Chapter 196 - 194: Yunxiao Sect

The Black Spirit Blood Eagle was an Earth Level Demon Beast. Its speed was incredible, and in the blink of an eye, it shot into the sky to soar above the clouds.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

At such high altitudes, the temperature was extremely low. Combined with the Black Spirit Blood Eagle’s terrifying speed, the fierce winds cut like blades of ice.

All the geniuses present activated their True Qi Body Protection to resist the gales and the low temperature.

Even so, some of the Martial Artists at the First Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm had weak Protective True Qi that was quickly worn down and depleted.

"Sir, could you please slow down a little?"

A young man from the Chilong Dynasty, at the First Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, shouted in a low voice after his Protective True Qi had been worn away.

At the head of the Black Spirit Blood Eagle, the gray-haired Elder sat cross-legged in silence. He wasn’t surrounded by Protective True Qi, but by a "True Essence Protective Shield." It was several times thicker than ordinary Protective True Qi, and its defensive power was incomparable.

"You want to slow down? How about I just throw you off this Black Spirit Blood Eagle and let you walk at your own pace?"

The gray-haired Elder spoke coolly.

The young man immediately shrank back and didn’t dare say another word.

Luo Tian, however, was unaffected.

The Guiyuan Technique was an ancient Cultivation Heart Method that focused on fundamentals and refining True Qi. The perfected version, the Guiyuan True Skill, had reached the Earth Level Middle Grade and was particularly adept at defense.

The Protective True Qi he currently had condensed was comparable to that of someone at the Third Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

Of course, under these circumstances, it would be difficult for others to notice without careful observation.

"Lin Feifan, what are you waiting for? Get over here!"

At that moment, a beautiful woman in red robes shouted.

This woman was one of Crown Prince Yan Qing’s subordinates.

"What is it?"

Luo Tian asked.

"Come to the front and block the wind for Prince Yan Qing."

The beautiful woman said impatiently.

Luo Tian was slightly surprised. He saw that the beautiful woman and another young man were both sitting in front of Yan Qing, blocking most of the fierce wind.

This way, Yan Qing could save a great deal of his True Qi.

"Oh? It looks to me like the two of you are enough!"

Luo Tian’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Now that he was on the Black Spirit Blood Eagle, there was no need for him to continue pretending to be Lin Feifan.

"What did you say?"

The beautiful woman looked astonished. ’Lin Feifan actually refused?’

The other young man and Crown Prince Yan Qing were also greatly puzzled and looked toward Luo Tian.

In the past, Lin Feifan had never dared to defy Yan Qing’s will. He even went out of his way to curry favor.

"Did Lin Feifan lose his mind today or something? He actually refused!"

"I think you’re overthinking it. Lin Feifan is probably just upset with ’Lin Qiao’er.’ After all, they’re both Yan Qing’s subordinates; disagreements are inevitable."

The others from the Chilong Dynasty muttered amongst themselves.

Just then, Crown Prince Yan Qing spoke coldly, "Lin Feifan, get your ass over here!"

That morning, Lin Feifan hadn’t gone to greet him, which had already displeased Yan Qing.

And now, Lin Feifan was throwing a tantrum right in front of him. This was a clear sign of disrespect!

"If you need me, come over yourself!"

Luo Tian said with a smile.

This time, all the nearby disciples from the Chilong Dynasty stared with wide eyes.

They weren’t Yan Qing’s subordinates, yet they still had to speak to him respectfully. How dare Lin Feifan, one of his own men, speak to his master like that!

"Oh?"

Yan Qing’s eyes narrowed, glinting coldly. He said, "Feeling bold now that your wings have grown, are you? You think you can disregard your master?"

"You’ve only secured a spot in the Yunxiao Sect’s assessment. It doesn’t mean you’ll get in. And even if you do, I can still crush you!"

In Yan Qing’s view, Lin Feifan had only been flattering him to get a spot in the assessment.

Now that he had what he wanted, he was showing his true colors.

"You don’t need to worry about that."

Luo Tian said leisurely.

