Seated in the grand hall, faint murmurs drifted into their ears from all directions.
Liu Bai soon noticed that although they were all on the first floor, several areas around them were partitioned off by decorative screens. There were people within those secluded spaces as well. Clearly, those allowed entry into such places were of extraordinary status.
Although Liu Bai's group appeared rather low-profile, every one of them possessed the strength of the Heaven Completion Realm. Several Heaven Completion Realm experts gathered together at such a young age naturally drew the attention of many onlookers.
"This time, quite a number of powerful figures have come for the Divine Spiritual Mountain," said Zhou Jian, one of the Punishment Hall Captain who had once crossed moves with Liu Bai during the Hunting Battle. He spoke softly to Liu Bai as he introduced, "There's Mo Xingtian of the Demonic Dargon Palace, Xi Qinghai of the Western Extreme Palace, Zhou Xuan of the Mysterious Yin Mountain, Su Buxiu of the Heavenly Cauldron Saint Sect, Xia Youran of the Nine Summer Chamber of Commerce, Dong Yuan of the Heavenly Yuan Chamber of Commerce, and Liu Ying of the Umbra Chamber of Commerce."
"These seven can be considered your strongest rivals."
Liu Bai nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"The last time the Divine Spiritual Mountain opened, there were also many participants. Are none of those from before returning this time?" he asked curiously.
Zhou Jian lightly shook his head. "The top powers of the Northern Heaven Continent have set a strict age limit for those entering the Divine Spiritual Mountain. Most of the ones who went in three years ago have already surpassed the age requirement, losing their qualification to enter again."
"After all, not everyone is like your generation, possessing such strength while being under twenty. Many who entered previously were already at the edge of the age limit, so once they participated, that was their only chance."
Although all of them were considered elite seedlings nurtured by their respective great powers, those like the ones participating this time were in a different league altogether. Except for Liu Bai and Mo Xingtian, the rest were all direct descendants of the masters of their respective forces, receiving far more resources and cultivation support than ordinary disciples.
Liu Bai nodded again, signaling that he understood.
"However," Zhou Jian continued, his expression turning grave, "there is one person you must be especially cautious of... Ding Xuan."
The mention of this name caused even Zhou Jian's tone to grow heavier.
"This man was among the biggest beneficiaries of the last Divine Spiritual Mountain opening. Back then, he was only at the Early-phase of the Heaven Completion Realm, yet his combat power was utterly terrifying. Though not as monstrous as you, he was able to face even a Late-phase Heaven Completion Realm opponent without defeat."
"With his monstrous talent, he has most likely already broken through to the Human Body Disaster Stage by now."
Liu Bai's brows rose slightly, his heart growing alert.
The Human Body Disaster, one of the three Disasters on the path to becoming a Sovereign, was a terrifying ordeal. Those who could overcome it would have their physical bodies tempered to an incredible level. Unless one specialized in body cultivation, the difference in physical strength between someone in the Heaven Completion Realm and one who had overcome the Human Body Disaster Stage was as vast as an abyss.
"His blade intent is unparalleled. Even a casual slash possesses the power of a top-tier Spirit-grade offensive art. If you encounter him, avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary. If battle is unavoidable, defeat him swiftly. Once he fully displays his blade's edge, it will be difficult to withstand."
As Zhou Jian spoke, a sigh escaped him.
Although they had all once cultivated in Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy and were even chosen by Mo You to join the Punishment Hall, proving both their talent and strength, compared to the monstrous geniuses spread across the entire Northern Heaven Continent, the gap was still tremendous.
He glanced at Liu Bai beside him, the same seventeen or eighteen years of age, yet possessing strength that had already reached such an astonishing level. Perhaps it would not be long before the entire Northern Heaven Continent resounded with Liu Bai's name.
While they conversed, the entire first floor suddenly grew silent. Every gaze turned toward the great doors.
There, a tall figure walked in with calm confidence.
An incredibly sharp blade aura spread through the air, making everyone feel as though a knife had been pressed against their throats. Their bodies tensed instinctively, every hair standing on end.
"It's him!" Zhou Jian whispered, his eyes flashing with apprehension as he leaned toward Liu Bai. "He's here…"
He didn't have to say the name. The overwhelming blade intent alone made it clear who the man was.
Behind the decorative screens, seven pairs of eyes also locked tightly onto the newcomer.
