Sword Gate Mirage Dragon

"This Unrestricted Duel has disciples from all ten Great Clans participating. Why isn't the First Clan among them?" Ting Lanyue asked curiously.

Zhong Yue's heart stirred. Earlier, Li Xiuniang had introduced the core disciples of the nine Great Clans but had never mentioned the First Clan. Logically, as the most powerful clan in the Great Wilderness, it shouldn't have sent no disciples to this Unrestricted Duel.

"The First Clan is the Feng Clan, the same clan as our Sword Gate's Sect Master. They possess an innate, powerful bloodline, rumored to be the Human-God Bloodline."

Li Xiuniang shook her head. "Although the Feng Clan is strong, they have too few descendants. No disciples are participating this time. However, despite their sparse numbers, every member of the Feng Clan is an extremely formidable individual. For example, Feng Wuji, one of the Sword Gate's four greatest young experts, hails from the Feng Clan. And our Sect Master is the most powerful being in the Great Wilderness!"

"Feng Clan?"

In Zhong Yue's Sea of Consciousness, Xin Huo exclaimed with both surprise and joy. "The Feng Clan was the largest surname during the Fuxi era, and also the earliest to appear. They were known as the foremost surname in the world! Back then, the Feng surname referred to the direct descendants of the first Fuxi and Nuwa. I wonder if the Feng Clan of the Great Wilderness has any connection to the Feng Clan of the Fuxi era... Little Yue, I want to meet someone from the Feng Clan. Perhaps we can find a pure-blooded Fuxi Divine Clan member!"

Zhong Yue's heart stirred. Li Xiuniang had just said the Feng Clan's bloodline was innately powerful, and now Xin Huo claimed they were direct descendants of Fuxi. It was possible they could indeed find a pure-blooded Fuxi Divine Clan member among the Great Wilderness's Feng Clan.

"The Feng Clan resides within the Great Wilderness, and there are members of the Feng Clan in the Sword Gate. We just need to meet the Sword Gate's Sect Master or Feng Wuji. However, with my current status, I have no right to meet them. I'll likely need to become a Qi Refiner of the Sword Gate to have a chance to encounter them."

All the Upper Court disciples had gathered at Five Pine Peak, and the Qi Refiners from the Scripture Hall who taught the disciples also arrived, standing behind the Elders. Large parasols and tents floated, with many Elders seated beneath them.

Before long, an Elder stood up and looked down at the thousands of Upper Court disciples. He spoke in a deep voice, "Today's Unrestricted Duel allows Upper Court disciples to fight without restraint. Soul Weapons, Totem Pillars, and all other offensive techniques are permitted without restriction. However, you are still fellow disciples. Fight only to the point of victory and defeat; do not harm lives. Junior Brother Lu, you will explain the rules to them."

Another Qi Refiner stepped forward and recited the rules for this Unrestricted Duel.

The Sword Gate's Unrestricted Duel was simple: seize high platforms. There were a hundred high platforms in total. One only needed to occupy a platform alone and defend it against others.

Those who occupied a high platform would face challenges from others. As long as they defended their platform for two hours, they would become one of the top hundred in the Upper Court.

After these duels within the Sword Gate, the hundred strongest disciples of the Upper Court would be determined, establishing their qualifications to enter the Spirit Void Hall.

Furthermore, there would be a grand duel among these hundred disciples to determine the strongest among them. The ultimate victor would receive the most resources upon entering the Spirit Void Hall!

"That simple?"

Zhong Yue was slightly taken aback after hearing the duel rules. He mused, This kind of duel probably won't be able to truly test a disciple's abilities, right? After all, some disciples cultivate flying techniques, and a platform duel won't showcase the intricacies of those methods. Also, with thousands of Upper Court disciples, in a place like Five Pine Peak, a hundred high platforms will inevitably be crammed.

After the Qi Refiner finished explaining the rules, he turned to the Elder for instruction. The Elder nodded and said, "Bring forth the Mirage Dragon."

The Qi Refiner nodded and shouted loudly, "Bring forth the Mirage Dragon!"

"Yes."

Over a dozen Qi Refiners responded affirmatively and shouted, "Bring forth the Mirage Dragon!"

Whoosh--

Near the summit of Sword Gate Mountain, the sea of clouds churned. Dozens of Qi Refiners were seen pulling thick chains, one hundred or more in number. The other end of each chain was tied to something within the sea of clouds.

These Qi Refiners pulled with all their might. The sea of clouds surged like a real ocean, its vapor rising and falling like mountains. After a moment, a colossal creature was dragged out of the clouds!

The colossal creature had a chicken's head, a turtle's back, and a dragon's tail. Its claws were incredibly sharp. It resided in the sea of clouds, bound by chains. As it was dragged out, it let out a furious roar, its cry like a rooster's, echoing through the mountains.

Zhong Yue looked up. The Mirage Dragon was about a mile long, floating in the air like a mountain, struggling fiercely to avoid coming down.

"The Sword Gate actually hides such a strange beast. Their foundation is truly deep. But what do they intend to do by bringing out the Mirage Dragon?"

Ting Lanyue murmured beside him, "So, the rooster crowing I hear every morning is actually this Mirage Dragon's cry. I was wondering why anyone would keep chickens in such a Holy Land as the Sword Gate..."

The Mirage Dragon, still struggling as the Qi Refiners pulled it, turned its angry gaze towards Ting Lanyue upon hearing her words. "You say I'm a chicken?"

Ting Lanyue stuck out her tongue and quickly hid behind Zhong Yue.

An Elder of the Sword Gate stood up and shouted, "Stop fooling around, Mirage Dragon. The Sword Gate has supported you to this day, and now it's time to use you again."

