Chapter 282 - 280: Mysterious Xuankong Mountain

The day had come for the opening of Xuankong Mountain, the Yunxiao Sect’s Sacred Land.

However, half of the Upper Sect Disciples would miss out on this opportunity, while the Lower Sect Disciples were completely unaware of it.

At the summit of the Yunxiao Sect’s mountain.

In the plaza opposite Yunxiao Hall, the forty disciples who had secured a spot had all arrived.

These disciples were led by the ten Core Disciples.

’Among the ten Core Disciples, only two are at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm. The rest are at the Peak of the Ninth Layer or higher!’

Luo Tian was inwardly shocked.

Those two Core Disciples at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm were likely the strongest fighters at that level.

Most of the other Core Disciples were at the Half-step Earth Element Realm.

Ye Feng, the number one Core Disciple, was at the Earth Element Realm. He was the center of everyone’s attention, the target of many disciples’ attempts to curry favor.

The Sect’s upper echelons placed high hopes on Ye Feng, believing his performance this time could break a century-old record!

Luo Tian didn’t disagree. Ye Feng had broken through to the Earth Element Realm over two months ago. Now that he had completely stabilized his cultivation, his power was likely even more terrifying. Among the ten Core Disciples, no one could contend with him.

Additionally, Luo Tian saw two acquaintances, Ning Xin and Cheng Wanli, who had also secured spots.

Both of them were at the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm, but their auras were exceptionally strong, suggesting they weren’t far from breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm.

Luo Tian’s cultivation was at the Peak of Spirit Sea Realm Sixth Layer, but his current state was similar to Ning Xin and Cheng Wanli’s—perhaps even better.

He could break through to the Spirit Sea Realm Seventh Layer at any moment.

The only reason he hadn’t was because he felt that his recent period of focused cultivation had lacked the tempering of real combat.

"Brother Luo, in this Xuankong Mountain trial, I’m going to see which of us is superior!"

Cheng Wanli’s gaze fixed on him, brimming with intense fighting spirit.

He had prepared for a long time for this and was confident he could surpass Luo Tian!

"Didn’t you say before that you were just coming to look around and search for rare minerals?"

Luo Tian asked calmly.

’So after all that, you still just want to beat me for once, huh.’

Cheng Wanli gave a dry laugh and didn’t respond.

"Luo Tian, in this Xuankong Mountain trial, just you wait!"

From the side, Ying Feihang shot Luo Tian a venomous look. He was growing even more eager for the expedition into Xuankong Mountain.

Just then.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!

A few streaks of rainbow light flew in from the distance. A powerful aura, belonging to the Earth Element Realm, surged forth, blotting out the sky and stirring the clouds.

The forty Upper Sect Disciples present felt an invisible pressure, their gazes turning toward the source with solemn respect.

Leading the group of high-ranking figures was a middle-aged man in a green robe. He had rugged features, a dignified demeanor, and an immensely powerful aura.

He was none other than the Yunxiao Sect Master!

Luo Tian murmured, "The Three Great Elders and the Yunxiao Sect Master... They all came!"

"Xuankong Mountain is about to open. Before it does, I will emphasize a few points..."

The Third Elder stepped forward and announced some information and rules, the main points of which were as follows:

First: Performance in Xuankong Mountain is determined by survival time.

This was exactly the same as the Survival Grotto Heaven.

In fact, the Survival Grotto Heaven had been created to simulate Xuankong Mountain.

But the former had a smaller map, fewer rules, and was relatively simple. The latter was extremely complex and difficult—they weren’t on the same level at all.

Second: A strange power within Xuankong Mountain will seal all Storage Spaces.

Any items you need should be taken out before you enter; otherwise, it will be impossible to retrieve them once inside.

This unquestionably increased the difficulty.

Third: If you face a life-threatening situation, crush your qualification token, and you will be teleported out.

At the same time, killing other disciples inside Xuankong Mountain is forbidden.

Although that was the rule, no one on the outside would know what truly happened within.

"Crow!"

Luo Tian thought for a moment. ’I’m not sure if the Crow will be able to leave the Celestial Book after I enter Xuankong Mountain.’

Although the Crow was unreliable, it was still very powerful and could be a great help.

So, Luo Tian decided to let the Crow out right then and there.

All the disciples present were fully equipped, each carrying a small pack. Several of them even had pets.

But the moment Luo Tian’s pet appeared, it captured everyone’s attention. People even stopped listening carefully to the Third Elder’s words.

"Damn! I’ve never seen a pet that ugly before!"

"It’s just so hideously ugly. No wonder we never knew Luo Tian had a pet. Looks like he was too embarrassed to bring it out!"

The Crow’s appearance instantly enlivened the solemn atmosphere.

Its scorched, freakish appearance almost made a few disciples who were easily amused laugh out loud.

Ying Feihang sneered in disdain. "What’s the use of a pet that ugly?"

"Kid, you’re so cruel! You locked me away for so long!"

The Crow stared at Luo Tian with a resentful expression after it came out.

Then, it looked around. ’So many humans!’

The Crow’s expression grew excited, and it even sounded moved. "Kid, I—I misunderstood you! You actually gathered all these people for my concert!"

"Huh?" Luo Tian had a bad feeling.

"This deity will begin singing without further ado!"

The Crow’s eyes lit up. It cleared its throat and opened its beak to sing.

"Shut up!"

Luo Tian immediately reached out and clamped the Crow’s beak shut.

"Mmph... Kiff... Let go of your hanffs! Let this deity sing a Divine Melody..."

The Crow shouted urgently, its words muffled.