The man seemed entirely unconcerned with the attention. His eyes, cold as a frozen lake, swept across the hall before he found a quiet corner with few people and strode over.
As he sat down, the terrifying aura filling the hall dissipated instantly, as though everything moments ago had been an illusion.
The suffocating pressure vanished, and many people finally dared to let out the breaths they had been holding.
To command such dominance over the entire hall with a single presence—Ding Xuan was indeed terrifying, perhaps even more so than Mo Xingtian had been during the early stages of the original narrative.
However, something puzzled Liu Bai. Ding Xuan seemed to have no powerful backing in the Northern Heaven Continent. Yet both during the previous and current opening of the Divine Spiritual Mountain, he had managed to participate and even after obtaining great benefits last time, he left unharmed.
That could only mean that Ding Xuan was far from what he appeared on the surface. He might not be as simple as a lone wanderer.
Liu Bai kept these thoughts to himself, not voicing them aloud.
His opponents were indeed formidable, but that did not mean he was weak. The other man's blade might be sharper, yet Liu Bai's sword was no less keen.
The following days passed without further incidents. Liu Bai didn't even see Mo Xingtian or any members of the Demonic Dargon Palace.
That struck him as strange, but it was not unwelcome. Better to settle matters with action within the Divine Spiritual Mountain than waste time exchanging empty words outside.
As the days passed, countless cultivators poured into Divine Spiritual City. Each day, streams of light streaked across the skies, dense as swarms of locusts.
Liu Bai paid them no attention. His gaze remained fixed upon the Divine Spiritual Mountain behind the city.
As the appointed time drew near, the spiritual energy enveloping the mountain grew increasingly violent. Waves of power surged outward like crashing tides, carrying a thunderous roar.
Within that overwhelming energy, the once-obscured mountain began to reveal its true form—majestic and awe-inspiring.
It was a sign that the Divine Spiritual Mountain was about to open.
"It's finally beginning..."
After so many days of waiting, even Liu Bai felt a surge of excitement. This was his first time entering such a mysterious domain—one said to be connected to a Heavenly Sovereign. Feeling such anticipation was only natural.
The next morning, as the sun rose above the horizon, Divine Spiritual City erupted into motion.
Countless figures soared into the sky like locusts, while more rose from distant peaks and plains, transforming into radiant streaks that raced across the heavens.
The allure of the Divine Spiritual Baptism was too great. Countless people coveted it. Even the most dominant powers of the continent dared not claim the Divine Spiritual Mountain for themselves, for doing so would make them the target of every force on the land.
Even the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy and the domineering Demonic Dargon Palace understood this truth well.
Thus, the Divine Spiritual Mountain was said to belong to all of Northern Heaven Continent. As long as one possessed strength and remained within the rules—anyone had the right to enter and compete for its fortune.
Following the two Elders, Liu Bai arrived before the vast ocean of spiritual energy. As for Zhou Jian and the others, they remained in the Divine Spiritual City to secretly make the necessary preparations for support.
At this moment, whether in the sky or on the ground before the Divine Spiritual Mountain, it was already crowded with countless people. Naturally, those standing at the very front were members of the top-tier powers.
The Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy naturally had the qualification to stand at the forefront as well, so when Liu Bai and his group arrived, they instantly drew the attention of everyone present. Many forces that maintained friendly relations with the Academy even nodded in greeting from afar.
However, Liu Bai could also feel a few malicious gazes aimed at him, the most intense coming from the people of the Demonic Dargon Palace.
Lifting his eyes slightly, Liu Bai looked over. The group from the Demonic Dargon Palace was still some distance away. Leading them were an elderly man in a yellow robe and a middle-aged man in a blue robe. The aura emanating from them was even stronger than that of Elders Zhu Tian and Mo You, indicating that both were among the top of the First Grade Sovereign State.
"That is the Yellow Dragon Sovereign and the Red Dragon Sovereign of the Demonic Dargon Palace. They are two of the six Sovereigns of the Palace and possess extraordinary strength," Zhu Tian's voice sounded in Liu Bai's ear.
Of the six Sovereigns of the Demonic Dargon Palace, the Black Dragon Sovereign was the strongest, while the remaining five were all First Grade Sovereigns. This was similar to the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy, where apart from Dean Tai Cang, who was a Fifth Grade Sovereign, all the Heavenly Seat Elders were First Grade Sovereigns.
