Chapter 28: The Gathering of Immortals (Part 1)

  Yu Ping smiled sweetly and said: "So that's how it is. But, wearing this blue long gown makes you look even more handsome than when you first came to our village."

  Hai Long's face turned slightly red as he recalled the awkwardness of that time, and he couldn't help but smile wryly: "At that time, I had people from the Demon Sect chasing me from behind, and in order to escape with my life, it was unavoidable that I would be a bit disheveled."

  Everyone chatted idly as they flew forward, and for them, advancing with flying swords hardly consumed any spiritual power. In the midst of chatting, the relationships between everyone also drew much closer. Hailong rarely spoke, and when others asked him questions about himself, he always gave ambiguous answers, not telling the truth, nor did he show off his Heavenly Mirror or small iron rod.

  One day later, after a long flight, they had entered the territory of Zhao Song. Wu Zhaosan was in the southwest of Zhao Song, except for Hailong and Hongzhi, Yu Hua five people were leaving the mountain for the first time after entering the door, so naturally they were not familiar with the road. Hailong only knew the general direction, but they were lucky, and finally on the afternoon of the second day, they inquired about the Ling Yin of Lianyun Sect.

  What is referred to as a "Ling Yin" is a kind of weak energy response emitted by a certain method of Qi in the air. When someone from this school senses it, they can use its direction to locate the position of the person who set up the Ling Yin.

  "Ah! We must have arrived. Look, that tall mountain over there should be Xianzhao Mountain!" Yu Hua exclaimed excitedly. Everyone followed her gaze and saw a majestic mountain standing not far away from their feet. The mountain stood out against the surrounding hills and plains, looking like a crane standing alone. Above the middle of the mountain, everything was shrouded in clouds and mist, which condensed but did not disperse, making it impossible to see its true appearance. Hong Zhi nodded and said, "It should be here. There must be a cloud-gathering array at the top of the mountain, otherwise the clouds and mist would not condense without dispersing. Although this mountain is not small, compared to the Lianyun Mountain Range, it still appears much thinner."

  Daoyan said, "Brother Hongzhi doesn't know this. I heard from my master before that the Xianzhao Mountain where Wuzhao Xian is located is also one of the sacred places in our Xiuzhen realm. It contains vast and pure spiritual energy. Although it's just one mountain, its peaks are divided into five mountains. The five masters of Wuzhao Xian and their disciples live there separately. When we enter the clouds and mist, we can see that wonderful scenery."

  Hai Long smiled slightly and said, "Alright, let's go down then." The crowd urged their magical instruments to move, and under the leadership of the flying sword, they slowly descended onto the ground. The sound of clanging echoed out as each flying sword returned to its scabbard. After more than a day of continuous flight, everyone's spirits were somewhat fatigued. Hong Zhi hung the Buddhist crystal rosary around his neck, looking worried as he asked Hai Long, "Big brother, I don't belong to your Seven Sects, will the people here not let me in?" Hai Long was taken aback, smiling as he said, "They won't. When the time comes, just say you're from the Fan Xin Sect and that's all. Just pretend a bit and we'll be able to bluff our way past."

  Hongji smiled wryly and said, "But I am after all a disciple of the Chan sect. If I were to pretend to be from another school, it would not be quite right, would it? If my deceased master were to find out, he might get so angry that he'd come back to life and kill me." Dao Yan stared at Hongji with his mouth agape, saying in a low voice, "Hongji Shixiong, how can you speak of your own master like this? This is very disrespectful." After finishing speaking, he also gave Hai Long a glance, as if to say that he had corrupted Hongji. Hai Long immediately felt wronged and defended himself, saying, "He's always been like this, not at all like a monk. What can I do about it?"

  Dao Ling laughed and said, "You don't have to try so hard to cover it up. If Brother Hongzhi hadn't recognized you as his big brother, he might have already become a high-ranking monk by now. I'm getting a bit hungry. I wonder what kind of hospitality Wuzhao Xian will offer us, let's hurry up the mountain." With that, he led the way towards the towering peak in front of them.

  To show respect, the seven of them slowly ascended from the foot of the mountain. Before long, they were stopped by several cultivators wearing cyan robes.

  Dao Yan took a step forward, slightly bowed and said: "I'm sorry to trouble you, fellow Daoists. We are disciples of Lianyun Sect who have come to participate in the Seven Sects' New Disciples Competition, and we would like to ask for your guidance on the way."

  Four people blocked their way, the leader of whom had a calm expression and said, "A disciple of the Lianyun Sect? Follow me." As he spoke, he turned around with the other few people and headed up the mountain. Looking at their appearance, Hailong couldn't help but curl his lip. With the support of his current cultivation in the Detachment Realm, he felt more confident in his heart. Unlike before, when he would feel envious whenever he saw someone. The four guides were clearly still far from reaching the Peak Realm, and although Hailong's heart wasn't broad-minded, he hadn't reached the point where he would bother with people much weaker than himself.

