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墨書 Inktalez
This is a Gorge, but it looks vastly different from the Gorges in the Central Plains. The air is extremely hot, as if one were inside a furnace, dry and stuffy, with not a hint of wind. All around is a sea of yellow and red, with vast stretches of gravelly wasteland. Behind, a bare and unsightly rocky mountain stands like a bunch of radishes twisted together, casting a distorted and strange shadow.
A small group of wild donkeys stands dumbly in the shadow below; their eyes widen as they see people popping out from the rocks. This is the coolest spot in the desert, and they do not want to leave. A few timid wild donkeys simply turn their round backs to the outside, cramming their heads into the crevices to pretend they do not see anything. Others watch intently with great interest.
It is too hot.
Li Hong had just stepped out of the Teleportation Array when he felt a sudden constriction in his chest and quickly activated his Awareness. The coolness of his Awareness circulated rapidly through the Great Circulation several times, and the feeling of heat all over his body gradually faded away.
Before him stood members of the Nine Li Sect, with Elders on guard at the outermost perimeter and more guards atop the rocky mountain. Ling Xuzi, Ling Yi Zi, and Spirit Stone stood close together on the distant wasteland, whispering to each other. From afar, Li Hong noticed them glancing his way.
Over there, Chuxiong and Chu Xi were gathered together laughing heartily. It seemed Chuxiong had said something that made Chu Xi giggle incessantly, drawing envious and curious looks from many male disciples towards Chuxiong.
Li Hong was about to walk over to them when Spirit Stone’s figure flashed in front of him, handing him a strap while whispering, “Put this on your forehead. Do not take it off during the competition; this is what I mentioned to you before.”
Something to conceal the Upper Dantian? Li Hong took it; it appeared to be a Forehead Band made of some unknown black leather about two fingers wide, with faint spiritual energy flowing through it.
He followed instructions and tied it on; a cool sensation spread across his forehead. A layer of something pressed against his scalp began to extend outward. Once he focused inward on his Upper Dantian, he discovered an additional layer resembling black mesh enveloping the entire space of the Upper Dantian Purple Palace.
What a good item! Li Hong was quite pleased; most importantly, this thing was inconspicuous on his forehead. He smiled and said, “Thank you, Master.”
Spirit Stone nodded and called out as he turned around, “Let’s set off! We still have quite a distance to cover to reach Northern Grain of the Heavenly Harvest; everyone must stay alert. Recently, there have been sightings of Demon Sect Monsters in this area.”
Li Hong's heart tightened, and his smile immediately vanished.
The Nine Li Sect had dispatched twenty Elders this time, among whom was a notable figure—a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul expert—Elder Yue Qingzi from the Scripture Repository. This Great-Granduncle was stern and expressionless, standing quietly not far from Ling Xuzi.
Hearing this, she was the first to take off, exclaiming, "I'll scout ahead." A green light shot forward close to the ground, and behind her, a cloud of dust surged into the sky like a golden dragon, accompanied by piercing howls that echoed far away, creating an extremely intimidating spectacle.
"Keep up!"
The group immediately took off on their swords. Ling Xuzi led Li Hong and other participating disciples in the center, while the Elders maintained a heightened state of alert on the periphery. The sword team sped forward rapidly.
An hour later, a continuous range of towering mountains resembling a blue dragon appeared in the distance. It was late summer, and streams of snowmelt cascaded down the mountainsides like white ribbons, with fan-shaped oases emerging in the desert. The population began to thicken. Fluffy white sheep moved slowly across the vast green grasslands dotted with colorful flowers. Young shepherds rode fine horses, wielding whips as pastoral songs with exotic flavors were carried high into the sky by the gentle breeze.
It turned out that Northern Grain of the Heavenly Harvest was close to the Western Regions. However, Southern Valley's location remained unknown to Li Hong as he flew while secretly noting his position.
Flying over the high white mountain ridge, another majestic range of mountains loomed in the distance like a giant dragon. Between these two ranges lay vast deep valleys crisscrossed with ravines. Occasionally, small basins gathered together, where mirror-like alpine lakes reflected the blue sky and white clouds along with surrounding icy peaks.
The team came to a halt. Yue Qingzi appeared above everyone’s heads, pointing south with a furrowed brow. Ling Xuzi sensed it immediately and was slightly taken aback.
From afar came numerous sounds of breaking air, likely no less than two hundred. Streams of red, green, blue, and white sword lights streaked through the sky like lightning, arriving in groups with swift precision. Against the bright blue sky, their figures resembled colorful shooting stars—spectacular and dazzling.
So arrogant!
The leading sword light was incredibly fast and pitch black as ink. Just as Li Hong was taken aback, that person had already stopped in front of Ling Xuzi, laughing heartily: "Your Heaven and Earth Platform is truly remarkable; you don’t have to endure our arduous journey! Ling Xuzi! Long time no see!"
This person had a purple chest and square jaw with three long black whiskers reaching down to his chest. He stood on a Black Light great sword, donned a black cloak adorned with purple flowers, wore a golden crown on his head, and exuded an aura of peak cultivation.
Ling Xuzi clasped his hands together. "Vermilion Bird Nine Li Blade," a flash of fire appeared and instantly vanished into his pale white palms as he laughed heartily: "Brother Yiyang, your charisma surpasses that of old!"
The two exchanged a hearty laugh, seemingly sharing an unspoken camaraderie.
Various sword lights whizzed and stopped behind the person, as figures began to flash into view one after another. Li Hong found it amusing, but several sharp gazes from the crowd pierced through.
Emei Four Swords! Zhu Xue, the Fairy! It turned out this group of arrogant individuals belonged to the Emei Sect.
Zhu Xue, the Fairy's hair had returned to its original length, and Wang Xianji was tall, adorned with dazzling jeweled hairpins. She wore a bright red embroidered silk dress and vibrant rose-colored lambskin boots that stepped onto the fiery Purple Cloud Sword. Her entire outfit resembled flames, accentuating her snow-white skin. She glared at Li Hong, her finely shaped lips slightly biting into her rosy mouth, her fiery gaze leaving the disciples of Jiu Li stunned—was she filled with hatred for Li Hong or trying to seduce him?
Li Hong glanced at his fellow disciples behind him and deliberately chuckled, cupping his hands in greeting. "Zhu Xue, the Fairy, I accidentally harmed your hair last time; I am truly sorry. Fortunately, your hair has grown back, and... it seems... even thicker! What a blessing."
Thicker? Does he think I'm a monkey? Zhu Xue realized Li Hong's hidden insult and felt her face flush with anger. Just as she was about to unleash a torrent of curses, she suddenly remembered the elders were present and swallowed the harsh words that were on the tip of her tongue. She held her breath, her ample chest rising and falling dangerously.
A series of swallowing sounds echoed from behind. Chu Xi in the crowd slightly furrowed his brows.
At that moment, someone laughed from afar: "You two arrived so quickly! Brother Yiyang, you are fifteen minutes early!" A brilliant White Shadow flew swiftly like a long rainbow, moving so fast that it left behind a long trail of white clouds stretching for miles.
Suddenly arriving, this person appeared refined and elegant, dressed in a snow-colored crane cloak and wearing a carefree cap. He greeted Ling Xuzi and Yiyang with warmth. His demeanor was as pure as spring snow, making one forget worldly matters at first glance. If not for the shining Flying Sword beneath him, he would resemble a handsome scholar from the Mortal Realm.
In contrast, Emei Sect's leader Yiyang wore an unbearably mundane black outfit that complemented his purple-faced appearance, making him look like a true rogue from the martial world.
"It seems Brother Bai Ju has already made arrangements with Brother Yiyang; why didn't you send me a message? Luckily I can calculate well enough to arrive just in time with both of you," Ling Xuzi said with a laugh.
