novelraw Chapter 538: Made it big!
Chapter 538: Made it big!
"Duang!"
After the Wilderness Ascension, the sun cast its not-yet-hot golden rays, and the bell at the peak of Mirror Mountain resounded melodiously.
The Magical Artifact, laden with Spiritual Power, emitted prolonged and robust soundwaves, invigorating the mundane folks in the town at the mountain’s base, clearing their minds considerably.
"The Immortal Ascension Conference officially begins! We cordially welcome friends from all paths to join the banquet!"
With a loud shout from the Guardian Protector, the Sect Protection Array of the Celestial Sword Sect flickered a few times, emitting a radiant light.
Old Li, his palms sweaty with excitement, murmured in the crowd, "Divine Bird, please don’t leave me behind! Without you leading the way, I fear I wouldn’t even make it through the mountain gate."
The little sparrow, picking up various Spiritual Power auras, leaped excitedly on his shoulder, delighted to finally find other cultivators and seize another chance at immortal ties, "Chirp chirp chirp! Don’t worry! Old Li, rest easy chirp!"
Although it could only cultivate a small portion of the Heaven-Burning Scripture, a Demon Beast that could cultivate a Cultivation Technique was worlds apart from one with only minimal intelligence!
The little sparrow had already opened up two meridians, capable of spitting out small flames and uttering simple words and contemplating simple issues.
For instance, though Old Li harbored a personal desire to seek another chance on the cultivation path, he indeed had been a tremendous help. Not only did he enable it to escape the wretched cage, but he also found an excuse to bring it along on this thousand-mile journey. If it truly obtained a cultivation opportunity, it certainly intended to give him a token of thanks.
As for whether Old Li had immortal ties...
The little sparrow turned its head to look at him and quietly shook its head. Although it didn’t know the reason, it could sense the emptiness within his body; even if Spiritual Energy were poured in, it couldn’t flow, making cultivation unlikely.
Zheng Lang, also self-invited, rode in a grand sedan chair carried by believers. While people crowded outside, he swayed comfortably inside.
With a few paper effigies in his arms, his mind envisioned countless times the scene of himself soaring into the Celestial Sword Sect on a paper crane, under the gaze of thousands.
But in reality, Zheng Lang didn’t dare to use them recklessly. The paperman and paper horse were consumables; once the Spiritual Power within was depleted, they’d turn to ash, leaving him with no trump card!
"The Sect Leader of the Fox Immortal Sect, accompanied by the Young Sect Leader, arrives!"
On the crowded mountain road, everyone felt the sky darken and looked up to see a massive eagle-like Demon Beast flying overhead, with Lu Erxi and his father riding it proudly, their chins nearly pointing skyward.
The disciples of Celestial Sword Sect, upon seeing another flying Demon Beast arrive, hurried over to welcome them, directing them to land their flying mount on the outer plaza to avoid disturbing the honored guest’s mount.
"Is it truly an Immortal Cultivation Sect of humans?" Eagle Fifty-Third feigned compliance as it glided down, its eagle eyes darting around, hoping for a chance to escape this bizarre father-son duo.
"From the Central Province, the Patriarch of the Duanmu family, arrives!"
"The Sect Leader of the Hundred Barbarian Sect, accompanied by the inner disciples, arrives!"
......
Following tradition, representatives of sects and families with invitations entered first, welcomed personally by Fang Shouye into the main hall;
Other loose cultivators without invitations made their way into the mountain gate array skillfully.
Those who could enter were welcomed and were led to a secondary hall for hospitality; those unable to pass even a minor array were deemed similar to ordinary folk, unqualified to participate.
If a powerful unknown one easily broke through the mountain gate array, a competent Inner Sect Disciple would personally assess and decide whether to invite them to the main hall.
Thus, when confident individuals scattered across the mountains were stopped by a minor array, some charlatan fortune tellers completely lost their demeanor and cursed;
Some, having wasted their fortunes, cried loudly, realizing their years of training led to nothing;
Some, who traveled from afar seeking an opportunity for immortal fate, knelt knocking their heads at the mountain gate...
With leisure, Jiang Yuan wandered up the mountain, observing the scene from afar, his heart filled with emotion.
