Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 769: Storm

Dragon Pool Mountain, Wangling Immortal Valley.

Three Cultivators met outside a temporary Immortal Cave in the valley, then slowly walked along the mountain path.

The three wore similar styled Daoist robes of a uniform color, but they were not Disciples of the Six Major Sects.

"Senior Brother Li, among the thirty slots for the smaller Sects in this Dragon Pool Gathering, our Zhongmiao Sect alone occupies fourteen."

One of them followed closely beside the leader of the three: "This generation, it’s not impossible that we can pull the Cave Abyss Sect down and allow our Zhongmiao Sect to return to the ranks of the Six Major Sects."

The leader’s name was Li Xuan, and he was the one leading the Zhongmiao Sect’s contingent to this Dragon Pool Gathering.

He heard what his Junior Brother said and nodded slightly in his heart.

Among the thirty slots for the smaller Sects across the entire Chu State, their Zhongmiao Sect alone occupied fourteen, nearly half.

The Cave Abyss Sect, in the end, was just a small Sect established less than three hundred years ago.

As several batches of Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators exceeded the age limit, after the previous few grand competitions, the Cave Abyss Sect had been declining year by year.

Their Zhongmiao Sect, on the other hand, had been biding its time, accumulating strength, and also had the "cooperative mutual assistance" from the Profound Origin Sect, both openly and secretly.

This year was the perfect opportunity to reclaim their position among the Six Major Sects in front of all the Cultivators in the world.

It wasn’t just this Junior Brother who thought so; the Elders within the Sect also shared the same thought.

However, to appear humble, he still adopted a scolding demeanor, frowning slightly: "Do your own work well, and never be overly ambitious."

"Hehe, yes, Senior Brother."

The few of them slowly walked over a covered bridge spanning a stream, then looked up.

The scenery of Wangling Immortal Valley in Dragon Pool Mountain came into view.

The Immortal Valley was deep and secluded, embraced by steep cliffs rising thousands of feet on both sides.

Upon the sheer cliffs stood Immortal Mansions and pavilions with upturned eaves and painted beams.

The entire Immortal Valley was traversed by a winding stream, with cascading spiritual waterfalls flowing down from the source in the distant mountains.

Spiritual trees grew abundantly on the banks, mostly verdant and resilient spiritual firs and misty pines.

Occasionally, immortal cranes and white egrets would sweep across the valley, trailing faint spiritual light and emitting clear, long cries, making the scene even more ethereal.

In some areas of the valley where Spiritual Qi gathered densely, spiritual mist was drawn by natural forces, forming slowly rotating vortices. At the center of these vortices, solid-like spiritual currents trickled, either silently seeping into rocks and plants or quietly dissipating into the heavens and earth.

As the morning sun rose, rays of light illuminated the layered Immortal Mansions and the continuous market in the valley.

This year’s Dragon Pool Gathering had already begun several days ago.

Sects, noble families, Loose Cultivators, the Prodigies and heroes of the Chu State, and the gazes of countless Cultivators had all converged here.

Throughout the Immortal Valley, spiritual light flickered, and the sounds of chatter and conversation were incessant.

The three passed through Diequan Market, ascended a flight of steps, and beneath a flowing cascade, arrived at a naturally formed, wide stone platform.

It was layered and incredibly vast.

This place was the Wangxian Platform.

At this moment, two Qi Refining Cultivators were engaged in a friendly sparring match there.

Li Xuan led his two Disciples to a ancient tree on the platform.

Many people were gathered here.

Among the crowd, one person had an extraordinary Aura.

His gaze was calm, not on the two sparring on the platform, but on a mountain insect slowly crawling on the ground.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Seeing this person, Li Xuan quickly stepped forward. Although he addressed him as Fellow Daoist, his attitude was very respectful.

Completely devoid of the condescending look he had when scolding his Junior Brother earlier.

Hearing the greeting, the other person remained motionless, merely shifting his eyes slightly to glance at him.

Then, he gave a faint "Hmm."

Li Xuan’s expression was slightly awkward, but he maintained his respectful attitude, eagerly wanting to introduce his two Junior Brothers to this person.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, these two are from our Zhongmiao..."

But soon, his expression froze.

He stopped speaking.

Because he saw the other person frown slightly.

"You talk too much."

He didn’t display any Aura, but the invisible pressure made Li Xuan unable to breathe, let alone introduce his Junior Brothers.

This person gestured slightly towards the platform in the distance: "Either watch for a while."

"If not, get lost."

Li Xuan’s mind reeled. Facing this person’s undisguised disdain, apart from a tiny, insignificant bit of annoyance, his heart was filled only with dread.

This was the strongest of the Profound Origin Sect’s new generation.

Zhou Liu.

The two Disciples beside Li Xuan had completely lost their earlier smugness. At this moment, they were obsequious and silent, not daring to even breathe loudly.

It was a graceful young female Cultivator beside Zhou Liu who smoothed things over.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the Nine Pulses Grand Competition is imminent. We are here by order of our Sect to preside over the matches."

"On one hand, it provides a platform for Cultivators from various Pulses to spar and exchange. On the other hand, it allows everyone to warm up in advance."

This female Cultivator had an outstanding appearance and a gentle demeanor. Her long, fair legs, in particular, attracted the gaze of many male Cultivators present.

She smiled gracefully: "If you are interested, you can also invite a few friends to spar on stage, so we can observe and learn."

"Uh... good, good."

Li Xuan was still a bit shaken at this moment, repeatedly agreeing.

He bowed with his two Disciples and hastily left the area.

Watching his disheveled appearance, the Cultivators standing to Zhou Liu’s left secretly sneered.

In the eyes of these Profound Origin Sect Cultivators, the Zhongmiao Sect was nothing more than a stray dog with a broken spine.

And the Cave Abyss Sect, which had broken it, was just another disobedient dog.

There was no fundamental difference between the two.

On the Wangxian Platform, spiritual light receded, and the dust settled.

Zhao Xuan, the Cave Abyss Sect’s rough-looking Qi Refining Disciple, had a tear in his chest robes from a Sword Qi attack. His breathing was a little ragged, and he was panting slightly.

Opposite him, the Hanging Sword Mountain Disciple’s long sword pointed diagonally at the ground. Although his breathing was also unstable, he clearly had the upper hand.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, you flatter me." The Hanging Sword Mountain Disciple cupped his fists, his tone carrying the reserve of a major Sect Disciple.

Zhao Xuan’s expression was calm, and he returned the gesture: "Fellow Daoist Xu’s swordsmanship is exquisite; Zhao is impressed."

Despite his efforts to maintain a calm demeanor, the reluctance and hidden worry of defeat still flashed deep in his eyes.

"The Cave Abyss Sect’s Cultivators lost again..."

"It seems they haven’t had a moment of triumph in any formal setting these past few years?"

At this moment, below the stage, discussions about the Cave Abyss Sect spread rapidly like pebbles thrown into still water.

"It’s normal, though. Established for less than three hundred years, their Foundation is simply too shallow."

"Not only is the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in their Sect at the bottom among the Six Sects, but among the current young generation... besides that Li Yi, who else can they present?"

"Isn’t there someone named Song Yan?"

"After Changping, it seems there hasn’t been much activity."

"He only made an appearance back then by luck and a bit of cleverness. Such a person is destined not to go far. Now, he’s probably stuck at a Bottleneck and has become one of the nameless masses."

"That Li Yi still has some renown, but Song Yan previously only had Level 8 Qi Refining or Level 7, right? Foundation Establishment isn’t that easy."

"Looking at it this way, excluding the five Cultivators leading the teams, is it highly probable that only one among the Cave Abyss Sect’s new generation will achieve Foundation Establishment this time?"

"Indeed, it’s a bit..."

A generational gap.

"Isn’t it? I see that in this Grand Competition, the Zhongmiao Sect alone occupies fourteen slots, eyeing them covetously."

When mentioning the Zhongmiao Sect, these Cultivators deliberately lowered their voices, but the undisguised schadenfreude in their tones was even more grating.

Everyone was well aware of the entanglement between the Cave Abyss Sect and the Zhongmiao Sect.

As a newcomer among the Six Major Sects, the Cave Abyss Sect and the Profound Origin Sect could only be said to have some relatively intense friction, not yet reaching the point of completely falling out.

But the Zhongmiao Sect’s hatred for the Cave Abyss Sect was known to all.

Listening to the surrounding Cultivators’ disdain for the Cave Abyss Sect, Li Xuan and the two Cultivators beside him naturally felt very pleased.

The apprehension they had felt in front of the Profound Origin Sect Cultivators earlier was completely swept away.

For a moment, their spirits surged.

One of them chuckled and said, "This Fellow Daoist speaks sense. Upstarts like the Cave Abyss Sect, who squeezed into the Six Sects by luck, should have given up their position long ago!"

"I heard they only sent one Elder to lead the team this time, and their Disciples can’t even gather enough people, hahahaha!"

It must be said that the Cave Abyss Sect’s Foundation was indeed unstable.

Throughout the entire Chu State, only the Shooting Sun Sect was on good terms with it.

Ordinary Sect Disciples and Loose Cultivators, under the influence of the great deity that was the Profound Origin Sect, naturally sided with those who were at odds with the Cave Abyss Sect.

Some people also wondered why the Profound Origin Sect had not yet made a move against the Cave Abyss Sect.

However, those were all gambits between the high-ranking officials of the major Sects, and no one could say for sure.

The few Cultivators who had been speaking earlier, flattered by the Zhongmiao Sect’s Disciple, became somewhat carried away.

"I think in this Grand Competition, they will fall from the altar of the Six Sects..."

"Thinking about it that way, perhaps a few Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers from the Zhongmiao Sect could even surpass the Cave Abyss Sect’s current generation of talents!"