The Mirage Dragon spoke human words, its voice deep and resonant. "Kid, I'm practically your grandfather. When you need me, at least say 'please'."

The Elder sighed helplessly and whispered, "Please."

Only then did the Mirage Dragon cease its struggles. Suddenly, its spiritual power surged. Zhong Yue's heart trembled as he saw a hundred continuous mountain ranges suddenly appear on the summit of Five Pine Peak, unfolding and spreading outwards from the base of the peak in all directions!

Within a few breaths, a hundred peaks materialized around them. They were clearly manifestations of the Mirage Dragon's spiritual power, with rolling hills, dense forests, and beasts roaming the mountains. Birds even flitted through the air, their calls crisp and clear!

Mountains spanning hundreds of miles appeared in an instant, as if they were real!

An Upper Court disciple stepped forward and lightly touched a mountain range, exclaiming in surprise, "It feels so real!"

The Mirage Dragon's spiritual power had transformed the virtual into the real. The mountains, trees, beasts, and birds it had conjured through its spiritual power were lifelike. Even stepping on them felt incredibly real, with no risk of falling through!

The so-called mirage was a natural manifestation of the Mirage Dragon's immensely powerful spiritual energy. The Mirage Dragon kept in the Sword Gate's sea of clouds was an anomaly among anomalies. Its spiritual power could even envelop the entire Sword Gate Mountain, transforming it into an illusion.

Moreover, its spiritual power was so potent that even when it created an illusion, it appeared indistinguishable from reality, with no flaws visible.

In the past, the Sword Gate had faced several invasions from foreign tribes, and this Mirage Dragon had participated in the battles, making significant contributions with its illusionary abilities. However, the Mirage Dragon was unruly and often tried to escape, which led to it being chained up.

Its seniority was extremely high; even the Elders had to show it respect.

In the air, several Elders nodded gently. The Qi Refiners from the Scripture Hall each unleashed their spiritual power, and platforms flew up, whistling through the air as they were carried towards the various mountain peaks.

Before long, all the platforms had been placed on the mountain peaks.

"The duel begins!"

At these words, countless Upper Court disciples moved out, rushing towards the mountain ranges. Some, with a surge of spiritual power, transformed into wings and soared into the sky, striving to be the first to reach a high platform.

Once on a high platform and having set up a Totem God Pillar, one gained a significant advantage!

Zhong Yue did not rush to move. He remained in place, waiting quietly. Besides him, Ting Lanyue also did not move immediately, and about a dozen others stood still, showing no intention of attacking.

"These dozen or so individuals are quite composed. Rushing forward rashly, even if they occupy a platform first, they will be constantly attacked by those who arrive later, engaging in continuous combat and depleting their cultivation. It will be difficult to sustain themselves later on."

An Elder stroked his beard and smiled. "While these dozen aren't the strongest in terms of raw power, they are the smartest. They are likely waiting for the right moment, looking for the weakest mountain peak to target. By dueling the weaker opponents, they can smoothly enter the top hundred."

The other Qi Refiners and Elders nodded in agreement, saying, "If our strength is sufficient, there's no need to wait. We can charge straight through and secure the high platform."

Zhong Yue looked around and indeed, he didn't see Li Xiuniang or the young experts from the other Great Clans. Shui Qingyan had also already left, and he didn't know which mountain peak she had gone to.

"Xin Huo, did you notice which mountain peak Heavenly Phenomenon Mother went to?"

Xin Huo paused slightly and replied, "I see the surroundings through your eyes. If you didn't see it, then I couldn't see it either. You want to duel Heavenly Phenomenon Mother? Yue, kid, that's a demon god's soul, not an ordinary Upper Court disciple! Her strength is such that someone as insignificant as Shui Qinghe wouldn't even be worthy of carrying her shoes!"

Zhong Yue looked at the various mountain peaks. He saw that some people had already arrived, occupied the high platforms, and set up formations with their totem pillars, fighting against the disciples who were chasing them.

After a few more moments, all the high platforms were occupied, and fierce competitions began!

Beside Zhong Yue, those dozen or so Upper Court disciples quickly chose their targets and rushed off, each selecting a mountain peak. Ting Lanyue also left on her own. Suddenly, she turned back and said fiercely, "Junior Brother Zhong, don't choose my path, or Senior Sister will bite you to death!"

Zhong Yue was speechless. He also got up and walked down a different path, thinking to himself, "Heavenly Phenomenon Mother is so formidable. If I don't encounter her this time, I'll definitely meet her in the hundred-person duel. There's no need to rush."

He walked forward and didn't encounter many disciples. Most of the disciples heading for this mountain peak had already reached the vicinity of the high platform.

High above, Elders and Qi Refiners saw him make his move and were all astonished. They exchanged glances and whispered, "Is this young man's eyesight truly this poor? He spent so long choosing, and he picked this path?"

"On this path, the one on the high platform is Shui Qinghe, a core disciple of the Shuitu Clan from the Ten Great Clans, someone qualified to contend for the title of the strongest Upper Court disciple! Why would he choose this path? Isn't he intentionally making things difficult for himself? That's incredibly unwise!"

"His eyesight is probably just too bad."

The Elders and Qi Refiners shook their heads one after another, finding Zhong Yue's choice both amusing and exasperating.

Zhong Yue walked leisurely and soon reached the mountain summit. He saw that the area ahead was engulfed by surging water, covering the high platform. Water dragons coiled around the platform, and totem pillars stood in rows. Water dragons and ice swords crisscrossed everywhere, forming a dense sword formation that blocked the attacks of the Upper Court disciples below the platform.

An Upper Court disciple had just flown into the air, intending to attack from above, when a stream of water sword qi suddenly shot out, striking him down from the sky.

Shui Qinghe alone defended the platform, and no one could breach it!