The Human World’s Spiritual Energy Revival period has been too short, and those who once fled with treasures to other worlds and now returned are indeed rare. Losing so much heritage, it’s truly hard to prosper again!
Bai Yunqi and the others found it too noisy and remained in Tingtai Garden for cultivation. He came over to watch the excitement and indeed saw the bustling scene outside the mountain gate but happened to miss Eagle Fifty-Third, which had just landed and disappeared within the sect.
"Out of the way! Make way! The Sect Leader of the Spirit God Sect arrives!"
Amidst the chaos, Zheng Lang’s sedan chair finally reached the mountain gate. Several shirtless strong men pushed aside the crowd blocked by the array, finally clearing some space, respectfully inviting the sect leader to alight.
The lavish eight-carrier sedan was extremely conspicuous among the many loose cultivators, attracting Jiang Yuan’s gaze. He then saw an elderly man, elegantly dressed with white hair and beard, slowly descend from the sedan.
[Zheng Lang: A mundane person who bargained to learn Paperman and Paper Horse Skill and exploited Abnormal Technique to amass wealth by deceiving believers, even forcefully taking women as concubines, severely harming his Yin Virtue leading to a limited lifespan]
"What the hell?!" Jiang Yuan was stunned for a moment, never imagining he’d encounter a "familiar face" at this event, and immediately furrowed his brow.
Initially, to fulfill Zheng Lang’s wish, he offered him a choice of three skills skirting the edge of cultivation, and he chose the Paperman and Paper Horse Skill before sneaking away.
Unexpectedly, with the strange art, he committed so many misdeeds and accrued sins.
It turns out, human nature is the hardest to test. Once he, an ordinary person obsessed most of his life, had magical means, failing to control his inner desires led him to become a scourge upon himself and others!
As Jiang Yuan recognized Zheng Lang with the system’s prompt, Old Li in the crowd also saw him!
"That bastard Zheng! How dare he deceive me!" Old Li erupted in anger, and his rage intensified upon observing the old fool’s lavish display—such wealth and glory should have been mine too!
If the old bastard hadn’t broken his word and sneaked away, perhaps I too could fold a paper, blow on it, and transform it into a flying bird. Why would I need to toil in such a manner to abscond with the Divine Bird?
The little sparrow also noticed him, chirping noisily, "Old Zheng! Chirp chirp chirp! He’s thriving too!"
"Divine Bird, I must rely on you to get in. Look how glorious Zheng is! Once I get in and catch that old scoundrel, I’ll make him repay tenfold of what he owes me. Once I learn the Paperman and Paper Horse Skill, we won’t need to return to that wretched place, and life will be much better!"
Anger and excitement surged through Old Li’s mind, his face slightly flushed as he pushed forward with all his might.
Zheng Lang, unaware of being spotted at this opportune timing, leisurely wrapped his cloak tighter, pulling out a paper crane made personally by a little artisan from his bosom, and breathed into it, filling it with wind.
Within a few breaths, under the astonished eyes of the crowd, it transformed into a massive paper crane, flapping its wings nimbly and chirped. As Zheng Lang mounted its back, it flapped its wings, flying directly over the obstructing array at the mountain gate towards the mountain top.
"The Sect Leader is mighty!" The shirtless bearer men excitedly tried to follow but found themselves utterly unable to cross the array.
Meanwhile, the sect leader leisurely sat on the paper crane, gracefully entering the Celestial Sword Sect, clearly not intending to bring them along. Chanting slogans twice, they could only retreat the sedan chair back down the mountain.
Since the sect leader could ride a paper crane, it’s likely he’d also return riding it after the rendezvous. How could a sedan stop on such a rugged mountain road? Waiting in the town seemed wiser!
Watching Zheng Lang’s ostentatious display, Old Li’s eyes burned red with rage, gritting his teeth, "It’s all up to you now, Divine Bird!"
The little sparrow stood valiantly on his shoulder, spewing a fireball at the obstructing array, instantly creating a path within the faintly glowing barrier. Old Li strode forward, finally entering the mountain gate of the Celestial Sword Sect successfully!