In an instant, the tranquility of the mountain morning was shattered. Dense clouds of primordial Qi, thick as river mist and luminous as white jade, surged between heaven and earth, cascading down from the hidden heights of the Sky Sect.
An immense, powerful pressure descended from the firmament, a weight so heavy it felt as if the sky itself were pressing down upon the shoulders of the gathered disciples. Immediately afterward, the swirling clouds began to churn with a rhythmic, violent energy, and billions of brilliant lights shot through the mist, illuminating the mountain range with a blinding, celestial radiance.
Six figures appeared silently among the churning clouds. They did not descend so much as manifest, their presence seemingly woven into the very fabric of the atmosphere. Wherever their gaze fell, the air trembled, and the spiritual energy of the surroundings went still in reverence.
They sat suspended in the air like ancient deities, radiating an aura that suggested the very power of heaven and earth were within their casual grasp.
The middle-aged man sitting in the central lotus seat, occupying the front row of the aerial assembly, was a figure of striking gravity. His hair was as white, yet his face remained smooth and unlined. His deep eyes were dark and unfathomable, containing a swirling depth that resembled the endless starry sky.
This was Sect Master Qing Feng, a master who had reached the absolute peak of the Soul Transcendence realm. Behind him, the other five lords were also masters of the Soul Transcendence realm, though they occupied the late stage rather than the peak.
Five of the six lords were direct disciples of the Ancestor Tian Cang. The Thunder Peak Lord was the exception.
Shen Xi looked up at the figures, her eyes narrowed as she evaluated the spiritual pressure they emitted.
"Without a doubt, he is worthy of being a disciple of an Ascendant," she commented softly, her voice carrying a tone of objective appraisal.
Although her voice was not loud, the disciples standing in the immediate vicinity looked at her with looks of sheer puzzlement and thinly veiled irritation. To them, a giant of the cultivation world like the Sect Master was a figure of mythic proportions, far beyond the reach of their comprehension. For an outer disciple of her level to offer such a familiar, analytical comment on his strength seemed like the height of arrogance.
However, Shen Xi did not care about those sideways gazes or the quiet murmurs of the crowd. Her own grandfather, Grandpa Yan, was an Ascendant cultivator, a being of the same tier as the Sky Sect's founder.
Furthermore, the man with whom she shared her life, Mu Chen, existed in a state where these cultivation realms were completely irrelevant. Her perspective was forged in a different reality entirely.
Qing Feng surveyed the tens of thousands of faces below, his voice suddenly ringing out. "You already know the established rules of the Mountain Selection Ceremony. Additionally, as an incentive for this particular generation, whoever wins first place will receive a volume of a Heaven-Grade Technique and a Marrow Baptism."
The powerful and grand voice of Qing Feng, echoing like a roll of thunder, resounded throughout the heavens and the earth, vibrating in the marrow of every disciple present.
As soon as the Sect Master finished speaking, the tension that had been building for months finally snapped. Tens of thousands of disciples, appearing from a distance like a vast, frantic swarm of locusts, launched themselves into the air. They blinked toward the stone platforms floating in the pyramid formation in the sky, their spiritual energy flaring in a kaleidoscope of colors.
It was not enough to simply reach a stone platform to enter the inner mountain. The rules were brutal: one had to be able to defend their position until the end of the ceremony. The pyramid was a vertical battlefield where only the strong could remain.
"I wonder who will take first place in this Mountain Selection Ceremony," Lord Qing Feng said with a faint smile, his eyes fixed on the chaos below as he spoke to the five lords standing beside him.
"I've heard that among this current batch of disciples, two individuals have already reached the Realm of Spirit in their divine sense," Snow Peak Master Su Yao said, her phoenix eyes sparkling with a peculiar light.
She looked toward the periphery of the crowd, her gaze settling on Shen Xi and Mu Chen. "They should be more than qualified to compete for the position of chief."
"I have heard of those two as well. A soul that has reached the Realm of Spirit would be very suitable for the Rune Peak," the White-Browed Elder said slowly, his voice raspy. He stroked his long beard, his interest piqued by the prospect of such rare mental talent.
"A soul from the Realm of Spirit is truly a rare find among new disciples, I will grant you that," Lingtian, the Lord of the Sword Peak, replied with a gentle, yet firm smile. "But in the heat of actual combat, raw soul power is often no match for a refined spiritual cultivation. I believe Lu Feng, with his foundation and drive, could easily win first place in this ceremony."
"A soul from the Realm of Spirit can inscribe formations that can directly suppress the spiritual Qi of a cultivator," the White-Browed Elder countered, his eyes flashing with a competitive glint. "Or do you perhaps want to test this old man's achievements with runes and formations yourself, Lingtian?"
"No," Lingtian said indifferently, waving his hand to dismiss the challenge.
