Seven days later.
Atop the main peak of the Shenxiao Sword Sect.
Several thousand people were gathered—men and women, old and young—all carrying three-foot-long swords on their backs. Some were dressed in green robes, others in blue.
Those in green were young, while those in blue were comparatively older.
Lin Feng and Ye Qingxuan were among them, both clad in green robes.
In the Shenxiao Sword Sect, attire was strictly regulated and could not be worn casually.
All disciples were issued green robes.
This was true whether you were an Outer Sect Disciple, an Inner Sect Disciple, or a True Disciple.
However, to distinguish between the three, besides the characters for "Outer," "Inner," and "True" embroidered on their chests, their sashes were also different.
Outer Sect Disciples wore green robes with green sashes, Inner Sect Disciples wore green robes with yellow sashes, and True Disciples wore green robes with white sashes.
The blue robes were worn by Deacons.
If an Outer Sect Disciple failed to advance to the Inner Sect by the age of forty, they would automatically become a Level 3 Deacon.
If an Inner Sect Disciple failed to become a True Disciple by the age of fifty, they would automatically become a Level 2 Deacon.
Deacons were divided into three levels: Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1, corresponding to the Condensing Sea Stage, Delusion-Breaker Stage, and Nether-Passing Stage, respectively.
Level 3 Deacons were the most numerous and the weakest. Though they were called Deacons, they were in fact responsible for the menial chores within the Shenxiao Sword Sect, their status only slightly higher than that of Outer Sect Disciples.
Level 2 Deacons had it much better, as their only duty was to manage the Level 3 Deacons.
As for Level 1 Deacons, their status was already higher than many Inner Sect Disciples.
If a Level 1 Deacon broke through from the Nether-Passing Stage to the Controlling Sky Stage, they would immediately be transformed, joining the ranks of the Elders. Even an ordinary Elder held a position far beyond what a Deacon could compare to.
The thousands of people gathered on the main peak were the disciples and Deacons dispatched by the Shenxiao Sword Sect to enter the Jiuyou Secret Realm.
Among them were four True Disciples, with a bone age of around twenty. With the exception of Lin Feng, they were all geniuses among geniuses, the focus of the sect's cultivation efforts.
There were one hundred and twenty-eight Inner Sect Disciples, all under the age of fifty. They held great potential for cultivation, and some even possessed talent on par with True Disciples, though it had simply gone undiscovered initially.
During the annual sect competition, Inner Sect Disciples would often be noticed by Peak Lords or the council of Elders and taken on as True Disciples. This was why they would fight with all their might during the competition, hoping to become a True Disciple and receive the sect's focused nurturing.
There were eight hundred and twelve Outer Sect Disciples. These individuals had, for the most part, just barely met the Shenxiao Sword Sect's recruitment criteria. The fate of the vast majority of Outer Sect Disciples was to wait out their years and become Level 3 Deacons. Only a small fraction would manage to advance to the Inner Sect and eventually become Level 2 Deacons.
As for an Outer Sect Disciple being promoted to a True Disciple? It wasn't that it had never happened, but it was exceedingly rare—only a few such cases existed in the entire history of the Shenxiao Sword Sect.
The remaining thousand or so people were Deacons, almost all of them appearing middle-aged. Their talent was average, and they had barely been accepted by the Shenxiao Sword Sect. It would be difficult for them to achieve anything significant without a fortuitous encounter.
The Deacons were the ones most eager to enter the Jiuyou Secret Realm and risk it all. Without this opportunity, they might be doomed to a life of mediocrity.
Even advancing just one step to become the most ordinary of Elders would be a blessing.
In terms of both status and resources, it was far superior to being a Deacon.
If one wanted to be respected and obtain more cultivation resources, the only way was to climb higher.
Becoming a Peak Lord or a member of the council of Elders meant you were part of the Shenxiao Sword Sect's core leadership.
Every time the Jiuyou Secret Realm opened, the various powers of Lizhou would send large numbers of disciples to contend for opportunities.
While seeking these opportunities, they could also gain valuable experience.
A flower raised in a greenhouse can never truly grow strong.
To become powerful, one had to venture out, gain experience, and even face life and death.
At this moment, the Headmaster of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, Luo Yuntian, was encouraging the crowd before their departure.
It was called encouragement, but in reality, it was just a pep talk to hype them up.
He recounted tales of how many people had soared to prominence after entering the Jiuyou Secret Realm since its discovery, eventually becoming powerhouses in Lizhou.
The content was simple.
The effect was obvious.
In this generation where the weak were prey for the strong, who didn't want to become powerful? Who didn't want to become a great figure who could decide the fate of others?
With the exception of Lin Feng, everyone else was striving to become stronger with all their might.
Seeing the excited expressions on everyone's faces, Luo Yuntian felt the time was right and waved his hand.
"On this journey to the Jiuyou Secret Realm, our Shenxiao Sword Sect will surely take the lead! Twelve Elder, these people are now in your hands. I hope that however many you take with you today, you will bring back the same number in three months."
"I obey the Headmaster's decree!" The Shenxiao Sword Sect's Twelve Elder, Gu Mingzhou, stepped forward, cupped his fist, and replied.
He was a member of the Shenxiao Sword Sect's council of Elders, a man of immense power.
"Depart!"
In an instant, Gu Mingzhou shot into the sky. The others followed, mounting their swords.
To protect their disciples, the Shenxiao Sword Sect had dispatched a full twenty-four Elders, all at least at the Controlling Sky Stage, to accompany them.
The vast and mighty procession headed towards the opening of the Jiuyou Secret Realm.
