Chapter 175 – Mist Covering 1,500 Kilometers
The Shangqing Mountain Range was the first Mountain of the Eight Mountains and had countless geniuses. It was extremely vast, more than several times larger than many of the other Mountain Ranges.
There were many Secret Realms in the Shangqing Mountain Range. There were many smaller Secret Realm domains, which were separate from the 27 Mortal Secret Realms and the 9 large-scale Mystical Realms. There were a small minority of people who weren’t willing to enter the Yuluo Realm and cultivate under a Primordial Lord, and instead chose to enter a small Secret Realm and establish their own domain, where they would teach their Dao and form an influence of their own.
The Luminous Cloud Abyss was located in the southeast of the Shangqing Mountain Range, and was the gate to the entire Shangqing Sacred Sect.
It was a vast stretch of clouds and mist that spanned a thousand miles. It was an extremely special external dimensional plane that was refined an unknown number of years ago by several supreme powerhouses of the sect.
The Luminous Cloud Abyss melded with the landscape of the Mountain Range, making for a magnificent sight where clouds and mist rolled gently through the valleys. In the entire Shan Mountain Territory, it was an extremely famous spectacle.
The Luminous Cloud Abyss Gate’s Cloud Road was the real entrance to the Shangqing Sacred Sect. It was guarded by several thousand elite disciples, who were overseen by a few Divine Core stage Spirit Masters.
A faint, heaven-shaking roar rang out in the distance to the southwest. All of the disciples on the Cloud Road looked up off into the distance. There was a massive kun peng spirit beast as large as a mountain. It was flying high above the skies as it approached from afar, stirring up the energy of the heaven and earth.
(TL: Kun peng is a legendary fish and bird hybrid creature from Chinese mythology. [Wiki] [Image])
It left an enormous shadow on the ground wherever it flew over, and was flanked by several smaller spirit beasts. In just a few breaths of time, the kun peng arrived in its full might above Cloud Road. Its fins were flapping gently as it flew in the air, but it swept up a strong gale over thousands of miles.
“Yu Yun arrives with the disciples of the Ancient Nuwa Sect,” a clear voice atop the kun peng announced, resonating throughout the entirety of Cloud Road.
“That’s the Profound Kun Peng spirit beast of the Ancient Nuwa Sect!”
“That beast is humongous!”
“This kun peng spirit beast is extremely powerful. Even though it’s several thousand miles away, it gives off such an oppressive aura.”
“What a grand show of might by the Ancient Nuwa Sect! That kun peng spirit beast is at the equivalent of the Primordial Spirit stage, but it’s just being used as a mount!”
The Shangqing Mountain Range disciples in the nearby Peaks all began to discuss spiritedly amongst themselves as they beheld the spectacle.
A dignified voice rang out from the depths of the Shangqing Mountain Range. “So it’s Primordial Lord Yu Yun on behalf of the Ancient Nuwa Sect. Please forgive our rude welcome. All disciples of Cloud Road, heed my command! Open the Cloud Road and welcome our guests!”
All at once, the countless disciples began to move to carry out the order. “As you command, Primordial Lord Yanghua!”
A tremendous rumbling began to ring out from Cloud Road!
The mist began to billow and sweep. Rich spiritual energy began to spread out as the Luminous Cloud Abyss began to change. The Cloud Road transformed into an extremely broad staircase that ascended majestically into the skies.
Hundreds of female disciples came out, each one carrying a basket filled with flower petals. As they flew, they scattered the flower petals. Wherever the flower petals landed, they grew into beautiful flowers of all different colors, ripe with spiritual energy.
Whenever any of the disciples came close, the flowers would take flight and bore into the bodies of the disciples, increasing their profound qi cultivations in an extremely mysterious manner.
Primordial Lord Yanghua was the other Mountain Master of the Shangqing Mountain Range aside from Red Lotus Primordial Lord. Together, they wielded a tremendous amount of authority, ruling over the First Mountain, Shangqing Mountain Range.
Primordial Lord Yu Yun led the few dozen people from the Ancient Nuwa Sect in flying off from the kun peng spiritual beast and landing on the stairs that ascended into the sky.
Behind him, there were several Divine Core stage Spirit Masters. The rest were Dao Foundation and Sea of Qi stage demon race geniuses. They had come on behalf of their seniors to spectate the Shangqing Sacred Sect’s Eight Mountains Grand Tournament.
Since the Shangqing Sacred Sect was a human sect, the people of the Ancient Nuwa Sect hid their serpent tails, instead opting for legs. At a glance, they looked no different from human cultivators.
