Many immortal cultivators were gathering at the mountain gate of the Yuanzhao Sect. Some were flying through the air, some relied on artifacts, and others had no choice but to travel on foot. These were likely all participants of the upcoming ascension conference.
However, not all of them were rogue cultivators.
Senior Uncle Yue had warned them not to let their guard down against any opponents once they entered the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground. The Yuanzhao Sect was a prominent righteous sect, well-known in the local cultivation world. Disciples who broke through the tenth stage before the age of forty would be rewarded with a Foundation Building Pill. Many disciples from well-established immortal cultivation families participated in the ascension conference, and they were certainly not as poor and miserable as rogue cultivators. Each of them had deep foundations and were equipped with family-passed artifacts for protection.
As Qin Sang gazed at the mountain from below, two immortal cultivators flew past him.
Everyone was a competitor. It was very likely that they would meet again in the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground, where they would become rivals. There was no need for pleasantries.
...
"What is your name?"
"My name is Qin Sang."
"Where are you from?"
"I am from Ning Kingdom and once served as a general in the mortal world of Great Sui Kingdom."
...
When faced with the questioning of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator from the Yuanzhao Sect, Qin Sang answered truthfully as instructed by Senior Uncle Yue. If he passed the ascension conference and joined the Yuanzhao Sect, the sect might send someone to investigate.
"Ning Kingdom... Great Sui..."
The cultivator from Yuanzhao Sect thought for a moment and then said, somewhat surprised, "The participants in the ascension conference are coming from farther and farther away these days."
Qin Sang respectfully replied, "I have long admired the path of immortality but have never been able to find a way in. When I heard that the Yuanzhao Sect was willing to guide rogue cultivators like myself on the path to immortality, opening its doors wide, I couldn’t resist the urge and traveled thousands of li to come here."
The Yuanzhao Sect cultivator stroked his beard and smiled. "For a rogue cultivator like yourself to reach the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm at your age is no easy feat. There’s no need to look down on yourself. Take this jade token, go to the dwelling behind the mountain, and rest up. Early the day after tomorrow, the sect’s cultivators will take you all to the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground. Do not miss the timing."
"Yes!"
Qin Sang took the jade token and followed a young cultivator from the Yuanzhao Sect toward the back of the mountain. Along the way, he crossed paths with a senior sister from the Kuiyin Sect. Their eyes met briefly, but both acted as though they didn’t know each other.
The Yuanzhao Sect cultivator who had been controlling the Moon-Crossing Raft nodded and said, "The ascension conference begins today. Go and open the barrier."
"Yes!"
The four Yuanzhao Sect cultivators moved to the edges of the platform, each taking a position in one of the four corners. They sat cross-legged and began chanting softly.
On the platform, spiritual inscriptions manifested, forming a mysterious array. Each of the four cultivators then summoned a short sword. The swords were all different, shining in four distinct colors: azure, red, yellow, and white. It was impossible to discern their material.
The four cultivators’ expressions turned serious as they tapped the short swords several times. Instantly, the swords shone brightly, forming four fluctuating orbs of light that swirled around their fingertips.
In the next moment, the orbs of light elongated, transforming into four towering swords, several zhang high.
With a sudden movement, the four of them raised their hands, pointing the swords toward the sky, and shouted in unison.
"Go!"
The swords shot forward.
Swoosh!
Unexpectedly, the swords didn’t fly into the distant heavens. Instead, they seemed to collide with an invisible barrier, their momentum abruptly halted. Then, the space above the swords began to ripple, creating massive waves in the air. The surrounding winds howled, and clouds churned as the outline of the ancient barrier finally appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was as though the sky had been torn open, revealing a massive gaping hole. From the hole, fierce winds roared, and even visible wind blades sliced through the air, threatening to tear anything apart. Multicolored divine lights clashed and dissipated, sending shockwaves of terrifying pressure that made everyone’s scalps tingle.
At the sight of this apocalyptic scene, the faces of everyone on the raft turned deathly pale. They had no doubt that if they were sucked into the barrier, they would be instantly torn to shreds.
At that moment, the four cultivators let out a soft shout, and the four swords plunged into the hole, shattering into countless fragments.
As the four swords disintegrated, their fragments scattered into the dark hole, and for a brief moment, the chaotic barrier seemed to calm. The Yuanzhao Sect cultivator controlling the raft seized the opportunity. With a slight tremor, the Moon-Crossing Raft shot forward, heading straight for the barrier.
Amid cries of shock, just as they were about to enter the hole, the Yuanzhao Sect cultivator suddenly withdrew the raft, causing everyone to tumble into the abyss like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
Qin Sang only felt the world spinning around him before he plunged into a sea of darkness. Everyone around him vanished.