"No singing right now! You can sing all you want later!"

Luo Tian hissed in a low voice.

If he actually let the Crow sing here, he was afraid all forty disciples present, not to mention all the senior members, would become his enemies.

Luo Tian even suspected he might be expelled from the Yunxiao Sect.

"Fine! This deity promises! Now let go."

After Luo Tian let go, he kept a wary eye on the Crow, determined to stop it from singing.

"Silence!"

The Third Elder suddenly bellowed, clearly annoyed by the antics of Luo Tian and his pet.

"Xuankong Mountain is this Sect’s Sacred Land! It is filled with numerous opportunities, so you must all seize them!"

"Of course, do not let the opportunities cause you to neglect the trial itself. The Sect will handsomely reward those who perform well!"

The Third Elder continued.

It was said that every high-ranking member of the Yunxiao Sect would leave an item behind in the Sacred Land before they left or passed away.

The mere thought of the treasures left behind was enough to galvanize the disciples.

Furthermore, Xuankong Mountain itself was a mysterious and unknown treasure trove; no one knew how many secrets it held.

"Open!"

The Three Great Elders and the Sect Leader flew into mid-air. A terrifying aura, like a tempestuous sea, suddenly erupted from their bodies.

The four leaders formed spell seals, simultaneously unleashing a dazzling river of True Essence that soared toward the clouds with the force of a rainbow.

BOOM! VMMMM!

The True Essence Power of the four leaders was blocked by some unseen object.

In the void, an immense silhouette gradually emerged, growing clearer and clearer until a sky-blotting shadow fell over them.

"Gods, what is that?"

"Is that Xuankong Mountain? It’s really a mountain floating in mid-air?"

Several disciples cried out in astonishment.

Luo Tian had noticed this invisible floating mountain back during the entrance assessment.

Now, witnessing the invisible peak materialize before his very eyes, he was still shaken to the core.

’What kind of power is this?’ he wondered. ’To make such a colossal mountain float in mid-air, completely invisible.’

’I doubt even an ordinary Celestial Level Martial Artist could accomplish this!’

"Oh? This mountain is something special!"

The Crow cawed, its beady eyes darting about.

RUMBLE!

Xuankong Mountain suddenly trembled. The surrounding clouds and mist roiled as a primeval, ancient aura emanated from it.

At the same time, Array Patterns flashed on the ground ahead, and a short-range teleportation formation took shape.

"Xuankong Mountain is open! Get in, now!"

The Third Elder shouted.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!

Immediately, the forty disciples stepped onto the teleportation array one after another and were transported into Xuankong Mountain.

The Third Elder glanced at Qiao Hai and Ying Feihang, placing high hopes on them.

If Qiao Hai could seize this opportunity, he might even surpass Ye Feng. As for Ying Feihang, there was a good chance he could enter the ranks of the ten Core Disciples in the near future.

The Second Elder’s and the Grand Elder’s disciples were Yi Jingwen and Ye Feng, respectively.

The Sect Leader had no disciples of his own, but his gaze lingered on Cheng Wanli for a moment.

He sighed inwardly. ’If Cheng Wanli had focused on Martial Arts from the start, he might be even more brilliant than Ye Feng right now.’

Fortunately, Cheng Wanli had come to his senses. If he could seize this opportunity, it wasn’t too late for him.

...

Luo Tian felt his body descend, and he landed in front of a mountain valley. An unfamiliar, ancient aura, filled with the vicissitudes of time, washed over him.

"The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is so thin here!"

Luo Tian frowned. It felt as if he had returned to Qingchang City.

In fact, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here was even sparser than in Qingchang City.

In an environment like this, True Qi recovery would be extremely slow. He couldn’t count on natural recovery at all and would have to rely on Qi Replenishing Pills to restore his True Qi.

Fortunately, Luo Tian had heard about this and prepared plenty of Qi Replenishing Pills.

"Right, the map!"

Luo Tian took out a scroll, on which was a very crude topographical map.

This was the reward for placing in the top three of the Four Grotto Heavens’ points leaderboard.

SWISH! SWISH! WHOOSH!

Luo Tian leaped up, and in a moment, he reached the top of the valley. He gazed at his surroundings, then compared them to the map in his hand to confirm his location.

"They say the terrain of Xuankong Mountain is constantly changing."

Even if disciples memorized the terrain during one trial, by the time the mountain opened again, it would be completely different.

But the map in Luo Tian’s hand had been drawn from the observations of the Sect’s leaders two months ago. It shouldn’t be too different from Xuankong Mountain’s current geography.

As such, the few who possessed a map held a slight advantage.

"According to the map, there’s a set of ancient ruins thirty li ahead..."

The terrain on the map was indistinct.

Just as Luo Tian was about to set off, he caught sight of a line of text on a giant boulder in the distance.

He walked closer and read it aloud: "I, Yu Long, have practiced cultivation in the Yunxiao Sect for fifty years. As I am about to depart, I have little to leave behind, but I will offer one piece of advice to the juniors who come after me: In the Xuankong Mountain trial, the Spiritual Pool is the key!"

"Spiritual Pool?"

Luo Tian took note of this.

In truth, he wasn’t too concerned with the trial itself. He was more interested in unearthing treasures here.

After all, there were far too many experts entering Xuankong Mountain, like the ten Core Disciples, all of whom were incredibly powerful.

It would be incredibly difficult for Luo Tian to compete for a high rank.

He would be better off seeking out opportunities. Even if he was eliminated early, it would be completely worth it.

"Let’s go..."

Luo Tian and the Crow headed toward the ancient ruins ahead.