However, the Academy had the Northern Sea Dragon, a divine beast, as its ultimate trump card, something the Demonic Dargon Palace could never compare to. If not for the Academy's relatively restrained conduct, the Northern Sea Dragon alone could have unified the entire Northern Heaven Continent.
Of course, this also demonstrated that within the vast Great Thousand World, the Northern Heaven Continent was merely a small or medium-sized continent.
Liu Bai's gaze then fell upon a young man he recognized from the original tale, the one who had suppressed the younger generation of the Northern Heaven Continent for many years — Mo Xingtian. He appeared to be an ordinary youth in plain linen clothes, his face carrying a cold indifference toward all life. His eyes were as lifeless and deep as stagnant water, exuding a chilling and oppressive aura.
Liu Bai's first impression of him was that he resembled a puppet without a soul. Yet the sinister and malevolent aura surrounding him was something even Yu Yuan, with his bloodthirsty brutality, could not compare to.
Perhaps sensing Liu Bai's gaze, Mo Xingtian turned his head slightly, their eyes meeting.
There was no overwhelming killing intent or visible anger in his expression. It was merely a calm exchange of looks, though Liu Bai could have sworn the other man even smiled faintly at him.
Still, Liu Bai found the feeling he got from Mo Xingtian strange. The man's gaze did not seem like that of a normal human being.
Besides Mo Xingtian, Liu Bai also saw the other individuals Zhou Jian had mentioned earlier — figures who, in the original story, had participated in the Divine Spiritual Mountain event alongside Mu Chen. Now, they were all much younger and slightly weaker in cultivation.
"At present, the general level of strength here is around the Late-phase of the Heavenly Transformation Realm. Apart from that freak Ding Xuan, none of the others have an overwhelming advantage over me," Liu Bai thought to himself.
His situation was far better than Mu Chen's back then.
Moreover, since this event had occurred three years earlier than expected, the Demonic Dargon Palace had not yet prepared to turn against the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy. Their strongest, the Black Dragon Sovereign, had not even appeared. Of course, it was possible that he was hiding somewhere in the shadows, but the chances of that were small.
Meanwhile, Liu Bai sensed another gaze directed toward him.
It came from a tall, voluptuous young woman. She was dressed in a tight-fitting red soft armor, crafted with exceptional precision and tailored to her form. Her curvaceous figure was strikingly alluring, her full chest arching upward under the armor's contour, followed by a slender waist and a pair of long, flawless legs exposed beneath a short red skirt, exuding an intoxicating charm.
She was a beauty even more fiery than Hong Xiao herself.
When Liu Bai noticed the emblem on the attire of the people beside her, he immediately realized who she was the eldest daughter of the Head of Nine Summers Chamber of Commerce, Xia Youran.
Recognizing her identity, Liu Bai understood at once. She had once cultivated for a year at the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy before being recalled by her chamber of commerce. Otherwise, he might have even crossed paths with her before.
As for her connection with Yue Qing, Liu Bai had no idea, nor did he have any interest in finding out. He was not someone who lusted after beauty, so there was no need to pay unnecessary attention to a stranger.
While this atmosphere lingered, the sea of spiritual energy before them suddenly began to stir.
The vast ocean of energy rippled violently, and the towering mountain concealed within it gradually became clearer. The space of heaven and earth trembled, creating visible ripples in the air.
Everyone's eyes began to blaze with excitement.
They all knew that the Divine Spiritual Mountain was about to open.
Rumble.
The spiritual energy in the heavens and the earth surged like roaring waves, the deep rumbling sound shaking the very space itself until it twisted and distorted.
At the same time, a mysterious ancient pressure, seemingly lingering from primeval times, spread quietly through the area. Most of the people present could not sense it, but the Sovereign-level experts like Elder Zhu Tian and Mo You could feel the danger it contained, and their expressions grew solemn.
"When you enter, you must be extremely careful," Mo You quickly transmitted her voice to Liu Bai. "The Divine Spiritual Mountain is filled with danger, especially spatial turbulence and spatial gales. With your current strength, even a touch could cost you your life. You must remain vigilant."
"Moreover, beyond the environmental dangers, you must also be wary of others. Never trust anyone easily. Countless experts have entered this place, but the Divine Spiritual Baptism can only accommodate a handful. Everyone who enters is a competitor, and given the chance, some will not hesitate to strike you down."
....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan (Completed)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu