Chapter 277 - 275: Xuankong Mountain

"Xuankong Mountain is opening early!"

A few of the older disciples present immediately looked thrilled and overjoyed.

In contrast, some of the less experienced disciples were confused, their faces full of doubt.

"It seems many of you disciples are not yet clear about Xuankong Mountain!"

"This mountain is a Sacred Land of the Yunxiao Sect. It opens once every four years, and each time, it is only for a small number of the Upper Sect’s elite. Moreover, all information about it is strictly confidential and must not be spread!"

The Third Elder’s face was stern.

The implication was that no disciple present was to carelessly reveal anything about Xuankong Mountain.

"This time, there will be more slots for Xuankong Mountain—forty in total!" the Third Elder continued.

"Forty slots!"

Han Yuan looked astonished.

According to what he knew, Xuankong Mountain usually only had around twenty slots each time it opened!

Therefore, every slot was exceptionally precious, and countless disciples fought tooth and nail for one.

However, for a Sacred Land like Xuankong Mountain, no one would consider forty slots to be too many.

There were nearly ninety Upper Sect disciples in total, which meant less than half could participate. The rest could only watch from the sidelines.

’Based on past events, the slots for Xuankong Mountain will be contested through a competition! Luo Tian’s Spirit Sea Realm Sixth Layer cultivation is at the very bottom of the Upper Sect. He’s destined to miss out on the opportunities in Xuankong Mountain!’

A glint flashed in Ying Feihang’s eyes, and his face lit up with joy.

Once he obtained an opportunity from Xuankong Mountain, he could advance even further, perhaps even breaking into the top ten Core Disciples and displaying his prowess at the upcoming Celestial Pride Conference!

After all, Xuankong Mountain was the Yunxiao Sect’s Sacred Land. It was full of opportunities; anything was possible.

When Third Elder Zhou Yuquan was young, it was during an expedition in Xuankong Mountain that he received the inheritance of a Yunxiao Sect expert from a thousand years ago.

After leaving Xuankong Mountain, the Third Elder replaced the number one Core Disciple and rose through the ranks with incredible speed to reach his current position.

Besides the Third Elder, most of the high-ranking and powerful figures in the Yunxiao Sect had encountered great opportunities within Xuankong Mountain.

"Furthermore, a moment ago, eight of you placed in the top three of the four great rankings. Among your rewards was a Token. That Token is your entry slot for Xuankong Mountain!" the Third Elder announced, his murky eyes glancing at Luo Tian.

"What? That brat got a slot for Xuankong Mountain directly!"

Ying Feihang’s eyes widened in sheer jealousy and hatred.

Han Yuan’s expression also turned ugly.

They had all thought that with Luo Tian’s cultivation, he was fated to miss this opportunity.

They never expected Luo Tian to obtain a slot directly.

Of the forty slots, eight had already been assigned, leaving only thirty-two remaining!

’Just as I expected...’

Luo Tian stared at the Token in his hand.

’The other map is probably also related to Xuankong Mountain. I’m not sure of the specifics yet.’

"Xuankong Mountain will open in two months..."

After explaining a few final matters, the Third Elder drifted away.

"Luo Tian, congratulations on getting a slot for Xuankong Mountain!"

Ning Xin walked over, her voice filled with envy.

She recalled that when the Four Grotto Heavens first opened, Luo Tian had just entered the Upper Sect and was an unknown, overlooked disciple at the very bottom.

Three months passed, the Four Grotto Heavens concluded, and Luo Tian made a huge comeback.

He had reached 100,000 Points on the four great rankings, received astonishing rewards, and completely surpassed her own overall results.

Furthermore, Luo Tian had even obtained a slot for Xuankong Mountain directly, while she still had to compete for one.

This huge contrast made Ning Xin sigh with emotion.

"With Senior Sister Ning’s strength, you’ll definitely be able to get a slot for Xuankong Mountain!"

Luo Tian wasn’t just saying it to be nice; he was speaking the truth.

Ning Xin’s current cultivation was at the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm. Her aura was restrained, and her foundation was solid.

Luo Tian used his Qi Observation Technique and saw that the Clear Qi Pillar above Ning Xin’s head was distinct and bright, radiating a colorful glow. This proved that she was on the verge of an opportunity that would lead to rapid advancement.

"Senior Sister Ning, do you know anything about this Xuankong Mountain?" Luo Tian inquired.

