Chapter 518: A Palace (II)

Chapter 518: A Palace (II)

The Assembly of Immortal Sects consisted of three stages: the Great Selection of the Four Seas, the Competition of a Hundred Sects, and the Battle at the Imperial City.

The Great Selection of the Four Seas involved a series of arena battles, in which hundreds of sects across the four seas and nine provinces competed to become one of the eighty-one teams that would proceed to the next stage.

The Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten were akin to seeded players and did not need to participate in the Great Selection. However, teams from the imperial family and from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau had to go through the selection process like everyone else. This showed the high status of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten.

In the second round, the Competition of a Hundred Sects, no privileges would be given to anyone. All representative teams would compete fairly to become one of the top ten teams selected to enter the final round, the Battle for the Imperial City.

The Mount Shu Sect had been eliminated in the second round for the last four consecutive assemblies. Due to their repeated failures to advance to the Battle for the Imperial City, the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect were mockingly referred to as the Gatekeepers of the Imperial City by disciples of the other Divine Nine sects.

Nonetheless, the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect were never resigned to accept this nickname. After all, the gatekeepers of the imperial city were supposed to be standing behind the gates, inside the city...

Chu Liang's team did not have to participate in the first round, but they traveled to the capital of Yu a day early anyway. They intended to use the extra day to familiarize themselves with the environment and observe their future opponents.

At every Assembly of Immortal Sects, there were dark horses who slayed the competition and emerged victorious from the preliminary rounds, advancing onward with impressive performances. So, Chu Liang's team could not afford to be complacent.

They arrived at the gates of the capital of Yu to find people waiting there to receive them. The imperial court had arranged for Chu Liang's group to be transported by carriage to their accommodation at the Emperor's Mound.

...

The Emperor's Mound was the site of a dragon's rising[1] and the place where the founding emperor of the Yu Dynasty had unearthed the Panyang Ancient Jade. It was just an unremarkable-looking hill outside the capital of Yu, but it held major significance to the Yu Dynasty.

The Yu Dynasty's ancestral shrine had been built at the top of the Emperor's Mound. Every spring, the emperor would bring the imperial family and the officials of the imperial court there to hold religious ceremonies. When major events like wars or natural disasters occurred, sacrifices would be made to deities at the temple.

That was why there was a palace that served as a temporary imperial residence halfway up the hill, surrounded by many houses and lodgings. They were for the emperor, his family, and his officials to stay overnight.

The Assembly of Immortal Sects' second round, the Competition of a Hundred Sects, was going to be held on the Emperor's Mound. Of course, the emperor would not allow cultivators to fight near the ancestral temple.

Instead, the disciples of the immortal sects would be battling it out in a hidden realm. The base of the Emperor's Mound would serve as a viewing area, ensuring that the ancestral temple on the mountaintop would remain undisturbed.

This location was chosen for two reasons. The first was that it would be disruptive for such a large number of cultivators to gather in the city. The second was that the imperial court wanted to demonstrate that it held the Assembly of Immortal Sects in high regard.

The imperial court gave the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten special treatment for the event. Their representative teams were allowed to settle in the lodgings halfway up the Emperor's Mound early and rest up before the battle.

Upon arriving at the foot of the Emperor's Mound, the carriage carrying Chu Liang's team went up the hill, following a straight road. The hill was not particularly large, so it didn't take long for the carriage to reach the lodging area.

"Brother Feng, you seem to be in high spirits. It looks like you must have made great progress in your cultivation," Chu Liang replied with a smile.

Feng Chaoyang laughed. "Hehe, I don't know if I can beat you in the assembly, but you've definitely lost in picking a place to stay. This is the only pavilion around here, and we got it first."

Chu Liang laughed too. "You sure beat us to it."

He looked around and found that most of the houses there were indeed simple. They were not much better than his cabin on Mount Shu. The only pavilion was the one that Feng Chaoyang's team had taken.

"The conditions here are indeed quite modest, but it's not that the imperial court doesn't hold the Assembly of Immortal Sects in high regard. The ancestral temple is above on the mountaintop, so the officials do not dare to indulge in extravagance," Lao Fangrong explained. "This particular residence happens to be the residence of the Guardian Ruler[2], which is why it's slightly more refined."

"Cultivators don't place much importance on material things; these are of no consequence," Wang Xuanling commented.

He had been to this place many times, starting from when he participated in the Assembly of Immortal Sects as a youth to when he accompanied the representative teams there as a grand peak master. So, he was unsurprised by the accommodations.

Wang Xuanling pointed to the residence next door. "We'll stay next to the Celestial King Sect's team then."

The Mount Shu Sect had a good relationship with the Celestial King Sect. Seeing as they had already exchanged greetings, Wang Xuanling thought it was best to be neighbors.

Unexpectedly, Lao Fangrong said, "Esteemed Cultivator Wang, I do not wish to stop you. However, the lodging for your team has already been arranged, and it is not here."

"Hm?" Wang Xuanling looked at him in surprise. "Then, where is it?"

Lao Fangrong raised his hand and pointed at the residence at the end of the road.

He answered respectfully, "There."

Everyone turned to look, and astonished expressions appeared on their faces.

The residence in question had green-tiled roofs, white walls, pavilions, and grand architecture—all of which were completely out of place in this modest setting.

It was, unmistakably, an imperial palace.

1. This could also be referring to the emperor's rise to the throne or where he gained power to rise to the throne. We're not sure since it does mention a dragon in this chapter.> here. ☜

2. The Guardian Ruler guards the Celestial Northern Prison and is a Master of the Heavenly Origin from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau. First mentioned in this chapter. ☜