In an instant, all eyes were upon the unassuming disciple of the Great Bamboo Peak. Tian Yisu and Su Ru exchanged glances, and Su Ru smiled slightly, nodding in agreement.
The disciples of the Great Bamboo Peak beamed with joy as they surrounded him. Lu Da Xin slapped Zhang Xiaofan on the shoulder, chuckling, “You little rascal, who would have thought you’d have such luck!”
Zhang Xiaofan scratched his head, stuck out his tongue, and his initial surprise had turned into delight. Suddenly, Du Bishu, standing nearby, regretfully smacked his forehead, saying, “I should have bet on who would draw the number one lot! Ha ha, it was a surefire underdog, a guaranteed win!”
“Go away!” Tian Ling’er chided, then turned to Zhang Xiaofan, “Xiaofan, since you’re going to be knocked out in the second round anyway, why don’t you give me that lot?”
Zhang Xiaofan, caught off guard by his senior sister’s words, hesitated for a moment before handing over the slip of paper with the number ‘one’ written on it.
Song Daren’s expression changed slightly. He glanced around and whispered, “Little junior sister, don’t cause trouble.”
Tian Ling’er giggled, her face as radiant as a peach blossom, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She extended her slender fingers, lightly tapping Zhang Xiaofan on the forehead, “Silly boy, I was just joking.”
Zhang Xiaofan blinked, and a smile spread across his face.
At that moment, Elder Cangsong furrowed his brow, then spoke aloud, “Very well, now that the lots have been drawn, all disciples should report their numbers to me shortly. The red list will be posted later, and you’ll know your opponents. Now, let our sect leader speak.”
The previously boisterous disciples quieted down at the mention of the revered Daoxuan speaking.
Daoxuan rose from his seat and slowly walked to the front. His gaze swept over the assembled disciples, and he said, “All of you are the elite of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, with exceptional talents. In the future, the positions of elders and even the sect leader may very well be taken by the most outstanding among you.”
A wave of excitement rippled through the disciples, many of them showing eager and passionate expressions.
Daoxuan gave a kind smile, “Of course, to reach that level, you must work even harder.”
Everyone responded in unison, “Yes.”
Daoxuan stroked his long beard and nodded, his expression serious, “Our Azure Ethereal Conclave has always been a righteous and renowned sect. Today, we are the leaders of the righteous path in the world of cultivation. The righteous path is flourishing, and evil has retreated, allowing the world to enjoy peace. However, the remnants of the dark forces, cunning and vicious, have not given up. In recent years, there have been signs of them stirring. At this time, we must uphold the righteous path and root out evil. Therefore, you must focus on your cultivation and strengthen your resolve. As long as we remain strong and united, the forces of evil will have no chance to harm us!”
The disciples shouted in unison, “We shall follow the sect leader’s teachings!”
Daoxuan nodded with a smile, “Very good. There is another matter I wish to announce. To encourage the disciples of the Azure Ethereal Conclave to strive for the path of righteousness, I, along with the elders, have decided to offer a small reward to the final winner of each Seven Peaks Martial Gathering from now on.”
“Ah!!” A ripple of excitement ran through the Azure Ethereal Conclave disciples.
Daoxuan looked at these young disciples and smiled, “This time, the prize is the ‘Hexi Mirror.'”
“What is that?” Zhang Xiaofan was dumbfounded, having never heard of it. He glanced around, seeing that Tian Ling’er, Du Bishu, and others were equally puzzled. The other young disciples from different peaks also seemed clueless.
However, the more senior disciples like Qi Hao, Song Daren, and Wen Min, who had been in the sect longer, changed their expressions, showing rare excitement and longing.
Tian Ling’er and the others noticed the senior disciples’ reactions and quietly asked, “Senior Brother, what is the Hexi Mirror?”
Song Daren whispered, “The Hexi Mirror is a treasure passed down from our tenth-generation ancestor, the Venerable Wu Fang. I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard Master say it is one of our sect’s most precious treasures, with immense power. More importantly, if the user has sufficient spiritual energy, the Hexi Mirror can reflect any attack, making them invincible.”
Everyone’s mouths dropped open, and Du Bishu stuttered, “Th-then, isn’t that unbeatable?”
Song Daren shrugged, “I’m not sure about the specifics, but Master wouldn’t be wrong. It seems the sect leader and Master have put a lot into this!”
Everyone looked rather strange, and many swallowed nervously, captivated by the prospect of the treasure.
After a pause, Daoxuan smiled as the young disciples discussed, then said, “That’s all for now. Go and rest. The Seven Peaks Martial Gathering will begin early tomorrow.”
The Azure Ethereal Conclave disciples bowed and said in unison, “Yes, Sect Leader.”