  The crowd moved quickly, and before long, they had climbed to the middle of Mount Xianzhao. After passing through a thick layer of clouds that obscured their vision, the scenery in front of them suddenly changed. Five majestic mountain peaks stood upright like human fingers, each peak shrouded in a layer of greenery. As Hai Longyun gazed into the distance with his Heavenly Eye, he saw that these five mountain peaks were home to many rare and precious plants. He could clearly feel that after entering the clouds, the spiritual energy around him had increased greatly, refreshing both his body and mind.

  Yu Ping sighed: "So beautiful! If we say that our Zhuyun Peak is majestic, then this place is elegant. The beauty of Xianzhao Mountain is indeed stronger than ours Liyun Mountains."

  The four disciples of the Five Elements Sect stopped in their tracks, with the leader saying: "Our Five Elements Mountain is the number one spiritual mountain under heaven, how can your Continuous Clouds Mountain compare to it? Whether it's grandeur or elegance, we are far superior." Looking at his arrogant demeanor, except for Hai Long and Hong Zhi, Yu Hua and the others couldn't help but furrow their brows. Yu Hua slightly rebuked: "Have you been to our Continuous Clouds Mountain? Humph, with your level of cultivation, how could you possibly have gone there? You haven't even seen it, what right do you have to comment? Don't forget, now our Continuous Clouds Sect is the number one orthodox sect, not your Five Elements Sect."

  That disciple was first stunned, and then immediately turned red with anger, shouting: "What did you say? You dare to insult our Wuzhao Xian!"

  Daoyan was more stable and calm, using his eyes to stop Yuhua, then said: "Brother Dao doesn't need to get angry, my junior sister's temper is straightforward, she didn't mean to insult your noble family."

  "Hmph! Are you clear about what's going on in your own minds? I'm warning you, this is the territory of our Five Elements Sect. Be careful with your words." After finishing speaking, he walked away towards the mountain with the other three people.

  Yu Hua was furious and said, "You..." She was about to say something, but found that her mouth was covered by a large palm. The warm feeling kept invading her facial skin, and when she glanced sideways, she saw that it was Hai Long who had stopped her from speaking.

  Hai Long smiled slightly and transmitted his voice, "Do you think it's interesting to argue with this kind of gatekeeper? If you have the ability, show it off at the Newcomers' Assembly. That's the stage for proving oneself."

  Listening to Hai Long's gentle voice, Yu Hua's anger in her heart suddenly dissipated like ice and snow. The strange heat kept coming from Hai Long's palm, and she felt that her breathing was becoming somewhat difficult. Her pretty face turned red, and she lightly nodded her head.

  Hailong relaxed his palm, and then he went ahead to climb the mountain. Hongzhi caught up with him and whispered, "Big brother, I feel like you've changed a lot after leaving the sect. You seem more mysterious than before."

  Hailong smiled and said, "I'm over 800 years old, it's time to grow up. Xiao Zhi, you must remember that in this world, the best way to survive is not to show off too much, being mediocre is always good. This way, safety is also relatively higher. I still want to ascend to immortality and don't want to die so early. So, naturally, it can't be like before. Only with those I completely trust or absolutely won't harm me, can I reveal my true self. Ah, if not for the sake of obtaining that immortal artifact, I really wouldn't have wanted to compete for first place."

  A flash of insight passed through Hong Zhi's mind as he glanced at Hai Long and didn't say anything else. At this point, he already understood Hai Long's intention.

  Wu Zhao Xian led his four disciples to the highest peak of Wu Zhao Mountain, and before they reached the top, a bright laughter suddenly came, followed by a cyan figure floating in front of them. The five were slightly startled, and quickly bowed: "Greetings, Dao Zun." The newcomer waved his hand: "No need for formalities, let me see who has come from Tian Shi Sect."

  The dragon looked intently and saw that the person had a smiling face, with a cyan blue light halo shining behind him. It was none other than Wuji Daozun, whom he had met once at Jietian Peak. At this time, Daoyan and others were already bowing to Wuji Daozun, while the dragon stood alone, looking exceptionally conspicuous. Wuji Daozun also noticed the dragon, blinked his eyes, and said: "How is it you, young man? Haha, Tian Shi actually sent you here, this time it's going to be lively." As he spoke, he flew over to the dragon's side, patted him on the shoulder with force, and a warm energy entered the dragon's body. After spinning around in a circle, it returned to Wuji Daozun's hand.