"Not much."

Ning Xin shook her head.

She had only entered the Upper Sect a few months before Luo Tian, and the Sect kept all information about Xuankong Mountain under a tight lock and key.

"Heh heh, I happen to know a thing or two."

A light chuckle came from behind them. It was Cheng Wanli.

"Please enlighten us, Brother Cheng."

Luo Tian smiled, feeling more and more that Cheng Wanli’s background was anything but simple.

"The origins of Xuankong Mountain trace back to the Ancient Era. It was later obtained by the founding ancestor of the Yunxiao Sect and has been passed down as the Sect’s Sacred Land ever since..." Cheng Wanli said, sounding quite authoritative.

Five thousand years ago, an epic war broke out in the Eastern Domain. The Yunxiao Sect was nearly overthrown, and the source of that war was none other than Xuankong Mountain.

Even the upper echelons of the Yunxiao Sect didn’t know much about Xuankong Mountain’s many mysteries; they could barely manage to control it.

"Brother Cheng, from the looks of it, are you also planning to compete for a slot to Xuankong Mountain?" Luo Tian asked.

"I’m just going to take a look and see if there are any rare Refining Materials!"

Cheng Wanli laughed heartily.

Luo Tian felt it was a bit strange. Wasn’t Cheng Wanli’s ambition to become the greatest Artifact Refiner on the Dongchen Continent?

Why was he suddenly focused on Martial Arts now?

In reality, Cheng Wanli had experienced too much frustration because of Luo Tian.

He had always been a proud person and was unwilling to be outdone, which was why he was paying attention to Martial Arts again.

Of course, he wouldn’t abandon his dream either.

Cheng Wanli believed that a peerless genius like himself could perfectly pursue both Martial Arts and Artifact Refining simultaneously.

「After some idle chat.」

Luo Tian paid back the three thousand Contribution Points he owed Cheng Wanli for crafting the Upper Grade Defense Treasure Armor.

Afterward, Luo Tian went to his Master Mu Yunshi’s mansion.

"Greetings, Master!"

Luo Tian gave a rough account of the two announcements the Third Elder had made that day.

Luo Tian had been visiting frequently these past few days. Under Mu Yunshi’s guidance, he had benefited greatly in both his cultivation and his Martial Skill practice.

"Xuankong Mountain, you say?"

Mu Yunshi nodded slightly, then said, "With your current cultivation, it’s still not quite enough to compete for opportunities in Xuankong Mountain. You need to use the time you have to cultivate diligently!"

Luo Tian nodded seriously.

He was also very interested in the Xuankong Mountain opening in two months.

Luo Tian hadn’t forgotten the goal Mu Yunshi had set for him: participate in the Celestial Pride Conference and place in the top twenty.

All along, Luo Tian had felt this goal was too lofty and extremely difficult to achieve.

However, the opening of Xuankong Mountain was good news. It could serve as a springboard to bring him closer to that goal.

"Also, take these and study them!"

Mu Yunshi casually tossed out two booklets.

"What are these?"

Luo Tian flipped through a few pages, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise.

The contents of the two booklets were actually the incomplete portions of the Wind Manipulation Technique and the Nine Heavens Sword Technique.

It was all handwritten, clearly the result of Mu Yunshi’s own inferences.

Luo Tian took a look and saw the content was incomplete. Much of it was just speculation, and there were even multiple different theories. The inference was only about fifty to sixty percent complete.

"Didn’t you say your Martial Arts Talent was incredible? Then try to continue the inference based on what I’ve done," Mu Yunshi said nonchalantly.

He believed that even if Luo Tian built upon his work, it would be extremely difficult to complete the Martial Skills.

He hoped this would teach Luo Tian not to be too arrogant and to avoid practicing incomplete High-Grade Martial Skills.

"Thank you, Master!" Luo Tian said gratefully.

He had received enormous rewards today and had plenty of Spiritual Essence Coins. He was just about to go back and use them for the inference to perfect his Cultivation and Martial Skills.

Even so, inferring three Earth Level techniques—the Guiyuan True Skill, Wind Manipulation Technique, and Nine Heavens Sword Technique—would consume a massive amount of Spiritual Essence Coins.

But if he used the Celestial Book to continue the inference based on Mu Yunshi’s work, it would undoubtedly reduce the cost and save a huge amount of Spiritual Essence Coins.

"This disciple will take his leave!"