He was still confident about entering the Yunxiao Sect.

"Master, let me throw this traitor off the Black Spirit Blood Eagle."

The beautiful woman, Lin Qiao’er, said.

She had never liked Lin Feifan, and now she volunteered, hoping to curry favor with Yan Qing.

The Yunxiao Sect Elder wouldn’t stop midway. From thousands of meters in the air, being thrown off the Black Spirit Blood Eagle meant certain death!

Yan Qing gave a slight nod, giving his silent approval.

"Lin Feifan, I see you’ve grown tired of living! How dare you betray our master!"

Lin Qiao’er walked over slowly, her beautiful brows furrowed with anger.

She was ranked 50th on the Human List, with a Cultivation at the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

The gap in their rankings was obvious. Lin Qiao’er should have been more than enough to crush Lin Feifan.

Lin Qiao’er attacked directly. A pale cyan True Qi enveloped her delicate hand, transforming into a hazy, jade-green Palm Light that shot toward Luo Tian’s chest.

POOF!

Her palm strike hit, and Luo Tian’s figure shattered into pieces.

Of course, it was only an afterimage.

The high-altitude gales were intense, affecting everyone. However, this gave Luo Tian’s Cloud Traveling Step an advantage. His movements became ethereal and illusory, his trajectory impossible to follow.

SLAP!

Luo Tian appeared like a phantom to Lin Qiao’er’s left and slapped her across the face.

The immense force stunned the unprepared Lin Qiao’er, and her delicate body fell to the ground.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A violent gust of wind hit her, sending her rolling for more than ten meters until she reached the edge of the Black Spirit Blood Eagle and fell off.

"AHHH!"

Lin Qiao’er frantically grabbed onto the Black Spirit Blood Eagle’s feathers. Her shrill scream echoed across the sky, startling everyone.

From thousands of meters up, a fall would mean certain death, leaving not even a complete corpse behind.

"What?"

"How did Lin Feifan do that?"

Everyone around was shocked.

Lin Qiao’er, ranked 50th on the Chilong Dynasty’s Human List, had just been sent flying by a single slap from Lin Feifan, who was ranked 73rd, and had nearly lost her life!

"That Body Technique!"

Yuwen Xuan’s expression flickered with shock. The Body Technique Lin Feifan had just used reminded him of someone.

But the wind was too strong, and he hadn’t gotten a clear look. ’Perhaps it was just my imagination.’

"Lin Qiao’er!"

Yan Qing’s other young subordinate immediately rushed over and pulled Lin Qiao’er back up.

Lin Qiao’er’s face was pale, and she was still shaken. There was a large wet patch on her red dress.

It seemed that what had just happened had truly terrified her.

"I’m fine. I was just careless. He succeeded with a sneak attack..."

Lin Qiao’er stared at Luo Tian with hatred and indignation.

"Just you wait, Lin Feifan! During the Sect assessment, I will make you regret this!"

Yan Qing’s eyes were filled with venomous malice.

Not only had Lin Feifan openly betrayed him, but he had also nearly killed one of his most capable subordinates!

Luo Tian’s expression was calm, as if he didn’t take it seriously at all.

’Making an enemy of Yan Qing was unavoidable. After all, I disguised myself as Lin Feifan and used Yan Qing’s status to get here. My true identity was bound to be revealed eventually. In other words, making an enemy of Yan Qing was a foregone conclusion.’

"Sigh, how could Lin Feifan be so foolish? To openly betray Yan Qing like that."

"Lin Feifan is a dead man walking in the Sect assessment."

Some of the people nearby sighed, thinking Lin Feifan was incredibly stupid.

The gray-haired Elder sitting at the head of the Black Spirit Blood Eagle opened his eyes slightly and glanced at Luo Tian.

’So, it’s this kid...’

The gray-haired Elder had seen through Luo Tian’s disguise and guessed that he was the person Prince Zheng was looking for.

But he couldn’t be bothered to get involved.

In comparison, he was far more interested in Luo Tian’s earlier performance.

