The largest peak among them was the main peak of the Six Wonders Peaks, towering three to four thousand zhang high. Nestled among the surrounding mountains, it stood like the moon amidst stars, overlooking all other peaks, including the “Sky Spring Peak.” Moreover, from its midsection upward, this colossal peak was shrouded in a faint purple mist, lending it an indescribable air of mystery.
In stark contrast, the foot of this mountain was bustling with activity. Densely packed structures of all sizes encircled the base—ranging from modest stone huts with just a few rooms to towering halls dozens of zhang high. There were also numerous bluestone streets resembling marketplaces, haphazardly formed in a spontaneous manner.
Along these streets, vendors set up stalls of all kinds, hawking their wares. Many Falling Cloud Sect disciples could be seen milling about, haggling with the stall owners.
This scene left Han Li and the six other cultivators passing through the streets utterly dumbfounded.
However, the Yu surnamed youth was long accustomed to such sights and paid them no mind. Without hesitation, he urged his magic tool forward, soaring past the commotion and heading straight for a solitary stone hall perched several hundred zhang above.
The stone hall was entirely constructed from massive bluestone blocks, standing about twenty to thirty zhang tall, with two smaller side halls flanking it, each six to seven zhang high. At the stone platform before the main entrance, a sparse number of cultivators could be seen flying in and out.
The Yu surnamed youth descended with his bronze bowl, allowing Han Li and the others to disembark one by one. Then, with a hand seal, he shrank the bowl and stored it in his storage pouch.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll first report to the sect master before summoning you inside,” he said before striding forward without another glance at the group.
The guards at the entrance, clearly recognizing the Yu surnamed youth, made no move to question him. Instead, they bowed respectfully and watched as he entered the hall.
Only then did the guards turn their curious gazes toward Han Li and the others standing a short distance away, seemingly guessing their identities.
After a while, before anyone from inside called them in, a streak of white light flew in from afar. The radiance dissipated above Han Li’s group, revealing a massive brocade handkerchief carrying the pale-faced Liu surnamed youth and four other young cultivators who had been taken ahead of them earlier.
The pale-faced youth glanced down at the seven below, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly ignored them and landed nearby. After dismissing his magic tool, he left the four youths where they stood and strode arrogantly into the stone hall.
Now, Han Li’s group of seven and the four youths with superior spiritual roots found themselves divided into two clusters, eyeing each other warily.
For some reason, despite all being newly accepted disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect, the atmosphere between them grew tense, even carrying a faint undercurrent of hostility. Yet, as newcomers, neither group spoke a word, silently waiting in uneasy silence.
After what felt like the time it took to finish a meal, the Yu surnamed youth finally emerged. The moment he appeared at the hall’s entrance, he waved Han Li’s group over before turning to the four youths and saying without hesitation, “You four, come in as well. The sect master will receive all of you together.” With that, he turned and walked back inside.
Neither group dared to delay, quickly following him in.
Trailing behind the youth, they passed through a short corridor and arrived in a hall spanning twenty to thirty zhang. Inside, seven or eight cultivators with varied expressions sat on wooden chairs, conversing in low voices.
The moment the Yu surnamed youth entered with the new disciples, their chatter ceased, and their gazes swept over Han Li and the others in unison.
Han Li kept his eyes forward, appearing obedient, but with a subtle release of his spiritual sense, the appearances and cultivation levels of these cultivators became clear in his mind.
Among them, one was at late Foundation Establishment, two at mid-stage, and the rest at early-stage. The Qiu surnamed senior brother and the pale-faced youth were also seated among them.
“Thank you for your efforts, Junior Brother Yu. Please take a seat and rest,” said the blue-robed cultivator at the head of the hall, who was at late Foundation Establishment, waving a hand with a smile. He was the Falling Cloud Sect’s sect master, Wei Yiming.
His appearance was unremarkable, with small eyes, but his every movement exuded an undeniable air of authority, suggesting he was no ordinary figure.
“Many thanks, Sect Master Senior Brother,” the Yu surnamed youth clasped his hands and took a seat in an empty chair without further ceremony.
Meanwhile, the other cultivators swept their gazes over the newcomers before finally settling on a burly young man among the four youths, their eyes gleaming with subtle eagerness.