There was no need to argue with the stubborn White-Browed Old Man about such a matter when the results would soon be visible on the platforms.
"Heh, it is said that Lu Feng has long been favored by your Sword Peak. If he passes the Mountain Selection Ceremony, he will directly join your peak, won't he?" Su Yao said, her voice carrying a meaningful, teasing edge.
Lingtian stared at Su Yao for a moment, but he said nothing, his silence acting as a confirmation of his intent.
...
"Reporting to the Sect Master," Wuji said, stepping forward from behind the group of lords. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, his expression serious. "Mu Chen and Shen Xi have already met with the Ancestor within the ancient relics. Based on what I witnessed, they should have received significant gifts from the Ancestor himself."
All six sets of eyes—those of the Sect Master and the five Peak Lords—were instantly fixed upon Mu Chen and Shen Xi. They had not expected such a direct karmic connection between the newcomers and their own master.
"Is that so? To have received gifts from the Master himself..." Lord Qing Feng said gently, his voice carrying a hint of genuine curiosity. "Then I am truly eager to see his performance today."
"Also," Wuji added, his smile widening slightly as he recounted the earlier incident. "He slapped Old Zhao of the Holy Sect twice during the recruitment."
Wuji still felt a profound sense of satisfaction whenever he recalled Zhao's public misfortune. Upon hearing this, the Sect Master and the other Summit Lords looked at Mu Chen with a sudden surge of admiration.
Since both sects were at odds with each other, they were delighted to hear that the arrogant Holy Sect had lost prestige at the hands of a junior.
"Those scoundrels at the Holy Palace... they deserved every bit of it!" Su Yao exclaimed, nodding her head in approval. "This old woman even wants to slap some of those scoundrels herself. To think a young man had the courage to do it twice."
She looked at Mu Chen again. He was handsome, undeniably talented, and he had done something that thoroughly pleased her. In her heart, she truly wanted Mu Chen to join the Snow Peak.
The White-Browed Old Man and the others shared similar thoughts. After the Mountain Selection Ceremony, they would all likely try to convince Mu Chen to join their respective groups, as his actions had proven he possessed the character they desired.
...
"Mu Chen, should we also move now?" Shen Xi asked, looking at the thousands of disciples already clashing in the sky. She offered him a small, knowing smile. They had been standing at the base of the mountain, watching the spectacle from below while everyone else scrambled for position.
"How about you take the golden platform?" Mu Chen suggested, his tone casual. He looked at the single, glittering platform at the very top of the pyramid.
Hearing this, Shen Xi chuckled. "Nice try, Mu Chen, but since Lu Feng was so insistent on challenging you earlier, you have to be the one to take care of it. I know you have plenty of ways to handle him."
She knew that Lu Feng would inevitably aim for the first-place position, and she understood that Mu Chen was trying to nudge her into the spotlight to avoid the trouble himself.
She waved a hand at him and took a single step forward. The space beneath her feet rippled like the surface of a pond, and in a blur of motion, she entered the fighting spree, moving through the layers of the pyramid with effortless grace.
Mu Chen sighed, lifting Nibi from the top of his head and cradling her in his arms. "Nibi, it looks like she caught me. I suppose I can't hide today."
Mu Chen took a single step, and he was directly on the golden stone platform at the very summit of the pyramid.
The crowd below went silent for a heartbeat. Lu Feng, who was currently fighting his way through the silver platforms, saw Mu Chen's sudden appearance. His expression shifted from initial astonishment to a deep, simmering sadness, which quickly sharpened into rage.
Mu Chen simply sitting there on the golden seat with a cat in his arms was, in Lu Feng's opinion, a silent and unbearable provocation.
While everyone else was busy in the frantic, bloody struggle for the platforms, Mu Chen remained still. Nibi was looking around at the various fights occurring below them, pointing her tiny paws toward different disciples and meowing.
She seemed to be critiquing their techniques, acting out their motions with her paws to show Mu Chen how many flaws their fighting styles possessed. Mu Chen looked at her actions, smiling and nodding from time to time as if they were watching a mediocre street performance.
"What if you have reached the Spirit Realm?" Lu Feng shouted, his voice cold and filled with a desperate pride. He abandoned his current opponent and teleported onto the golden platform, landing heavily in front of Mu Chen.
"Today, I, Lu Feng, want to see exactly what qualifications you have to be sitting here!"
A deep, dark green life energy erupted from Lu Feng's body like a rising storm, so intense that it felt as if the sky above the golden platform had darkened. The pressure lashed out in all directions, but Mu Chen remained motionless. His clothes flapped noisily in the gale of life energy coming from the opposite direction.
"With no one else on the highest stage, the top spot of this generation will be decided between these two," Sect Master Qing Feng said, watching the confrontation with a focused interest.