Chapter 1: The Seven-Colored Dragon Boat, Azure Pearl...

  Wearing a purple Taoist robe, her hair tied back with a black ribbon, Yu Ruocheng stood quietly on the vast grounds.

  The ground of this flat and even field, which was hundreds of feet in diameter, seemed to be entirely made of gold and iron, shining with a faint glow, making people feel the unique coldness, hardness and thickness of metal at a glance.

  The terrain here is almost level with the sea of clouds, so that the entire ground is covered with a faint mist like white gauze.

  The entire square was empty except for the quietly standing Yu Ruocheng. However, around the perimeter of the square, every twenty zhang there was a huge bronze cauldron, with faint wisps of smoke rising from it, emitting a clear and fragrant scent that lingered in the air.

  The square to the north is a hundred-level staircase, which is also cast in gold and iron. Each step has deep grooves for anti-skid and drainage purposes. Above the hundred-level staircase is a main hall with a vermilion color, supported by giant red pillars under black glazed tiles, with vermilion as the main color. The front of the hall is surrounded by white marble railings. Behind the hall is a steep valley, and the back half of the hall is embedded in the valley. Under the reflection of the steep valleys on both sides, the hall is like a bright pearl in an oyster shell. A fine waterfall also sprays down from one side of the valley wall, adding a few more dynamic touches to the hall.

  Although this hall is not as grand and majestic as the giant temple in the belly of Mount Luofu, it looks extremely delicate and beautiful.

  Yu Ruocheng stood still on the bronze square, slowly merging with the twilight of Mount Shu's heaven and earth, indistinguishable from one another. It was as if the entire person had blended into the surrounding heaven and earth.

  Unity of Heaven and Man.

  Yu Ruocheng also entered the state of Tianren Xiangyi, where there was no fluctuation in his Fa power.

  Suddenly, a red line burst into the sky in the distance, dispersing into dozens of red halos, which was the flying flame talisman released by Dan Ling Sheng to gather his disciples back.

  Yu Ruochen suddenly slightly lifted her head and gazed at the scattered sunset glow.

  With a slight movement, Yu Ruochen detached himself from the surrounding heaven and earth.

  The boundary between heaven and man has been broken.

  "Thirty years ago, Yuantianyi had already surpassed my current realm. I am still inferior to him." Quietly gazing at the ray of light, Yurou dust let out a slow sigh.

  A bright sword light suddenly came from the direction of Tianzhufeng and fell far away on the square under Yu Ruochens head.

  "Master!"

  A black long gown, the newcomer bowed to Yu Ruocheng, but it was that face which had always been icy cold - Duan Tianjiao.

  "Don't you think this method is a bit too cruel for them?" Yu Ruochen nodded at Duan Tianya and suddenly said.

  "Master, you already know my intention?" Duan Tianya nodded and said quietly: "Who has no fault? They have not been tempered, being afraid of death is normal. Perhaps giving them a chance, they may become the backbone of Shu Mountain in the future."

  "You say that, of course, it's not wrong." Yu Ruocheng looked at Duan Tiangou with a gentle gaze, and then looked at the entire Shu Mountain shrouded in dusk. "Yuan Tianyi fell in Kunlun, even the Intercalary Church opened the Great Brahma Mandala Wall to seek self-protection. Kunlun has been making moves for days, yesterday started recruiting disciples on a large scale, and dispatched more than a hundred elite disciples to practice in the world. I don't know why, but great changes have already taken place, my Shu Mountain is already at the forefront of the storm, it's not that we are cruel, it's just the general trend of the world, which has forced us to do so."

  Although Yu Ruoxue's voice was warm and calm, Duan Tiange could hear the intense killing intent inside, Duan Tiange remained silent, but his fists were already clenched tightly.

  "There are still a few days, and it will be the Sword Recognition Conference." Yu Ruochen suddenly smiled, looking at the empty square, "At that time, this place will be filled with my Shu Mountain disciples again, I wonder if anyone will surprise us this time."

  After a pause, Yu Ruocheng smiled and said, "Every year, our Shu Mountain welcomes such days. I only wish that every year, I can stand here and watch such days."

  In the night, as I gaze into the distance, the far-off sky is windy and cloudy.

  "Where am I?"

  Luo Bei suddenly sat up.

  A faint light of dawn filtered through the dark brown window frame, and it was already early morning.

  "What about that black-robed stranger named Lu Yu? Could it be that Dan Ling Sheng's master and the others saved me?"

  Luobei looked around the empty room with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, his eyes fixed on the only object in the room - a soft, pale yellow-green mat made of some unknown grass, with a purple incense burner lit on it. He pushed open the window right in front of him, but was startled once again.

  Outside the window is a dense sea of clouds!

  The room where Luo Bei was located was actually on a precipice that jutted out into the air! Outside the window, there was an abyss of thousands of feet!

  With a creak, Luo Bei pushed open the door of this room.

  Outside the gate was a courtyard of over ten zhang in diameter. The ground of the courtyard was made up of naturally flat and intact mountain rocks.

  The courtyard is surrounded by rooms of similar size to the one where Luo Bei is located, with five layers stacked on top of each other.

  Four or five stories of buildings, all with a simple and heavy style, directly opposite the top of a dark-colored gatehouse, hung a sign about 12 feet long.