There were many disciples from the Shangqing Sacred Sect who hadn’t seen the demon race before, and were secretly sizing up the disciples from the Ancient Nuwa Sect as they climbed the stairs, whispering amongst themselves in quiet tones.
Once Primordial Lord Yu Yun and his cohort reached the top of the stairs, the disciples invited them into the Luminous Cloud Abyss. In the sea of clouds that made up the core of the Cloud Abyss, there was a beautiful flying palace prepared for the people from the sects who came to attend the event.
That kun peng spirit beast, which was comparable to a Primordial Spirit stage cultivator, began to flap its fins, causing the clouds and mist near it to disappear in ribbons. A short while later, it rose into the sky and it too disappeared without a trace.
A pagoda flew in from the distance, soaring across the sky, where he stopped above Cloud Road. “Xu Qing of the Peak Destroying Sword Sect has arrived on invitation to attend the Shangqing Sacred Sect’s event!”
Primordial Lord Zhenyue was the grand elder of the Peak Destroying Sword Sect. He also arrived at this moment, bringing two Divine Core stage Spirit Masters and several dozen Dao Foundation and Sea of Qi stage geniuses to attend the event.
This time, only a single Divine Core stage Spirit Master came out to welcome the Peak Destroying Sword Sect. The Cloud Road was opened just like before to welcome them into the Luminous Cloud Abyss, but the welcome was a lot less grand.
After all, the Ancient Nuwa Sect was a colossal existence on par with the Shangqing Sacred Sect. They had countless years of inheritance in the Shan Mountain Territory and were fully worthy of their name as an overlord sect of the region.
Even though the Peak Destroying Sword Sect was a large-scale sect, they only had a scant two or three Primordial Spirit stage powerhouses. They were also a sect that was considered subordinate to the Shangqing Sacred Sect, so their status couldn’t be compared to that of the Ancient Nuwa Sect in the slightest.
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Over the course of the next 12 hours, the Magic Sound Sect, the Spirit Flower Sect, the House of Bliss, the Clear Tone Sword Sect, Daji Shrine, and several dozen other large-scale sects all arrived one after the other. They were all brought to the sea of clouds at the core of the Luminous Cloud Abyss, where each sect was given a palace to stay at temporarily.
(TL: Demon Sound Sect → Magic Sound Sect.)
The smaller sects, clans, and other various influences of the Shan Mountain Territory also showed up in droves. They walked along the broad avenue of Cloud Road, but they seemed disorderly and noisy.
These various influences didn’t have the qualifications to be invited into the sea of clouds at the core of the Luminous Cloud Abyss. They could only find temporary arrangements in the few dozen Mountain Peaks off to the side of the Luminous Cloud Abyss. Although they were given worse conditions, they were still treated extremely well.
Every sect and clan that came would be supplied with precious spirit fruits and teas. They would even receive medicinal pills and other items. The Shangqing Sacred Sect treated all of them favorably, making a grand display of their status as an overlord sect of the region.
“Father, the Shangqing Sacred Sect is way too wealthy. Our Liu Clan, an influence with only a single Divine Core stage Spirit Master, showed up to attend the tournament without an invitation, but we can still eat such valuable spirit fruits every single day,” Liu Mo said, picking up a Jade Heart Blossom from the jade platter in front of him. He looked it over with a somewhat reluctant gaze before putting it in his mouth. Only after slowly savoring the taste did he swallow it.
“Just look at yourself!” Liu Hongfang snorted. In spite of his words, he also picked up a Jade Heart Blossom and delicately sampled it. “But the Shangqing Sacred Sect really makes a point of its status as an overlord sect. They can treat even a clan sect like ours, which only has a single Divine Core stage Spirit Master, with such generosity, and allow us to not feel slighted at all.”
Liu Mo pushed open the window and looked up at the central sea of clouds in the Luminous Cloud Abyss. He let out a sigh of admiration and said, “The Luminous Cloud Abyss itself is already several times more impressive than the domain of our Liu Clan’s ancestor. I heard that this place was just the gateway realm of the Shangqing Sacred Sect.”
Liu Hongfang seemed to remember something and said, “Ancestor didn’t come this time, but he did inform me that several days later, when the Eight Mountains Grand Tournament officially starts, the clans, sects, and other influences regardless of size will all receive an unexpected windfall.”
“Father, this time, only you, me, and a few Dao Foundation stage descendants from the Liu Clan came. What kind of unexpected windfall could there even be?” Liu Mo said, closing the window and turning around to face his father again with a dubious expression on his face.
Liu Hongfang shook his head and replied, “Ancestor didn’t specify, but we’ll know a few days from now.”