Luo Tian took the two booklets.

’I didn’t expect Xuankong Mountain to open early. Given his situation, he’ll probably suffer quite a few setbacks this time. He’ll also come to a clearer realization that it’s fundamentally impossible for him to enter the top twenty in the Celestial Pride Conference...’

Mu Yunshi murmured to himself, then paid it no more mind and returned to the Alchemy Room to practice Alchemy.

After returning to his residence, Luo Tian’s consciousness entered the Celestial Book World.

"Celestial Book, how much will it cost to infer the Third Technique of the Nine Heavens Sword Technique now?" Luo Tian asked.

Currently, he only had the First, Second, and Fourth Techniques of the Nine Heavens Sword Technique.

Luo Tian had already cultivated the Second Technique, "Flowing Wind and Clouds," to the Great Achievement Realm, and he would soon need to learn the Third Technique.

"Fifteen pages will suffice!"

A line of text appeared on the Celestial Book.

The energy of fifteen pages was only equivalent to Three Hundred Spiritual Yuan Coins, a cost far lower than Luo Tian had expected.

Of course, this was only for the Third Technique. Inferring the subsequent swordsmanship techniques would still be a significant expense.

Luo Tian took out Three Hundred Spiritual Yuan Coins and charged the Celestial Book with fifteen pages’ worth of energy.

"Infer!"

WHOOSH!

The glow on the Celestial Book Paper Pages dimmed rapidly.

At the same time, the content of the Third Technique flooded into Luo Tian’s mind.

With the Third Technique of the Nine Heavens Sword Technique inferred, he decided to wait on the subsequent techniques for later.

This was because as his cultivation and Creation Technique improved, the cost of inference would gradually decrease. It would be a waste to infer them all now.

"What about inferring the Wind Manipulation Technique?" Luo Tian asked again.

The Wind Manipulation Technique had more missing parts, and Luo Tian wanted to infer the complete technique, not just a single layer.

"Two hundred pages!"

The Celestial Book gave its answer.

"Such a high cost!"

And this was building upon Mu Yunshi’s inference. Otherwise, Luo Tian estimated it would have required over three hundred pages of energy.

"Alright, complete it!"

Luo Tian had plenty of Spiritual Essence Coins now.

Two hundred pages required a total of four thousand Spiritual Essence Coins.

After Luo Tian charged the Celestial Book again, the complete Earth Level Upper Grade Supreme Body Technique, the Wind Manipulation Technique, transformed into a massive stream of information and poured into his mind!

One had to know that in the Sect, exchanging for a complete Earth Level Upper Grade Supreme Body Technique would cost at least twenty thousand Contribution Points.

Even the top ten Core Disciples might not be able to afford it.

Yet Luo Tian had obtained it for only a small number of Contribution Points and a few thousand Spiritual Essence Coins.

After that, Luo Tian charged the Celestial Book with another thirty pages and inferred the Sixth-Layer of the Guiyuan True Skill.

"I just spent nearly five thousand Spiritual Essence Coins in one go!" Luo Tian lamented.

But it was all worth it.

Within the Yunxiao Sect, it was unlikely that any Middle Tier Spirit Sea Realm cultivator could, like Luo Tian, practice a full set of High Tier Earth Level Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques.

「...」

「Third Elder’s Mansion.」

"Master, how could you let Luo Tian get a slot for Xuankong Mountain directly?"

Ying Feihang said anxiously, "This boy’s talent and potential are extraordinary. If he obtains some opportunity in Xuankong Mountain..."

"Silence!" the Third Elder barked. An invisible might permeated every inch of the grand hall, causing the very air to freeze.

Ying Feihang trembled and didn’t dare to breathe.

The rewards for the top three on the four great rankings had been decided long ago by the upper echelons. Even the Third Elder couldn’t change it.

Moreover, in the Third Elder’s eyes, Ying Feihang was entirely to blame for Luo Tian’s growth to this point.

"It’s just as well that he has a slot. If he couldn’t enter Xuankong Mountain, we would miss a prime opportunity to deal with him!" the Third Elder said with a meaningful look.

"Master, you mean... kill him inside Xuankong Mountain?"

Ying Feihang immediately understood his master’s meaning.

Normally, he couldn’t make a move against Luo Tian even if he saw him.

But Xuankong Mountain was a place beyond the Sect’s surveillance. There would be no restraints whatsoever!