  "The Tao follows Nature"

  Four large characters in wild cursive script, as if bursting forth from a torn banner.

  Dan Ling stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by the four-story building.

  Dan Ling Sheng's face, with its terrifying scars, still looked shocking at first glance, making people feel a chill in their hearts. However, his eyes seemed to hold a hint of warmth.

  "Lotus root?"

  Luobei pushed open the door, and as he stared blankly at this place he had never been to before, he found that the door next to his room was also opening at this moment. Cai He, with a look of surprise on his face, was staring back at him with the same gaze.

  "Master Dan Ling Sheng, what's going on? I met a mysterious black-robed guest at Tian Zhu Peak and he claimed to be Luoyu from Bei Yingshan..."

  Just then Luo Bei walked out of the room on the ground floor and immediately asked Dan Ling who was standing in front of him.

  But Dan Ling Sheng simply waved his hand, letting Luo Bei not say more.

  Luobei and Cai Wu stood in the morning sunlight, couldn't help but glance at each other, just then, the doors of the rooms around them, one by one, opened, among which some unopened rooms also let out a nightmarish scream.

  "Brother Lian Hang!"

  Among the people who came out, Luo Bei immediately saw Ceng Hang with a pale face. He couldn't help but pull Ceng Hang and ask in secret, "Ceng Hang Shixiong, what exactly happened?"

  "No...I don't know..." Lin Hang looked somewhat surprised and also a bit bewildered, shaking his head repeatedly as he stuttered to explain, "I...I...I was at Tian Zhu Peak, where I met someone who said he was from Bei Yin Gate..."

  "What? You've also encountered Beiyinmen?!"

  Although Lin Hang's words were stuttered, this sentence was like a firework exploding in the hearts of Luo Bei and Cai Shu!

  "What's going on?!" Luo Bei couldn't help but turn around abruptly and loudly asked Dan Ling Sheng.

  This sudden and severe tone drew everyone's attention, all eyes focusing on Dan Ling Sheng and Luo Bei.

  "If you weren't fools, you should have figured it out by now." Dan Ling Sheng glanced at Luo Bei and lowered his eyelids, saying lightly, "How could the people of North Yin Gate sneak into Mount Shu? This so-called North Yin Gate is just a test for you."

  A loud crash, followed by an uproar!

  Looking around in the north, seeing the expressions on other people's faces, I knew they must have also encountered that so-called Northern Dark Gate's Luoyu.

  "What about those who didn't pass the test?" someone suddenly asked, unable to hold back, and Luobei's gaze swept over to Ling Dongshan, whose face was also somewhat pale.

  "He also did not respond to poisoning Dan Ling Sheng, and it's obvious that Lin Hang, the senior fellow disciple, is here too..."

  Just as this thought had just emerged in Luo Bei's mind, he heard Dan Ling say coldly, "Those who have not passed the trial, from today on, are no longer disciples of Shu Mountain."

  "Expel him from the sect immediately!"

  Luobei's fist tightened suddenly, at this moment everyone had gathered, but he saw that including himself, there were only six people left, and even Zixuangu didn't exist among them.

  Their fate is predictable.

  "Is this punishment too severe?" Luo Bei couldn't help but look at Dan Ling Sheng and ask.

  "Too heavy?" Dan Ling didn't even raise his head, and quietly said, "Why are you here while they're not? You just studied the Shu Mountain rules yesterday, don't you know that being greedy for personal gain and participating in harming fellow disciples is a major taboo of Shu Mountain?"

  Luobei was speechless.

  Indeed, he couldn't find any reason to refute Dan Ling's words. However, his chest felt somewhat empty and hollow.

  Because he also felt that, like Xiang Yu and Ruo Chen's Duan Tian Ya, it seemed that although some people were wrong, they should still be given another chance.

  "Kindness is a good thing."

  Dan Ling's gaze swept across Luo Bei's face again, and his voice devoid of any emotional tone rang out once more. "But as you cultivate for a longer period, and gain experience, you will come to realize that cultivating the Dao is not just about brandishing your sword and flying around in the sky at whim! The accomplishments of Shu Mountain today are built upon the sacrifices of countless predecessors who have lost their lives! Sometimes, it only takes one moment of carelessness to lead to eternal damnation!"

  "This time through the trial, I will impart the 'Great Way Direct Pointing Qingxu Secret', my Shu Mountain Sword Secret, unparalleled in the world. The 'Great Way Direct Pointing Qingxu Secret' is the foundation."

  "This pellet you took is not a poisonous pill, but the real Jade Congealing Pill. The last herb of the Jade Congealing Pill is hard to find, from today on I hope you can face it like the remaining deer, stick to your heart, otherwise even if you learn my Shu Mountain's technique, you will still go astray! Wasting my Shu Mountain's teaching, wasting this pellet of medicine!"

  "Luobei" watched as Dan Ling Sheng took out the black leather book that Luobei had once seen in "Luyi"'s hands, unfolding the pages to reveal the words that directly pointed to the Cui Xu secret. Standing beside Luobei, Cai Shu suddenly asked softly, "One day, if someone were to force you like Luyi did, would you agree to harm me?"

  Luobei was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head, "Of course not."

  As he asked him this question, the corner of his mouth, who had not turned his head to look at him all along, rippled out a smile and said softly, "I won't either."