Listening to such discussions, although Li Xuan somewhat disliked such grandstanding, he still found the praise for his own Sect and the belittle of the Cave Abyss Sect very satisfying.

This increasingly exaggerated malicious commentary, though not specifically aimed at a particular person or Disciple, clearly reached the ears of several Disciples wearing Cave Abyss Sect-style Daoist robes not far away.

The expressions of all the Cultivators were somewhat unpleasant. Han Yuan frowned slightly, and Yuwen Yao drank a mouthful of wine with an expressionless face.

Gu Qingqing’s small face turned red with anger upon hearing this.

She had been so happy today!

First, Senior Sister Yuwen had taken her to several exchange meetings, and then she had explored the Daoist temple of cultivation arts with Senior Brother Han Yuan.

Although she was only a Disciple who came to observe the ceremony with the Sect, she felt that the other Cultivators were all friendly, and this grand event was truly lively and very interesting.

However, upon arriving here, she kept hearing people gossiping, mostly about how the Cave Abyss Sect was this and that.

Now, already fuming from Zhao Xuan’s defeat, hearing the other party so brazenly belittle her Sect and insult her Senior Brother, she truly couldn’t hold back.

"Senior Brother Song is exceptionally talented. What good thing is the Zhongmiao Sect? They only know how to spout nonsense here..."

Gu Qingqing pouted and muttered a few words.

Sun Zhengfu was also present. He was slightly startled and wanted to pull Gu Qingqing away.

However, her small outburst of anger fell into the ears of the three Zhongmiao Sect Cultivators.

"Oh, is the Cave Abyss Sect out of people? Sending a Level 7 Qi Refining little girl to shout?"

One person crossed his arms, sizing up Gu Qingqing with a contemptuous look, "What, did we hit a sore spot? Getting angry?"

"Hehe, you say our Zhongmiao Sect is nothing?"

Another person spoke in a sinister tone to Gu Qingqing: "Compared to some ’Genius’ who might rely on special, crooked, or even evil methods, or even curry favor with an Elder to squeeze into the Grand Competition roster, our Zhongmiao Sect selects Disciples fairly and openly, with strength as the ultimate criterion."

"What do you say, Junior Sister? Some of your Sect’s ’reputation’ isn’t unfounded, you know..."

These words were extremely malicious and veiled insults.

This sparring platform was just one of the exchange meetings hosted by the Profound Origin Sect Cultivators and was not a very formal event. The Foundation Establishment Cultivators leading the various major Sects were not present.

Most of those here now were the younger generation of Cultivators.

On the Cave Abyss Sect’s side, there wasn’t even a single Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.

This also gave these people, who couldn’t stand to see the Cave Abyss Sect do well, the audacity to speak disrespectfully.

Gu Qingqing trembled with anger, her small face pale: "You! You’re talking nonsense! Shameless!"

"This Junior Sister from the Cave Abyss Sect has a sharp tongue, but she lacks manners."

The Zhongmiao Sect Disciple from before sneered, took a step forward, and released his Qi Refining Perfection Aura, carrying a strong sense of oppression, attempting to publicly humiliate Gu Qingqing: "Who is superior, who is inferior? Why not prove it with our hands?"

"If you don’t dare, then let your Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters teach you that when you’re out and about, you must understand hierarchy and control your mouth!"

Gu Qingqing felt a heavy pressure surge towards her, her breathing momentarily caught, and her feet instinctively wanted to retreat.

But when she thought of this person’s malicious conjectures about Senior Brother Song, a stubbornness rose in her heart.

"Hey, that’s enough."

A clear shout rang out.

A slightly tipsy Yuwen Yao stepped in front of Gu Qingqing, just barely blocking the Spiritual Pressure directed at Gu Qingqing.

The surrounding crowd felt that the two sides were now at daggers drawn, likely to engage in a fiery sparring match, and all watched with schadenfreude.

Li Xuan, who had been standing on the periphery as if uninvolved, felt a surge of joy in his heart at this moment.

The Cave Abyss Sect is weak, yet they still want to show off? Heh heh... This is precisely the time for my Zhongmiao Sect to display its strength and Foundation!

He let out a cold snort and took a step forward.

A Foundation Establishment Realm Spiritual Pressure, far more profound and pure than Yuwen Yao’s, instantly pressed down on the Cave Abyss Sect’s people like an invisible tide.

The Cave Abyss Sect Cultivators immediately felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Li Xuan walked slowly, his voice gentle: "Fellow Daoists of the Cave Abyss Sect, please forgive me. My Junior Brother was a bit unrestrained with his words just now."

"However..."

He changed his tone, and the Spiritual Pressure exerted on Yuwen Yao and Gu Qingqing suddenly intensified several times, like a mountain crushing down: "What my two Junior Brothers said was not wrong either."

The heavy pressure made Yuwen Yao’s face pale. Her tall, slender figure swayed slightly, and the spiritual power within her body felt as if it was bound by an invisible quagmire, its circulation becoming sluggish.

"Who is superior, who is inferior? Why not prove it with our hands, don’t you agree?"