The sight of two thousand people flying through the sky on their swords was truly a magnificent spectacle.
Lin Feng hid himself in the crowd. To appear as inconspicuous as possible so he could slip away alone after entering the Jiuyou Secret Realm, he did not stay too close to Ye Qingxuan.
Ye Qingxuan was different from him.
Not only did she possess a peerless face, but she was also the Heaven's favored daughter of the Shenxiao Sword Sect. It was safe to say that everyone in the sect knew of her.
One only had to look at the men swarming around her to see how popular she was.
Lin Feng had no desire to attract attention.
The unfamiliar faces all around him made him realize something.
He had lived in the Shenxiao Sword Sect for twenty years, yet he knew so few people?
Although the Shenxiao Sword Sect was one of the top powers in Lizhou with a massive population and recruited a new batch of disciples every year, as the Senior Brother who had been in the sect for over two decades, he had indeed been too much of a shut-in. He rarely went out. In this group of over two thousand people, Lin Feng could count the number of people he knew on one hand.
As the Senior Brother of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, he was truly unqualified.
At the same time.
The major powers across Lizhou were dispatching their own teams one after another.
Every opening of the Jiuyou Secret Realm was considered a grand event in Lizhou.
While not enough to decide the future political landscape of Lizhou, it would certainly have an impact.
Everyone hoped that their disciples could find opportunities in the Jiuyou Secret Realm and soar to new heights.
After two days of Sword Flight, the group from the Shenxiao Sword Sect arrived at the edge of the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range and stopped.
The Ten-Thousand Mountain Range was one of Lizhou's three great forbidden zones. Its depths were filled with countless dangers, and even powerful experts had to proceed with caution.
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Fortunately, the entrance to the Jiuyou Secret Realm was not in the depths of the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range but on its periphery. Otherwise, the team sent by the Shenxiao Sword Sect might have been wiped out before even reaching their destination.
The three great forbidden zones were no laughing matter.
Even on the edge, extreme caution was required.
Lin Feng, mixed in with the crowd, looked at the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range before him, hailed as one of Lizhou's three great forbidden zones. He felt that apart from the endless, sprawling forest, there was nothing particularly special about it.
Just then, the leader, Twelve Elder Gu Mingzhou, spoke in a loud voice, "We are about to enter the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range, one of Lizhou's three great forbidden zones. Everyone, stay close and do not fall behind! I don't have time to wait for you. The Headmaster only told me to bring you all back. He didn't specify whether you had to be alive or dead! Understand?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
They naturally understood that the Headmaster's words were just a pleasantry.
Forget the perilous Jiuyou Secret Realm; even on a normal mission, it was impossible for the same number of people who set out to be the same number who returned.
"Good! Follow me!"
Gu Mingzhou was the first to step into the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range.
The two-thousand-strong group continued their Sword Flight forward.
An hour passed quickly.
They encountered no trouble.
Lin Feng occasionally glanced down at the dense forest below. He was rather curious about what dangers the legendary Ten-Thousand Mountain Range, one of the three great forbidden zones, actually held.
But alas, nothing happened.
However, at that very moment.
A large, fast-moving black cloud appeared up ahead.
In the blink of an eye, it was upon them, accompanied by countless screeches.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
The sound had no effect on Lin Feng, but the people around him began to sway as if drunk, their Sword Flight becoming unstable.
"Wake up!"
A thunderous shout boomed out.
In that instant, everyone's mind cleared.
"Everyone, be on alert! These are Blackwater Crows! Their attacks are not strong, but their cries have a powerful hallucinogenic effect. You must hold fast to your Dao heart and not relax for a moment. Otherwise, if you fall into an illusion and plummet, you know what the consequences will be!" Gu Mingzhou shouted.
"Yes, Twelve Elder!"
"Continue forward! As Sword Cultivators, you must have the resolve to press forward relentlessly. No matter what stands in our way, I will cut it down with a single stroke of my sword."
Gu Mingzhou led by example. Sword in hand, he swung, and a sword beam dozens of feet long slashed towards the dense flock of Blackwater Crows.
The other Elders followed suit.
Dozens of sword beams tore into the flock of crows.
Countless Blackwater Crows were cut down, falling from the sky.
Death incited the ferocity of the Blackwater Crows, making them screech even more frantically.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Several of the weaker Shenxiao Sword Sect disciples couldn't bear it. They fell into the illusion, unable to maintain their Sword Flight, and plummeted downwards.
The moment they fell into the dense forest of the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range, blood-curdling screams erupted.
"Ahhh!"
Then, silence.
The scene unfolded in a flash.
Fear appeared in the eyes of all the disciples, but it also forced them to rally their spirits.
A glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.
It seemed there was a great terror lurking in the dense forest below.
The Elders of the Shenxiao Sword Sect had the opportunity to save the falling disciples, but they did not act.
Firstly, the Elders needed to focus their energy on the larger group. Secondly, this was also a test.
If they couldn't even withstand the low-level spiritual attack of the Blackwater Crows, it meant their talent was limited, and there was no need to waste any more energy or resources on them.
The world of cultivators was just that realistic and cruel.
Since they had chosen the path of a cultivator, they had to be prepared to die at any moment.
It wasn't just them.
Even Su Mubai, a former genius of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, was abandoned by the sect after his foundation was damaged.
If not for Luo Yuntian ascending to the position of Headmaster, his sentimentality for old times, and the fact that Su Mubai was injured in service to the sect, Gucun Peak and the Haoran Sword would have long since changed hands. And Lin Feng would never have become the Senior Brother of this generation in the Shenxiao Sword Sect.
Proofreader: Peter Pan