Chapter Sixty-Three: The Grand Primordial Sect!

Elder Liu Neng's figure was stretched into a long shadow in the morning light. He swept his gaze over the ten young disciples before him, pausing just slightly longer on Luo Tian. "Everyone is here. Excellent. Now, follow me to the summit of Ziyang Mountain!"

"Yes, Elder!"

The group of disciples responded in unison, then followed Liu Neng as he led the way upward.

"The prizes for the Ziyang Mountain Martial Tournament are well known to you all. First place will receive a Qi Condensation Pill and two high-grade treasures. Second place gets a Qi Condensation Pill and one treasure. Third place receives only the pill," Liu Neng's voice rang clearly in every ear. "However, this time, the top three will have an additional reward. I don't know exactly what it is, so do your utmost, no matter what."

"Yes!"

Their unified voices rang out, firm and resolute even as they ran.

The outer disciples' living quarters were all halfway up Ziyang Mountain, while the summit was uninhabited. Only upon reaching the top did the breathtaking scene unfold before their eyes.

There lay an enormous platform, nearly a kilometer across, its surface flat as if hewn with blade and axe. Wisps of mist curled around, lending the place an air of mystery.

"They say this was created by the founding patriarch of the Divine Sun Sect, Ancestor Wu Minghe, who cleaved off the mountaintop with a single stroke!"

"Incredible, truly incredible!"

"Indeed! The ancestor was no ordinary Core Formation cultivator!"

Standing atop Ziyang Mountain, Luo Tian listened to the murmurs of the surrounding disciples and still felt a sense of unreality. Though it could not compare to the might of nature itself, this was an accomplishment born purely of a cultivator's strength—a feat with its own breathtaking allure.

Each of the Liu, Shen, Tang, and Chen families had sent an elder to lead disciples from their respective regions to this place. Just then, a streak of golden light flashed across the sky.

"That is Liu Changtian, patriarch of the Liu Clan and also the head of our Divine Sun Sect. Show the utmost respect!" Liu Neng said without turning his head.

"Understood!"

The disciples spoke in hushed tones, not daring to be loud. The same scene played out with the elders and disciples from the other three directions; their words were likely much the same.

"So that's our Sect Master? To be honest, this is my first time seeing him!"

"Same for me. The Sect Master is always at Divine Sun Mountain, and we have no real standing in our families, so we've never met him!"

"I heard the Sect Master is the only one in our sect with a Spirit Core—so powerful!"

"Even so, our Divine Sun Sect isn't all that impressive..."

Luo Tian listened to the chatter, glancing casually at the other groups of disciples. He gave little thought to his competitors; right now, nothing could be seen, and only during the tournament would true abilities be revealed. He wondered what the rules would be this time. With forty outer disciples vying for the top three, it would surely take time. Would it begin with a free-for-all?

Before he could ponder further, the golden streak shot across the sky like a meteor, trailing a fiery tail as it approached Ziyang Mountain's summit. Suddenly, as if the power of flight had left it, the light plummeted straight down at astonishing speed. Only as it nearly touched the ground did Liu Changtian halt abruptly, landing steadily at the very center of the platform.

Dressed in golden robes, the Sect Master of Divine Sun Sect stood with a sun motif blazing across his chest and abdomen, as if shrouded in flames. He exuded a natural majesty and noble presence. Although Liu Changtian had not released any visible spiritual power, to Luo Tian, this Sect Master seemed unfathomably deep, a presence that inspired awe.

"Greetings, Sect Master!" The four elders bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Sect Master!" The disciples also bowed without hesitation.

Liu Changtian nodded slightly, his expression unchanged. "No need for such formality."

After a brief pause, he spoke in a solemn tone, "This tournament is of great importance. If you perform well, it may well change the course of your lives."

The disciples exchanged puzzled glances. It was only the annual Ziyang Mountain Tournament, and the participants were not even the core elites of the great families—how could it change their fates? If the sect truly valued them, it would not go to such lengths only now.

"If any among you can reach the Meridian Flow stage before the age of eighteen, you will have the opportunity to join the core young disciples of the four families and represent us in the Yunfeng Empire's tournament. If you catch the empire's eye, it would be the highest honor!"

Liu Changtian spoke these words, but in his heart he doubted that Divine Sun Sect would produce any truly outstanding cultivators. As long as they had enough numbers to avoid embarrassing the sect, that would suffice.

The Yunfeng Empire's tournament! At this news, several knowledgeable disciples' eyes shone with excitement. The chance was slim, but it was a worthy goal. Even being treated as a core disciple by their families would be enough to change their lives—what more could they ask for?

A quiet buzz of discussion started up, but Liu Changtian did not silence them. Instead, he prepared to speak further.

But just as he was about to continue, Liu Changtian suddenly paused. Where he had been standing on the platform, he now rose straight into the air, soaring hundreds of meters skyward in the blink of an eye. In the eyes of those below, he was now little larger than an ant.

"What is happening?"

"Why did the Sect Master fly up into the sky?"

The disciples murmured, the four elders exchanging bewildered looks.

Suddenly, Liu Changtian's body radiated a brilliant golden light. Every disciple who looked up felt as if those beams of gold were tangible, falling from the sky. Their exposed skin felt a faint, stinging pain, even though nothing had touched them.

Though the early morning sun was still gentle, Liu Changtian's golden light blazed in the heavens like a rising sun, its brilliance outshining the real one, nearly blinding all who looked up.

Luo Tian hurriedly lowered his head, blinking furiously. Though he grumbled inwardly, he was also deeply puzzled—what on earth was the Sect Master doing, ascending to become a second sun in broad daylight?

Just then, as if sensing something, the four elders exchanged glances and flew up into the sky as well, each taking up a position behind the Sect Master, at a slightly lower altitude, not daring to overstep.

On Shenyang Mountain, more than a dozen colored streaks of light shot through the sky—elders from the four great families converging as well.

What was happening?

The outer disciples stared in shock. Over a dozen elders, plus the Sect Master—was this some kind of grand council?

Suddenly, in the distance before Liu Changtian, a black dot appeared in the sky. It was faint at first, but rapidly grew larger with each heartbeat.

The disciples noticed it as well, pointing it out to each other.

Closer, ever closer.

At first, it was just a blue shield gradually approaching the summit. As the figure within grew clearer, all could see it was a giant turtle-like beast awkwardly flailing its limbs, as if swimming through air. Though it was in the sky, its movements were comically clumsy.

But no one laughed.

In the world of magical beasts, only those born with wings or of certain avian breeds could fly naturally. Other beasts needed to reach the fourth rank to gain the power of flight—in other words, this giant turtle possessed the strength of a human Core Formation cultivator!

Liu Neng had already landed on the platform, his face grim as he made several gestures. "That is the Spirit Tortoise, the personal beast of the Grand Yuan Sect's leader! Gather together, don't scatter! I want to see what the Grand Yuan Sect is here for!"

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