Daoxuan nodded, “You may go.”
As the disciples left, only the seven peak leaders and a few elders remained in the hall.
Daoxuan turned to the elders, “Elder brothers, you should also get some rest. There will be many matches starting tomorrow, and we need your help.”
Some of the elders were old and weathered, while others looked remarkably youthful. They nodded and left, leaving only the seven peak leaders in the Jade Clarity Hall.
Daoxuan slowly withdrew his kind smile, his gaze sweeping over the six seated leaders, and said, “Now, it’s just the seven of us.”
Shang Zhengliang, the leader of the Morning Sun Peak, frowned, “Sect Leader, do you have something to tell us?”
Daoxuan nodded, his face expressionless, “I just went to see the Spirit Ancestor.”
The room fell silent, and everyone’s faces paled.
As the disciples passed by the Blue Water Pool, they were still cautious, but this time, the water qilin was sleeping soundly, showing no signs of movement.
Crossing the Rainbow Bridge and returning to the Cloud Sea, Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan exchanged a few words before joining the Dragon Head Peak disciples.
Zhang Xiaofan watched him leave, then returned to the group from the Great Bamboo Peak. He listened to Song Daren explaining the arrangements for the accommodation. Suddenly, he remembered something and exclaimed, “Oh no!”
Everyone was startled. Tian Ling’er, standing beside him, asked, “Xiaofan, what’s wrong?”
Zhang Xiaofan looked around frantically, “I was so focused on talking to Jingyu that I forgot about Little Gray! Where could he have gone?”
Everyone realized they hadn’t seen the gray monkey, and they began to search. The only thing they saw was the scattering disciples, with no sign of Little Gray.
Zhang Xiaofan was deeply worried. Since he brought Little Gray back from the hidden valley two years ago, they had lived together with Big Yellow, and their bond was deep. Given the vastness of the Heaven Piercing Peak, how could he find Little Gray if he wandered off to find wild fruits?
Just as he was panicking, Tian Ling’er suddenly said, “Look!”
They turned to see Little Gray sitting comfortably on the back of Big Yellow, waving its paw at Zhang Xiaofan, and Big Yellow was running towards them with a meat bone in its mouth.
Soon, Big Yellow reached them, and Little Gray jumped onto Zhang Xiaofan’s shoulder. Zhang Xiaofan stroked its head, pretending to be angry, “Where did you go?”
Little Gray, unafraid, giggled and pointed at Big Yellow, chattering excitedly.
Zhang Xiaofan watched for a while and asked, “Where did you get that meat bone?”
Little Gray made a series of gestures, pointing towards a direction in the square. Zhang Xiaofan looked at Song Daren, who quickly glanced around and whispered, “That’s the kitchen where the Longmen disciples eat.”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Song Daren led the way to the quarters, saying, “Let’s head to our lodgings. By the way, Little Sister, you’ll be staying with the sisters from the Small Bamboo Peak, is that alright?”
Tian Ling’er smiled, “I wanted to chat with Sister Wen Min and maybe say a few good words for you, Senior Brother.”
Everyone laughed, and Song Daren, blushing, pretended not to hear and walked away, followed by the cheerful chatter of the others.
Zhang Xiaofan, bringing up the rear, didn’t join in. Instead, he scolded the monkey on his shoulder, “You little thief, if you do that again, I’ll really deal with you.”
Little Gray chattered and grinned, whether it understood or not, it didn’t seem to care.
Zhang Xiaofan scolded it a bit more, then called out, “Hurry up, you dog, always eating!”
Big Yellow, still munching on the bone, finally got up and lazily followed the group.
In the Jade Clarity Hall, the seven peak leaders gathered. Their attention was now on Daoxuan.
“Chief of the Sunset Peak, Tian Yun, stood up, “Sect Leader, what happened to the Spirit Ancestor earlier?”
Daoxuan sighed, “I carefully examined the Spirit Ancestor, and there was nothing unusual.”
“Really?” The faces of the peak leaders showed surprise.
Daoxuan looked at his fellow disciples, “Indeed, I checked several times. The Spirit Ancestor was normal. I can’t understand why it suddenly became so enraged and then calmed down so quickly.”
Tian Yisu pondered, “It seemed the Spirit Ancestor was targeting the young disciples. Could someone have angered it?”
Chief of the Small Bamboo Peak, Water Moon, interjected, “Impossible. If a disciple had angered the Spirit Ancestor, it wouldn’t have stopped after one attack.”
Water Moon, though beautiful, spoke with a cold tone, sending a chill through the air. Tian Yisu, looking at her, fell silent.