’That Body Technique is not simple. To be able to display such speed in these fierce gales... and the power of that palm strike was also impressive.’

To sum it up, he had completely crushed Lin Qiao’er, who was at the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, in almost every aspect.

No one disturbed him after that.

Luo Tian sat down cross-legged, circulated his Guiyuan True Skill slightly, and began to cultivate.

Inside his Qi Sea.

A hazy Spirit Light Vortex slowly rotated.

His current Cultivation had already reached the Peak of the First Layer; he wasn’t far from the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

...

「Three days later.」

The Black Spirit Blood Eagle began to slow down, approaching the ground.

Luo Tian gazed down and saw a vast mountain range.

This was said to be the source of the Celestial Extreme Mountain Range.

This mountain range, which spanned more than half the continent, was a major stronghold for Demon Beasts and was known throughout the Dongchen Continent as a perilous land.

Many Wu Mansions and even nations were established near the Celestial Extreme Mountain Range for two reasons.

First, it was convenient for tempering oneself, improving one’s strength, and containing the Demon Beasts within the mountains.

Second, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was abundant near the Celestial Extreme Mountain Range.

But only a very few dared to establish their power directly within the Celestial Extreme Mountain Range. The Yunxiao Sect, however, was built at its most dangerous source.

WHOOSH! FLAP! FLAP!

The Black Spirit Blood Eagle landed. All the geniuses jumped off and looked up at the three giant peaks that symbolized the Yunxiao Sect.

"So this is the Yunxiao Sect?"

The three peaks were majestic and mystical, exuding a tyrannical and astonishing aura that intimidated all living beings in every direction.

Arriving for the first time, many of the geniuses immediately felt a heavy pressure that made it difficult to breathe. A sense of awe grew in their hearts.

Moreover, only the lower half of these three giant peaks was visible.

The upper part was completely shrouded in clouds and mist, leaving behind a sense of endless mystery and longing.

’Let me see what’s up there!’

Luo Tian circulated the Creation Technique, and the faint, azure outline of an ethereal eye opened on his forehead.

This was the nascent Celestial Eye. It existed on an ethereal plane, invisible to ordinary people.

After activating the Celestial Eye, Luo Tian’s senses became incredibly sharp, allowing him to see through all illusions and perceive their true essence.

The scenery on the three giant peaks gradually became clear: palaces and pavilions with carved beams and painted rafters, wreathed in clouds and mist—a breathtaking sight.

Further up, Luo Tian could also make out the general appearance of the hidden upper half.

’What’s going on? The difference between the upper and lower parts of the three peaks is so huge... If the lower parts of the peaks could be described as luxurious and beautiful, then the upper parts, completely hidden by the clouds, can only be described as a paradise.’

"I’ve heard that the Yunxiao Sect is divided into the Upper Sect and the Lower Sect. Members of the Lower Sect can only live below the halfway point of the mountains. Only by entering the Upper Sect are you considered to be truly inside the Yunxiao Sect!"

"I have to get into the Yunxiao Sect and then enter the Upper Sect."

Murmurs of discussion came from all around.

Luo Tian understood. ’So that’s the difference between the Upper Sect and the Lower Sect.’

He was just about to retract his Celestial Eye.

But suddenly, Luo Tian saw a fourth, smaller peak floating above the three giant ones.

’Why is there a Fourth Peak?’

Luo Tian was astonished.

The symbol of the Yunxiao Sect was three mountain peaks and a swirl of clouds. Where did this Fourth Peak come from?

He stared intently.

Luo Tian saw that the Fourth Peak, floating above the other three, was mysterious and ancient, exuding an aura of primordial desolation.

However, it was difficult for Luo Tian to see any specific details. Everything was hazy and indistinct, as if veiled in endless mystery.

Luo Tian listened carefully to the discussions around him but heard no mention of a Fourth Peak.

It seemed that this mysterious Fourth Peak was visible only to his Celestial Eye.

’As expected of one of the Four Major Sects standing at the pinnacle of the Continent. They are truly something else...’

Luo Tian was now filled with a deep interest in the Yunxiao Sect.