  Wú Jī Dào Zūn's cultivation had already reached the Mò Cè Chū Qī stage, and Tiān Miǎo Yī naturally couldn't conceal Hǎi Lóng's cultivation. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but Wú Jī Dào Zūn didn't say anything, only smiling: "This time you must make more effort, strive for a good ranking, also to bring glory to that old guy Tiān Shí. Oh, right, I heard you previously offended Zhǐ Shuǐ Shī Jiě, she's now above us, so be careful later, Zhǐ Shuǐ Shī Jiě is very vengeful."

  As soon as he heard the two words "stop water", Hai Long's whole body trembled inexplicably, thinking of the pain that Zhi Shui Dao Zun had brought to himself in the past. A hint of hatred rose in his heart. He respectfully bowed to Wu Ji Dao Zun and said: "I'm sorry, Ancestor, I made a mistake just now. Please forgive me. This time we represent Lian Yun Sect and will definitely not lose face for our sect. I don't know which ancestors are here this time?"

  Wu Dao Zun's expression was slightly awkward, seemingly unaccustomed to the respect shown by Hai Long. He smiled and said: "Recently, our sect has won a few battles against the evil sects, temporarily suppressing their arrogance. This time, the Sect Master attaches great importance to the Newcomer Grand Tournament. Except for Tian Shi and Deng Xian, all seven of us old guys have come. Why doesn't Tian Shi send a few more people over? With just six of you, it seems like there are too few."

  Yu Hua said somewhat discontentedly: "Ancestor, as the saying goes, 'a good army is not one that is large in number, but rather one that is well-trained and efficient.' What's the use of having a lot of people? With just us few, it's enough."

  Wú jī dào zūn was the most even-tempered among the nine second-generation disciples of Lián Yún Zōng, and he didn't get angry because of Yù Huá's impertinence. On the contrary, he fondly pinched Yù Huá's nose and said: "You little girl, you're really spoiled by Zhì Yún Shī Jiě. Your master is right above us, just watch me not let her spank your butt later."

  Yu Hua's pretty face turned slightly red, and she glanced at Hai Long beside her, then lowered her head shyly and said: "Ancestor, you're teasing me again. Next time when you come to our Zhìyún Peak, I won't cook vegetarian dishes for you."

  Wu Ji Dao Zun seemed to be startled, and hurriedly said: "My good girl, don't be angry, I won't report you. The vegetarian dish you made is a rare treasure in heaven and earth! It's the only pleasure I have on this mountain." Looking at his appearance, Hai Long thought, what does he look like? Is it possible that Yu Hua's cooking skills are so powerful? He must try it when he has the chance. What he didn't know was that not only Wu Ji Dao Zun, but also all other Dao Zuns, including Jie Tian Dao Zun, were conquered by Yu Hua's culinary skills. Her vegetarian dish had a destructive power that almost surpassed a magical artifact. In Lian Yun Sect, she and Yu Ping were the most favored disciples. All their fellow disciples would yield to them three parts.

  The four disciples of Wuzhao Xian's sect furrowed their brows, and the leader said somewhat impatiently, "Please, fellow Taoists, let us continue on the mountain." Yuhua snorted and didn't even glance at him, walking up the mountain alongside Wuji Daozun. Hailong hastily followed, and after a few steps, he noticed that Hongzhi seemed to be standing still behind them. He turned his head back to look, only to see Hongzhi standing there with a foolish grin on his face, his mouth slightly agape as if drooling. His eyes were filled with longing. Hailong knew him well enough to understand without asking that he was thinking the same thing as himself earlier. In an instant, Hailong appeared behind Hongzhi and gave him a swift kick in the buttocks. A faint yellow glow emanated from Hongzhi's body, dissipating some of the force, but he was still caught off guard and felt a strong force coming from behind. He was kicked into the air by Hailong and stumbled back onto the stone steps, barely managing to steady himself. Turning around, Hongzhi angrily said, "Big brother, why did you kick me?"

  "Hai Long said in a bad mood: 'Who told you to be distracted for no reason. Hurry up and pull.' After that, he pulled Hongzhi's monk robe and chased after the crowd."

  The main peak of Xianzhao Mountain. The top is flat and wide, with buildings that are almost as magnificent as a palace covering the entire mountain top. A large vortex-like hole in the cloud layer on the mountain top allows sunlight to shine directly down, nourishing the living things on the mountain. The glazed tiles are shining brightly, giving people a sense of golden splendor. Having been used to the simplicity of Lianyun Mountain Range, Hailong felt somewhat unaccustomed to this place and whispered to Hongzhi: "This Xianzhao Xian is really tacky, like some nouveau riche. I don't know which idiot designed it."

  Tonight at 8 o'clock, I will be holding a discussion with book lovers at Sanjiang Pavilion in the community. If you have time, please come and participate! At that time, I will answer all your questions. I really hope to communicate with book friends.