Departing for Five Mountains Sect

In the early morning, Shi Yun's calm voice rang out, "Everyone pay attention, we're heading to the sect today. Gather at the entrance plaza at noon. We won't wait for latecomers."

Zeng Fan, who had been cultivating, slowly opened his eyes. "Just like Wang An said, we're leaving today." He stood up and stretched, then began to assess his cultivation. "I've already reached the Grand Perfection of Body Tempering Skin. As long as I have enough spirit energy, my cultivation speed can increase. It's just that I used up all my Spirit Stones before. The spiritual energy in this city is only enough for me to cultivate barely. I really need to go to the sect and see if I can get an opportunity to speed things up. Cultivating here for months might not even lead to a breakthrough."

I need to go to a better environment. A flash of light appeared in his hand, revealing the black metal fragment he obtained from the auction. He spent some time studying it every day for the past few days, but still found nothing. "I hope this fragment will change somehow once I reach the sect." Zeng Fan shook his head and walked out of the house. The golden sunlight shone on the open space in the courtyard, giving a sense of peace.

Zeng Fan gazed at the sunlight on the open ground. Just as he was about to let his thoughts drift, a voice interrupted him.

"What are you standing here for?" Yuan Jin strode in, a smile on his face.

"You came as soon as I stepped out. I wasn't planning on doing anything yet," Zeng Fan replied with a smile to Yuan Jin.

"Then I came at the right time. We're leaving at noon, let me tell you a bit about the Five Mountains Sect," Yuan Jin grinned.

The situation with the Five Mountains Sect? I really should listen. Zeng Fan nodded. "Come inside, let's talk."

Yuan Jin stepped into the house, plopped onto a stool, took a sip of water, and then spoke slowly, "You already know that the Five Mountains Sect is the supreme sect of the Profound Spirit Dynasty. But do you know how many dynasties or families regard the Five Mountains Sect as their supreme sect? I can tell you, there are probably over a hundred. Each of these families or dynasties has, or once had, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm. That's the basic requirement. Within the Five Mountains Sect, those at the Foundation Establishment realm are usually Inner Disciples."

"Foundation Establishment is just for Inner Disciples?" Zeng Fan was shocked. "That means Murong Yunhai of the Profound Spirit Dynasty is just a disciple here."

"What did you think? There are hundreds of thousands of disciples in the entire sect. If a disciple breaks through to Foundation Establishment, those with good talent will usually choose to stay in the sect and pursue further advancement. As for those who have no hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, they will choose to establish their own forces outside and guard a region for the sect. If their descendants have exceptional talent, they will then be accepted into the sect again, forming a cycle. My Yuan family's ancestor was at the Foundation Establishment realm. A hundred years ago, he joined the Five Mountains Sect. After realizing he had no hope of breaking through further, he came out and founded my Yuan family, passing down the lineage to this day," Yuan Jin blinked.

"Then how many levels are there for disciples within the sect?" Zeng Fan asked curiously.

"There are Labor Disciples, Outer Disciples, Inner Disciples, and Core Disciples. Above that is my goal," Yuan Jin's eyes showed intense longing.

"Above Core Disciples are Heavenly Prodigies, and above Heavenly Prodigies are... Preachers," Yuan Jin swallowed.

"Heavenly Prodigies... Preachers?" Zeng Fan murmured to himself.

"Their talent and cultivation are stronger than Core Disciples, and they are recognized by everyone as Heavenly Prodigies. As for the Preachers, I don't know what conditions are needed. I've only heard that each one is the sect's most precious disciple. You have to eat one bite at a time, don't think too much," Yuan Jin said with a smile to Zeng Fan.

Just as Zeng Fan was about to ask Yuan Jin for more information, a voice echoed into the room, "All disciples gather at the plaza, prepare to depart!"

Only then did they realize it was almost noon. "Let's go, it's not good to be late. I'll tell you more when we get to the sect," Yuan Jin said, standing up.

Zeng Fan nodded. There was no need to rush these matters. They would have plenty of time to learn slowly after entering the sect. For now, they should head to the plaza to gather.

When they arrived at the plaza, most of the disciples had already gathered. A young girl stood gracefully before everyone. She wore a snow-white dress that fluttered gently in the breeze. The hem was embroidered with intricate patterns, adding a touch of liveliness and vibrancy to the simple white. It was Murong Xue. She looked very well-behaved, and before her, Murong Yunhai and Shi Yun were talking. Seeing them arrive, Murong Xue quietly waved her small fist at Yuan Jin.

"Violent woman." Yuan Jin couldn't help but tremble at the sight, as if recalling the beatings he had received in the past few days.