As Han Li puzzled over this, the sect master’s voice rang out in the hall.
“Hmm! It’s fortunate to have these disciples join us, especially since our sect only accepted a batch a few years ago. Now, let’s discuss how to allocate them among the peaks,” the blue-robed cultivator said leisurely after appraising the newcomers.
“Of course, this should be decided by Sect Master Senior Brother. We trust Senior Brother Wei will make a fair arrangement,” said a gray-haired elder, stroking his short beard with an air of deference. Yet, his tone shifted smoothly as he added, “However, while outer disciples can be assigned as usual, for inner disciples—our Hidden Sword Peak only received two last time, fewer than the other peaks. This time, shouldn’t we be allotted one more? At the very least, this young man with the Forged Gold Body should be assigned to our peak.”
As he spoke, he pointed at the burly youth, who blinked in surprise.
“Humph! Your Hidden Sword Peak did receive the fewest disciples last time, but one of them was a dual-spiritual-root talent. Why not mention that? Now that another special spiritual physique has appeared, it’s only fair he joins our Blazing Cloud Peak,” retorted a pale-faced middle-aged man, rising to his feet without hesitation.
“Your Blazing Cloud Peak focuses on fire-attribute techniques, while a Forged Gold Body cultivator is innately suited for metal-attribute techniques. Junior Brother Yang, what’s the point of arguing?” The gray-haired elder chuckled and shook his head.
“Just because your Hidden Sword Peak has metal-attribute techniques? Our peak’s Elder Li’s Golden Refinement Art is renowned throughout the entire Stream State. There’s no reason this disciple couldn’t cultivate it,” the middle-aged man shot back, refusing to yield.
“You—”
“Enough. I’ve heard both sides. There’s no need to continue,” Sect Master Wei interjected with a frown, cutting off the argument.
“Indeed, further debate won’t resolve this. Let Sect Master Senior Brother decide. After all, no matter which peak he joins, this disciple remains a member of the Falling Cloud Sect. What’s there to fight over?” The Qiu surnamed senior brother interjected with a light laugh.
Hearing this, the elder and the pale-faced man exchanged glances before the elder quickly conceded, “Junior Brother Qiu is right. Let Sect Master Senior Brother decide. Our Hidden Sword Peak will abide by the decision.”
The middle-aged man hesitated but eventually echoed the sentiment.
The sect master’s expression softened slightly. After a moment’s thought, he glanced at Han Li’s group and said calmly, “This disciple is special. We’ll address his assignment last. For now, let’s distribute the others. I doubt any of the six peaks would turn away additional disciples. We’ll start with these seven outer disciples.”
An hour later, Han Li and the bearded man stood atop the giant bowl once more, following the Yu surnamed youth as they flew back toward the Sky Spring Peak.
Their robes had been replaced with the dark blue attire of low-ranking disciples. After the allocation in the hall, the two had been assigned to the Sky Spring Peak.
The Yu surnamed youth showed no objection to this. Once the assignments were finalized, he promptly escorted them away from the stone hall.
As for the highly sought-after burly youth, he was unexpectedly assigned to the “Illusory Stone Peak.” Though the gray-haired elder and the Hidden Sword Peak’s representative were visibly displeased, they had no choice but to accept it. At least they were compensated with two other so-called “inner disciples,” ensuring they didn’t leave empty-handed.
“Though you two are only outer disciples, being assigned to our Sky Spring Peak is a stroke of luck. Our master—your grandmaster—is known for his gentle and benevolent nature. We won’t treat outer disciples too harshly. Of course, you’ll still need to complete assigned tasks on time, but the rest of your time is yours to manage. If you perform meritorious deeds, the grandmaster might even reward you with Foundation Establishment Pills. In name, outer and inner disciples enjoy the same privileges. The difference is that inner disciples focus on cultivation, while those of your aptitude must dedicate more effort to auxiliary skills like talisman-making or alchemy. Several of our peak’s elders are highly accomplished in these fields.” Now that Han Li and the bearded man were officially Sky Spring Peak disciples, the Yu surnamed youth spoke to them more kindly, explaining various matters they needed to know.
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