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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 119: The First Trial
The long-awaited first trial of the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference finally commenced, and Gaojing became lively.
Early in the morning, Lin Feng woke up quite early. By the time he finished washing up, Miaomiao and Magenta were already awake.
Lin Feng said, "Miaomiao, we won't be opening today. Wait for me to come back."
Lin Miaomiao replied, "Why not open? It's just kneading dough and making noodles. There's no skill involved. You go ahead; I'll take care of things here."
Magenta asked, "Sister Miao, aren't we going to watch the young master compete?"
"It's just a formal trial; there's nothing much to see. It won't take long before he returns. If I go, it will just attract a crowd and give me a headache," Lin Miaomiao shook her head.
Magenta thought for a moment and said, "Sister Miao, I want to go watch the young master participate in the first trial."
"Then you can go. Business at the noodle shop is slow; I can manage alone. It should be like yesterday; no one will come to eat noodles," Lin Miaomiao responded.
In the end, Lin Feng and Magenta set off towards the Azure Cloud Sect in Gaojing to participate in the first trial of the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference. Not long after Lin Feng and Magenta left, a middle-aged man walked into the noodle shop.
Lin Miaomiao looked at the newcomer and asked, "What brings you here? Lin Feng has already left."
The man was none other than the leader of the Flying Fish Gang. He nodded and smiled, "I know; I saw him leave."
"So you're looking for me?" Lin Miaomiao asked.
"To be precise, I was invited by Lin Brother to help you with the noodles," he replied.
"The esteemed leader of the Flying Fish Gang helping me with noodles? Business should be good today," Lin Miaomiao laughed.
Tu Yu frowned and said, "I actually hope there’s no business today because I don’t know how to make noodles. You carry on; I’ll go inside and practice my noodle-making skills."
Tu Yu entered the kitchen, and the sound of clattering echoed intermittently.
At the Azure Cloud Sect, on Azure Cloud Mountain.
The young talents from various states and sects gathered at the foot of the mountain, along with some powerful descendants of Loose Cultivators. There appeared to be hundreds of them.
Before their eyes loomed Azure Cloud Mountain, stretching thousands of miles. Its peaks soared tens of thousands of feet high, resembling a giant dragon resting upon the earth.
A clear voice resonated from the mountainside.
"The Heroes of the Nine Provinces gather here to showcase the greatness of our human race. Year after year, heroes emerge from among us, making our people the rulers beneath the azure skies."
"The Jiuzhou Gathering Conference aims to spur our heroes to recognize that there are those beyond themselves. The path of cultivation is not easy; one should exhaust their efforts and diligently practice. Do not become lazy simply because one possesses greater talent than others."
"Today marks the first trial of the conference: the ascent of the mountain."
"There are a hundred entrances to the mountain path. Whoever can find an entrance and ascend will obtain a token from the mountainside, thus passing the first trial."
"Disciples from various sects are not allowed to team up, and no lethal force may be used. Any misconduct will result in disqualification."
This gathering is known as the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference, primarily representing five states: Central Continent, Eastern Thin State, Western Land Taizhou, Southern Land Yang Prefecture, and Northern Jizhou.
Due to the open nature of each Jiuzhou Gathering Conference, many young talents from various states participate. As a result, there are also descendants of powerful Loose Cultivators and even members of demonic clans mingling among the disciples.
The purpose is to compete and understand each other's differences. Since there is no threat to life, as long as actions are not too blatant, various sects from the five states turn a blind eye. They also wish to see how advanced the younger generation of demonic clans has become in terms of foundation and strength.
The peak for climbing is Treading Green Peak, rising over a hundred feet high, shrouded in mist. A rich Vital Energy emanates from its summit, making it an ideal place for cultivation.
An Elder from Azure Cloud Sect continued, "Due to recent events where Azure Cloud Sect disciple Xiao Ran publicly challenged Lone Moon Sect disciple Lin Miaomiao and failed, according to our rules, Lin Miaomiao is exempted from the first trial. Consequently, Xiao Ran has withdrawn from the Jiuzhou Gathering."
Upon hearing this, many were already aware but still couldn't help but look around in hopes of catching a glimpse of what Ethereal Body truly looked like. Among all disciples these past few days, Lin Miaomiao from Solitary Moon City had become the most renowned.
Only two people stood at the location of the Lone Moon Sect Disciple, indicating that the exempted Ethereal Body had not arrived.
Lin Feng observed the gazes of those around him and thought to himself, "Fortunately, Miaomiao had the foresight not to come; otherwise, it would attract a lot of trouble. Indeed, fame is a double-edged sword."
"The first trial, climbing the mountain, begins now."
With the elder of Azure Cloud Sect's command, all the young disciples rushed toward Treading Green Peak. Hundreds of them faced only a hundred entrances, meaning that everyone else would face elimination.
Originally, there were three disciples from Azure Cloud Sect participating in the Jiu Zhou Gathering, but with Xiao Ran's withdrawal, only two remained: He Rongsheng, ranked first on the stele, and Zhu Xi, ranked ninth.
He Rongsheng and Zhu Xi slowly made their way up the mountain, seemingly unhurried and confident. As they walked, a rugged young cultivator named Walker passed by He Rongsheng, nodding at him before moving on.
He Rongsheng also nodded in acknowledgment.
Zhu Xi noticed this and chuckled, "Brother, who are you preparing to take action against?"
"Lin Feng from Solitary Moon City," He Rongsheng replied.
Zhu Xi asked in confusion, "But he is an unknown on the stele; how do you plan to deal with him?"
"Watching the Lone Moon Sect Disciples get eliminated one by one—surely that's what you want to see?" He Rongsheng countered.
Zhu Xi smiled knowingly and said, "I hope that when you face Lin Miaomiao in the future, you will think the same way."
At the foot of Greenhill Peak, thorns covered the ground, and the steep cliffs appeared devoid of any paths. Many disciples circled around the base of the mountain, searching for what they called an entrance.
Halfway up the mountain was a Viewing Platform. Elders from various sects sat on this platform, quietly observing their disciples' progress.
He Rongsheng was the last to reach the foot of Greenhill Peak; however, he did not stop or search for paths like everyone else. Instead, he strolled leisurely until a path appeared beneath his feet. He ascended slowly along this path as a gentle breeze brushed against him, looking ethereal and unworldly.
"Indeed worthy of being called the Eye of Destiny; seeing through illusions is as easy as reaching into one's pocket," praised an elder from the Viewing Platform.
The difficulty of the first trial was not insurmountable. However, He Rongsheng quickly spotted the entrance, breaking the previous record with such speed.
"Someone has found the entrance again."
A tall youth with a rugged face, dressed in military attire, ascended a mountain path.
"Guo Tie from the Central State Divine General Mansion, at the peak of Fate Realization, ranked fifth on the Stele," someone recognized him.
Soon after, several young talents ranked high on the Stele successfully reached the summit.
"Zhu Xi from the Azure Cloud Sect. At the peak of Fate Realization, ranked ninth on the Stele. I didn't expect her to climb so quickly."
"Wutashan's top Barbarian talent. Ranked seventh on the Stele, at the peak of Fate Realization. I can't believe she's such a delicate girl; she looks quite cute and doesn't fit the rough image of a barbarian at all."
"Zhang Shou, a disciple from Xitu Taizhou Taixu Temple, ranked eighth on the Stele, at the peak of Fate Realization."
At that moment, Sima Shangshan, the top disciple of Flowing Cloud Sect, also found the entrance and called out to Lin Feng nearby, "Brother Lin, I'll go ahead."
Lin Feng looked at Sima Shangshan and replied, "Congratulations, Brother Sima. I'll catch up soon."
Lin Feng had sensed multiple entrances long before and was prepared to enter. However, each time he attempted to do so, a Rugged Man would come to block him.
Uncertain about how many others might be looking to cause him trouble, Lin Feng decided to remain silent and wait. As long as there was still one last entrance available when those people grew impatient, he would still have a chance to enter.
"Sima Shangshan from Southern Land Yangzhou Flowing Cloud Sect is at the peak of Fate Realization. This time, Flowing Cloud Sect has produced an exceptionally gifted disciple who has become the best in Yang Prefecture. However, it is puzzling that he was originally ranked sixth but has suddenly dropped to ninth."
"The girl in the fiery dress seems to be Fire Ling'er from Wildfire Sect. Eastern Thin State is known for its talented women; she is one of its most stunning female disciples. Rumor has it that her reputation in Bozhou rivals that of Saintess Mo Xue from Yunlu Xian Sect. Ranked tenth on the Stele, which clearly indicates her extraordinary strength."
"Jiang Rufeng, the top disciple of Fire Departure Sect, has also entered. Fire Departure Sect is the leading force in Yang Prefecture; if not for Sword Saint Senior still being around, their reputation would have overshadowed Solitary Moon City long ago. Ranked eleventh on the Stele."
"Qiu Xuan, the top disciple of Northern Land Jizhou Divine Talisman Sect, has also found an entrance. Ranked twelfth on the Stele and at the peak of Fate Realization."
"At the Northern Jizhou, the second largest sect, Laojun Pavilion, the eldest disciple, Dan Lai, also entered the mountains. Ranked thirteenth on the stele, he was at the peak of Fate Realization.
On the stele, all those at the peak of Fate Realization were the first to find the entrance to Greenhill Peak. Of course, if Xiao Ran from the Azure Cloud Sect were present, he would have entered as well.
There is an old saying in the first trial of the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference: those at the peak of Fate take a stroll, those in the late stage of Fate seize opportunities, those in the mid-stage of Fate rely on luck, and those in the early stage of Fate watch the show.
Among hundreds of disciples, there were no more than fifteen who had reached the peak of Fate Realization. Excluding Saintess Mo Xue from the Yunlu Xian Sect, ranked third on the stele, and Puxian from Guiyuan Temple, ranked eighth. Both Yunlu Xian Sect and Guiyuan Temple traditionally do not participate in the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference.
When it came time for the peak experts of the Destiny Realm to choose their entrance, disciples from other sects chose to wait and avoid confrontation. Now, with all those at the peak of Fate Realization having entered, a tense atmosphere enveloped the remaining hundreds of disciples.
There were about sixty to seventy disciples in the late stage of Fate Realization, all sensing where the entrance was, eager not to fall behind."
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