Chapter 413 - 3 Sects

Ye Xuanzhang’s figure grew increasingly faint, as if he had already detached himself from this plane of existence.

Xu Zhuang strained his Dharma Eye and could just make out a painted scroll of mountains and seas slowly unfurling in the deepest reaches of the void. Ye Xuanzhang gradually descended into it and disappeared. The scroll then snapped shut, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

A Dharma treasure left behind by an Ancient Loose Immortal, or perhaps an Immortal Mansion Grotto Heaven in itself. It visited the Profound Yellow Realm only once every three hundred years, and this time, it seemed to have stayed for no more than the blink of an eye.

‘Never mind Nanzhan… it’s uncertain if he’s even in the Profound Yellow Realm anymore.’

Aboard the Gate of Life’s magic altar, Xu Zhuang received the message from his returning Dharma Body, his expression barely shifting.

‘He had a faint premonition that he and Ye Xuanzhang would indeed meet again, just perhaps not anytime soon.’

Xu Zhuang gazed out. Beyond the Gate of Life, a floral raft drifted through the clouds, and on the sea’s surface, a treasure ship could be seen approaching.

Over the past dozen or so days, cultivators from mystic sects and Independent Cultivators alike had caught wind of the events and flocked to the area. The Demon Sect, meanwhile, had fallen completely silent.

Perhaps after lying dormant for ten thousand years, this minor setback meant little to the four great Demon Sects. But this time, the victory ultimately belonged to the Tai Su Orthodox Sect.

Watching the mystic cultivators—some energized, others filled with aspiration, their admiring gazes occasionally drifting toward the magic altar—Xu Zhuang thought to himself, ‘Once things here are settled, perhaps I can go to the Beiji Pavilion for some quiet cultivation.’

‘A place of austerity is also a place of tranquility.’ Xu Zhuang felt that no matter his level of attainment, he needed to spend a period of time in quiet contemplation and practice.

As he was lost in thought, Xu Zhuang suddenly glanced at the sky. He knew that by afternoon, a light breeze and a slanting rain would arrive once more.

The wind and rain were not heavy, yet they traveled far and wide. Before long, they had swept across the Divine Continent, falling upon the entire world.

…

「The Central Plains. The Celestial Pillar of Shen Zhou.」

“The foremost Venerable of the Mystic Sects?”

A group of young Daoists, their hair not yet bound in topknots, were gathered together, chattering noisily.

“That’s what everyone is saying.” A young Daoist bobbed his head, speaking as if he’d been an eyewitness, his voice rising and falling with dramatic flair. “‘In one battle, he severed the Three Primal Mires; single-handedly, he held the pass against a tide of fiends!’ The descent of Chengxuan, a millennium of immortal grace… He truly lives up to his name.”

Another young Daoist’s jaw tensed. “Nonsense!” he snapped. “Our Upper Profound Sect still has Elder Zhong Shenxiu! When did it become an outsider’s turn to be called the foremost Venerable of the Mystic Sects?”

“Elder Zhong and Venerable Dao Miao were already equals in fame. Now…”

“Elder Zhong could have done the same thing.”

Seeing that the little devils hadn’t dispersed after his sermon, the old Daoist listened in for a moment. Then, collecting himself, he let out a soft cough.

The group of young Daoists jumped in alarm. One bowed and said, “Elder Lv, we were just talking.” Another simply blurted out, “Elder Lv, I still have lessons to finish. I’ll take my leave!”

In the ensuing chaos, the young Daoists quickly vanished from sight.

The old Daoist just shook his head, muttering to himself, “It’s spread so wildly that even these little ones are talking about it like they’re experts.”

Zong Yangzi, who had once studied the Dao under him, happened to be visiting that day. Hearing the elder’s words, he laughed. “News has always traveled fast in the Divine Continent. For something this momentous, it only takes a few days before it’s common knowledge…”

Zong Yangzi raised a hand to his chin. Despite his youth, he had already grown a short beard, which he stroked thoughtfully. “Even before Zaidaizi of the Spirit Treasure Sect burst onto the scene, people were calling Venerable Dao Miao and Junior Martial Uncle Zhong the ‘Twin Prodigies.’ Now that Venerable Dao Miao has accomplished something so astonishing, it’s truly awe-inspiring.”

“I’m honestly curious myself. Between Junior Martial Uncle Zhong and Venerable Dao Miao, who is more deserving of the title ‘Foremost Venerable of the Mystic Sects’?”

After all, the history behind the titles ‘Twin Prodigies’ and ‘Foremost Venerable of the Mystic Sects’ was something of a legend within the Upper Profound Sect.

The sect’s founder was magnanimous and never intended to conceal the truth from future generations. As a result, many disciples now knew the full story behind the ‘Twin Prodigies of Profound Yellow’ title…

The old Daoist cleared his throat and admonished him, “Superior or inferior… is that determined by comparing Divine Techniques? The Primordial Spirit Dao, eternal and carefree life, even the ultimate true Pure Yang and the attainment of Immortal Merits—these are what a true cultivator seeks.”

“Oh?” Zong Yangzi smiled. “Then I understand your meaning, Master Lv.”

“According to the rumors, while Venerable Dao Miao’s Divine Techniques are vast, he has yet to achieve the Great Accomplishment stage of his Nascent Soul. Junior Martial Uncle Zhong, on the other hand, has already refined the third layer, perfecting his profound arts. He’s even gone to the Profound City Dojo to listen to a sermon.”

“The Profound City Dojo?” Hearing this, Elder Lv shot Zong Yangzi a look, thinking to himself, ‘He even knows about that? This boy is truly being valued by the sect.’

Zong Yangzi, oblivious, continued, “So, you also think Junior Martial Uncle Zhong has the upper hand, Master Lv.”

“COUGH. COUGH. COUGH.” Elder Lv coughed sharply. “For individuals of their caliber, refining the third layer is merely a natural progression. As for who is truly superior, time will tell. It’s not for outsiders to judge.”

Zong Yangzi burst out laughing at his reaction. Elder Lv, realizing he was being teased, said with annoyance, “You rascal! Instead of focusing on your cultivation, what are you doing here bothering an old man like me?”

Zong Yangzi reined in his cheeky behavior and smiled. “Master Lv, after visiting you, I’ll be returning to my residence to enter seclusion and begin Solidifying my Pill.”

“Oh?” Elder Lv grunted in surprise, looking him up and down for a moment before nodding slowly.

…

「The South Sea Coast. Zeji Land.」

A majestic Divine Peak rising from the coast was a truly illogical sight.

But stranger still were the legends of an immortal gate, said to lie at the summit of this Divine Peak, high above the layers of clouds.

This was a legend that had existed in Zeji Land since ancient times, but it was also a well-known fact throughout the Divine Continent’s Cultivation Realm. For this mountain was the location of Inverted Mountain, the gate to the Spirit Treasure Orthodox Sect, one of the three great mystic sects.

This single peak was not the entirety of Inverted Mountain. Upon reaching its summit, one would discover a fantastical, painting-like vista of the immortals. A magnificent Cloud Bridge extended from the cliff’s edge, slanting up into the heavens until it reached another, distant mountaintop—