"Alright, alright. We all came from the same dynasty, and we might need to look out for each other in the future. Stop talking about this all the time, or she'll hit you again if she hears it," Zeng Fan said, feeling a headache from Yuan Jin's words.

"I know, I know, I'm just saying it," Yuan Jin mumbled. He didn't say anything more.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Shi Yun, who was talking to Murong Yunhai, nodded at him. Murong Yunhai understood that it was time to depart. He reached out, patted Murong Xue's shoulder, and whispered a few words of instruction. Then, he scanned the crowd and ascended into the sky.

After watching Murong Yunhai leave, Shi Yun turned to face the disciples. With a flash of light, the Spirit Boat that had appeared before reappeared in front of everyone.

"All disciples, board the boat and prepare to depart," Shi Yun instructed the crowd below. Zeng Fan and Yuan Jin exchanged a glance and boarded the Spirit Boat.

After confirming that all personnel had arrived, Shi Yun said, "Everyone hold on tight." He formed a hand seal, and the entire Spirit Boat lifted off the ground, flying towards the outskirts of the city. Zeng Fan tensed his body slightly. The speed of the Spirit Boat this time was much faster than when they had left the city for the selection. The scenery on both sides of his eyes flashed by rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the Spirit Boat was hundreds of meters in the sky, and a magnificent landscape slowly unfolded before Zeng Fan's eyes.

As they moved further away from the Imperial City of the Profound Spirit Dynasty, the human settlements on the ground became increasingly sparse. This was followed by a dense green landscape that met their eyes. Beyond the borders of the Profound Spirit Dynasty, countless primordial giant trees soared into the sky. Although the distance between the trees appeared small, anyone who found themselves among them would understand their immense scale. From afar, the sounds of beast roars continued to emanate from the forest, instilling a sense of fear in one's heart upon hearing them, making one involuntarily want to distance themselves from their source. In the sky, groups of strange Demonic Beasts flew, and they did not approach, seemingly sensing Shi Yun's Foundation Establishment realm cultivation. A primordial scent washed over them.

Is this the world outside the dynasty? Zeng Fan was awestruck. "Only those at the Foundation Establishment realm are barely qualified to traverse this Primordial Wilderness. For those of our realm, entering is basically a death sentence." At some point, Murong Xue had walked up beside Zeng Fan, sighing as she looked at the scenery.

"Heh heh, the more powerful ones are all hidden deep in the forest. Even those at the Foundation Establishment realm have to run quickly if they encounter them," Yuan Jin also chimed in.

Upon seeing Yuan Jin, Murong Xue waved her arm. "You dare come over? Aren't you afraid I'll beat you up again?"

Hearing this, Yuan Jin quickly waved his hands. "Fine, I'm afraid of you, little aunt. I admit defeat, okay! We'll need to look out for each other in the sect later. Let's just forget about what happened before, how about it?" Yuan Jin said with a fawning smile.

You weren't like this when you were talking to me. You change your tune faster than flipping a book, Zeng Fan glanced sideways at Yuan Jin. Yesterday he was saying he'd settle the score once his cultivation improved, but now that he's met the person in question, he's changed his tune.

Yuan Jin seemed oblivious to Zeng Fan's disdainful gaze and continued to chat cheerfully with Murong Xue. It had to be said that his conversational skills were excellent. Soon, the young girl was laughing happily, amused by him.

The young men sitting around also cast envious glances. After all, what young man doesn't have a crush? Murong Xue's cultivation, talent, and appearance were all top-notch. If given the chance, which young man wouldn't want to show off? However, Murong Xue only showed kindness to the top three selected disciples. She had no desire to converse with the others. After all, the young girl was proud. In this world of cultivation, strength is respected. If you don't display potential and strength, who will favor you? The story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is unlikely to happen here.

Seeing Yuan Jin and Murong Xue chatting happily, Zeng Fan closed his eyes and began to try cultivating on the Spirit Boat, diligently absorbing spiritual energy, striving to reach the Body Tempering Muscle realm as soon as possible. Gradually, Zeng Fan's mind became immersed in cultivation, as if external influences had no effect on him.

Shi Yun looked back at him with surprise. "This child has an extraordinary disposition, just like I was back then. He can even meditate and cultivate in this situation. He might achieve something in the future." The cultivating Zeng Fan was unaware that his actions had left an impression on Shi Yun, who was at the Foundation Establishment realm. At this moment, his mind was completely immersed in cultivation.

"We're almost there, get ready," a gentle voice entered Zeng Fan's ears, interrupting his cultivation. However, the voice was gentle and did not affect Zeng Fan's state.

Zeng Fan slowly opened his eyes. His expression was dazed for a moment, and then shock began to fill his eyes. This is the Five Mountains Sect...