, all dressed in similar robes, like stars around the moon. Clearly, he was the cultivator representing the "Liuhe Gate" at this Newcomer Competition.

Next was a young girl in white with a cold expression, who stared at him with icy eyes, without caring if he looked back. Though her appearance was ordinary, she had an air of aloof beauty. She was surrounded entirely by women, obviously disciples of the "White Lady Palace."

Then there were five middle-aged men who looked remarkably similar, each wearing clothes of gold, red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the five elements of the earth. They were evidently disciples of the Five Elements Sect, but their resemblance made Xu Qingfan wonder if they might be brothers.

The one who caught Xu Qingfan’s attention the most was someone with a child’s appearance and stature. Yet the person’s eyes were indifferent, contrasting with the childish looks. The face was dirty, the clothes were tattered, and golden rings adorned the limbs. He seemed to be a disciple of the "Eight Wilderness Hall," standing among their crowd. However, the other disciples of the "Eight Wilderness Hall" kept their distance, as if they feared the child-like figure. Xu Qingfan, too, sensed a threat from him stronger than even Feng Qingtian.

"Dong…"

Just as Xu Qingfan and the leaders from various factions participating in the Newcomer Competition were observing each other, a clear and resonant bell rang out. With the sound, Xuan Jian from the Penance Valley rose from his seat and slowly floated into the air.

Due to the unique nature of Penance Valley, even the lowest members are rogue cultivators who have been famous in the cultivation world for many years, much stronger than disciples from other sects who have been in their sect for less than a hundred years. Therefore, Penance Valley usually does not send members to participate in the Newcomer Competition, but generally serves as judges instead.

Xuan Jian floated three zhang above the jade platform, glanced at the disciples below, and said slowly, "The Newcomer Competition is about to begin. I shall now announce the rules to all of you, my taoist friends."