Daoxuan shook his head, “The Spirit Ancestor is an ancient spirit beast, and its nature is enlightened. This sudden change is unusual and must have a reason.”
Zheng Shuchang, the elderly Chief of the Wind Return Peak, spoke, “Does the Sect Leader have a conclusion?”
Daoxuan sighed, “I must admit, I’m also perplexed. The Spirit Ancestor is a guardian of our sect, and I wanted to use the ‘Soul Communication Technique’ to find out, but…”
Daoxuan paused, and Tian Yisu asked, “What happened, Sect Leader?”
Daoxuan looked embarrassed, “The Soul Communication Technique is a minor skill, but it can allow communication with the Spirit Ancestor. However, when I tried to use it, the Spirit Ancestor was already asleep, and I couldn’t do anything.”
Everyone was speechless.
Daoxuan coughed and said, “No need to worry. We’ll discuss it when the Spirit Ancestor wakes up. There’s another matter I want to discuss with you.”
Seeing Daoxuan’s serious face, everyone sat down attentively.
Daoxuan, sitting back in his chair, pondered, “Do you know about the Mount Kongsang, three thousand miles to the east?”
Everyone was surprised, and Cangsong asked, “Is that the Mount Kongsang with the Ancient Bat Cave?”
Daoxuan nodded, “Yes.”
Zeng Shuchang frowned, “I heard that the Ancient Bat Cave is a natural cavern, deep and cold, filled with countless bats. Why bring it up now?”
Daoxuan explained, “Eight hundred years ago, the Ancient Bat Cave was a major stronghold for the Demon Sect. It was a perfect place for their dark practices. Our righteous forces eventually drove them out, and the cave was abandoned.”
Water Moon, her voice cold, asked, “Why bring it up now?”
Despite her cold demeanor, no one took offense. Daoxuan sighed, “Six months ago, I received a letter from the Incense Valley, saying that there are signs of Demon Sect activities near the Ancient Bat Cave. I sent my second disciple, Xiao Yicai, to investigate.”
Chang Zhengliang, Chief of the Morning Sun Peak, smiled, “That’s good. Xiao Yicai is exceptionally talented and one of the best in our sect. He’ll surely succeed.”
Daoxuan smiled, “He returned with news that there are indeed Demon Sect members active near the Ancient Bat Cave. Their purpose is even more alarming.”
Everyone was shocked. Zeng Shuchang asked, “What is it?”
Daoxuan, his face calm, said, “Yicai captured a Demon Sect member and learned that the Ancient Bat Cave was once the headquarters of the Blood Refinement Hall, a powerful branch of the Demon Sect. After being defeated, the Blood Refinement Hall declined, but rumors suggest there is a hidden treasure cave within the Ancient Bat Cave, filled with treasures and forbidden texts.”
Everyone understood, and Cangsong sneered, “Such delusions!”
Daoxuan shook his head, “Whether the rumors are true or not, after the battle eight hundred years ago, our righteous forces did not find any hidden treasure. However, if the cave does exist, it may contain a great evil, and we must be cautious.”
Tian Yun asked, “What great evil, Sect Leader?”
Daoxuan, his voice grave, said, “The Blood-devouring Pearl!”
Everyone was stunned. Cangsong asked, “Didn’t the Blood-devouring Pearl disappear with the death of the Heartless Elder?”
Daoxuan replied, “Not necessarily. The Heartless Elder died, but the Blood-devouring Pearl may still exist. Such a wicked object is not easily controlled. The Blood-devouring Pearl may be in the hidden cave.”
After a moment of silence, Water Moon asked, “What does the Sect Leader plan to do?”
Daoxuan said, “I informed the Incense Valley and the Heavenly Sound Temple. They will send their disciples to stop the Demon Sect and defend the righteous path.”
Tian Yisu asked, “What does the Sect Leader mean?”
Daoxuan smiled, “This is a rare opportunity for our young disciples to gain experience. I plan to send the top four winners of the Seven Peaks Martial Gathering to Mount Kongsang. This will not only stop the Demon Sect but also give them valuable experience. And…”
His smile faded, and his face turned serious, “And, I’ve heard that the Heavenly Sound Temple and the Incense Valley have produced several outstanding disciples in recent years. If we don’t act, our position as the leader of the righteous path may be in jeopardy. I cannot face our ancestors with such a failure!”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Cangsong said, “The Sect Leader’s foresight is wise.”
Daoxuan looked at the peak leaders, “So, we are all in agreement?”
Everyone nodded.
Daoxuan concluded, “Good. Your accommodations have been arranged. Please go and rest.” He clapped his hands, and several young disciples entered. “Show the peak leaders to their rooms.”
The young disciples complied, and the peak leaders bowed and followed them out.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage