Chapter 133: Azure Sun Sect

At noon the next day, the blazing sun hung high in a pristine sky.

Jiuyou's black robes draped over his tall, aloof figure as he strolled alone to the Ancient Teleportation Array.

He raised a hand, withdrew a flawlessly white, exclusive jade token, and presented it.

The deacons guarding the array swept their gazes over the token. Their expressions instantly turned solemn. Not daring to show the slightest neglect, they hurriedly bowed in greeting and stepped forward to guide him straight to the array's central, most prominent position.

This exceptional treatment entirely bypassed the dense, serpentine queues of waiting cultivators, placing him blatantly at the very front.

The area fell dead silent.

The thousands of cultivators in line watched this unfold. Their hearts tightened, eyes filled with awe. Not a single person dared voice a question, much less show the slightest hint of displeasure.

The cultivation world had a strict hierarchy; its iron laws had remained unchanged since ancient times.

Anyone holding an exclusive jade token for the Ancient Teleportation Array possessed a cultivation base at the Nascent Soul Realm at the very least.

Although countless cultivators were lined up here, the highest cultivation among them was only at the Golden Core stage. They hadn't even touched the threshold of Half-Step Nascent Soul.

Who would dare say "no" to a Nascent Soul cultivator?

Assuming this was some reclusive Nascent Soul patriarch out traveling, they felt only trepidation and reverence. They were completely unaware that this seemingly young man in black robes was none other than Grand Ancestor Jiuyou—the very existence who oversaw the Heavenly Abyss Sea, intimidated the entire Demonic Path territory, and made countless high-level cultivators cower in fear at the mere mention of his name.

When the time arrived, the Ancient Teleportation Array activated as scheduled. Twelve towering stone pillars lit up simultaneously, and a massive pillar of light shot into the sky, swallowing Jiuyou's figure.

...

Several months later. The Lingchuan Continent, within the borders of the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

An inconspicuous mountain market town.

A sharp-featured man in black martial attire stretched and let out a long sigh. "Ugh, rogue cultivators get zero respect. We're so damn poor. I really just want to find a powerful backer to lean on. If I could, I'd honestly love to take that teleportation array and try my luck in the Heavenly Abyss Sea. I wonder if the rumored Endless Island is still taking people."

Hearing this, the female cultivator beside him burst into a giggle. "Are you daydreaming in broad daylight? Endless Island is watched over by two Grand Cultivators at the Nascent Soul Late Stage nowadays. With your measly bit of strength, you think you can join them? Heh," she teased, her tone full of mockery.

The man's expression shifted slightly, and he clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Brat, you dare make fun of me? I'll teach you a good lesson tonight and show you how formidable I am!"

"You?" The female cultivator sneered, sizing him up and down. Her gaze lingered for a split second on his lower abdomen. She held up two fingers to measure out a single inch, bared her teeth, and shook her head with utter disdain.

The man's face flushed blue, then white. He seethed for a long time but couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Retracting her gaze, the woman changed the subject. "Though, I did hear recently that a major sect over in the Southern Heaven Alliance is recruiting disciples. We could go give it a try."

Tossing his previous frustration to the back of his mind, the man's eyes lit up. "The Southern Heaven Alliance? Which sect?"

"The Azure Sun Sect," she replied.

The man frowned slightly. "The Azure Sun Sect? How come I've never heard of it before? Is it a newly emerged power?"

She curled her lips. "I heard it's a hidden sect. They recently produced a Nascent Soul Supreme Elder, which is why they've finally stepped into the world to recruit disciples and expand their influence. Want to give it a try?"

"Let's go, then," the man said, dusting off his clothes. "I don't want to be a rogue cultivator for another damn day anyway. It can't hurt to check it out."

With that, he summoned a spirit boat. The two leapt aboard and vanished into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Not far away, inside a teahouse facing the street.

Jiuyou picked up the spirit tea on the table and took a light sip. His gaze landed in the direction the pair had disappeared, his heart stirring slightly. "The Azure Sun Sect... I've finally found you."

This wasn't his first time hearing that name. To find this place, he had "asked" quite a few cultivators along the way. Naturally, those cultivators had been very "happy" to "share" the information they knew with him.

He set down his teacup. Through the lattice of the window, his gaze drifted toward the rolling mountain ranges in the distance.

The Azure Sun Sect—the source of the Golden Sun True Flame. That Heavenly Sun Supreme One and the Soul-Eating Insects were inextricably linked to this sect as well.

Now, he had finally found the trail.

...

Within a grand hall atop a lofty peak, three figures sat in their respective seats.

"Junior Brother, do you wish to go out and travel for a bit?" asked a white-haired old man sitting in the seat of honor. His face was mottled with the weathering of age, and he spoke with a tone of concern. This was the Supreme Great Elder of the Azure Sun Sect, an expert at the Nascent Soul Early Stage who had watched over the sect for centuries.

Sitting to the left of the main seat, a plain-looking young man in azure robes nodded slowly, his voice crisp. "Although I achieved nascent soul formation recently, I believe I have some capabilities. I want to go out for a walk to see if I can find a stroke of serendipity, and settle some past grudges along the way. I apologize for making you two senior brothers worry." As he spoke, the young man cupped his hands toward the other two.

To the right of the main seat sat a middle-aged man with a few strands of white mixed into his black hair. He nodded and slowly spoke. "Below the Nascent Soul, all are ants. Junior Brother is now a Nascent Soul cultivator. As long as you are careful and don't provoke high-level cultivators from other factions, where in this vast Lingchuan can you not go?" He paused and glanced at the white-haired old man in the seat of honor. "Besides, for Junior Brother to successfully form a Nascent Soul as a rogue cultivator, his methods are certainly extraordinary. Senior Brother, please set your mind at ease."

The white-haired old man smiled. "Since Junior Brother has made up his mind, I won't try to dissuade you." He paused for a moment. "By the way, as a former rogue cultivator, you probably aren't too familiar with the forces of the major alliances in Lingchuan. Would you like me to give you a breakdown?"

The young man gave a faint smile and nodded slightly.

The white-haired old man raised his hand and withdrew a massive map from his storage pouch. Prompted by his dharma power, the map hovered quietly in front of the three. Pointing at it, he began slowly, "Lingchuan is primarily divided into four major alliances: the Northern Heaven Alliance, the Southern Heaven Alliance, the Heavenly Demon Alliance, and the Myriad Immortals Alliance. The strongest factions in each alliance..."

The old man spoke earnestly, and the young man listened with great interest. The middle-aged man beside them chimed in with a few details from time to time.

As the old man explained, the young man's perspective gradually broadened.

Suddenly, he asked, "Oh, right, Senior Brothers. Over these past few years, I have been in seclusion forming my Nascent Soul. Might I ask if any major events have occurred?"

"Major events?" The old man frowned slightly, thinking for a long while without coming up with anything. He spent his days busy overseeing the sect and handling its affairs, so he truly didn't know much about matters in the outside world.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man beside them seemed to recall something and spoke up. "If we're talking about major events... I heard that around four or five years ago, the Demonic Path over in the Heavenly Abyss Sea produced another Grand Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Late Stage. I think his name was... Jiuyou."

"Jiuyou?!" The young man snapped his head up, but upon realizing his loss of composure, he hurriedly restrained his expression.

The middle-aged man lifted his eyes and gazed outside the hall, his look profound. "Indeed, rumors have been flying over the last few years. I hear the Heavenly Demon Alliance has also been making some moves, hoping to ally with the Demonic Path of the Heavenly Abyss Sea." He pulled back his gaze and looked at the young man. "Why? Has Junior Brother heard this person's name as well?"

The young man gave a few awkward laughs. "I have indeed heard of him. I heard that back when he was in the Middle Nascent Soul Stage, he was already incomparably cruel and bloodthirsty, slaughtering quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators from our Lingchuan. To think this man actually managed to reach the Nascent Soul Late Stage... the Heavenly Dao truly is unfair."

As soon as these words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the great hall.

...