"Sounds like you're blaming me; why does it sound somewhat sour?" Yiyang teased with a smile, casting a sidelong glance at Ling Xuzi.
Ling Xuzi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Brother Yiyang, do you think it's sour?"
Bai Juzi laughed and replied, "It's sour but not too sour; it just might have a bit of a bite."
Ling Xuzi burst into laughter, "Then that must be the sourness!"
The three sect leaders exchanged witty banter, their conversation flowing smoothly.
At that moment, a flurry of sword lights shot from the direction of Bai Juzi, with dozens of Kongtong disciples appearing one after another. Many of the Kongtong disciples were already familiar with the Emei disciples, so there was no need for introductions; they greeted each other as brothers and quickly became friendly.
On the other hand, Jiu Li remained quite quiet.
Kongtong and Emei had always been closely connected. Both sects practiced swordsmanship and followed the path of the sword. However, their Flying Swords were not like Jiu Li's, which were cultivated internally; instead, they carried them openly on their backs. The two sects had no other branches and frequently interacted.
Seeing that the disciples from both sects were getting along well, Kongtong Sect Leader Bai Juzi smiled and said, "Let’s go! With our three sects united, we will surely invite Azure Elder to come meet us."
"You're late! With the three of you here, how could my Heavenly Grain dare to be presumptuous? Greetings to the three senior brothers!" An elderly man in a robe flew over with a hearty laugh.
As expected from someone from Heavenly Grain, he carried a strong scent of herbs and smoke. The old man had white hair but a youthful face, glowing with health. He wore a large golden-purple gourd at his waist and waved an unusual purple-gold banana fan in his hand. He appeared very approachable at first glance.
Ling Xuzi and the others exchanged glances and chuckled as they stepped forward to pay their respects, but they all understood that Northern Grain of the Heavenly Harvest Master Qing Yizi was not as simple and kind as he seemed.
A group of green-clad Pharmacists slowly approached on their flying swords, each carrying a large floral basket filled with colorful petals. In unison, the Pharmacists scattered the petals into the air. Strangely enough, whether it was due to the petals themselves or some trick they performed, the petals spun gracefully as they descended slowly from the sky, creating a vibrant passageway of flowers that slanted down toward a gorge below.
The Gorge looked just like countless other Gorges that had been passed by, ordinary and small, with a clear little lake in the middle. It did not resemble the legendary Heavenly Grain at all.
A flash of Azure Light appeared, and the small Gorge suddenly vanished, revealing an expansive Grassland, with fine grass blending together and a fragrant aroma wafting through the air. It stretched out like a huge, soft green carpet for miles.
Countless serpent-like vines emerged from the ground, growing taller and intertwining as they reached for the sky. In an instant, the grassland transformed into an endless sea of vines. Many large flower buds, purple and white in color, emerged from the vines. A tinkling sound passed by as the flower buds slowly opened, releasing a rising Purple Qi that was intoxicatingly fragrant.
Upon closer inspection, everyone was astonished and speechless.
On each of the large purple and white flowers lay a charming young girl, delicate to the extreme, enchanting to the extreme, gently stretching her slender waist and gracefully extending her soft pink arms, singing in unison: "Welcome esteemed guests..."
The Purple Qi grew more intense, and the soft voices of those charming girls echoed in their ears, but the sea of vine flowers gracefully faded into the Purple Qi. In the air appeared a golden path adorned with fluttering flower petals, leading directly into the rising Purple Qi below.
Yiyang laughed heartily: "The Misty Veil of the Hundred Herbs Formation of Heavenly Grain truly lives up to its reputation! It has opened our eyes as village elders!"
"Brother Yiyang is joking. The Big Dipper Seven Stars Formation of Emei is truly a masterpiece of immortals; I am in awe! My Heavenly Grain's small tricks are merely for amusement. Please, everyone!" Qing Yizi spoke politely, but a hint of pride could not escape everyone's notice.
"Please!" The four leaders of the Immortal Sect were the first to step onto the Golden Path.
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