An Accident

It was not Chu Zheng alone who could not bear the mining. More than ten Martial Masters, unable to endure the daily levies, likewise chose to leave.

In truth, the mine's treatment could already be considered exceptionally generous. Even taking only half, they earned far more than they could outside.

It was simply more grueling.

Precisely because of this, most Martial Masters chose to stay.

Most of them were already past middle age; many were even in their sixties or seventies. They had abandoned their pampered lives in the mortal world to struggle in this land at the boundary between Immortal and Mortal, and most were not doing it for themselves.

They had descendants. Even if they themselves could not enter an immortal sect in this life, should one of their juniors possess an innate Immortal Bone, the resources they were accumulating now would have their place to be used.

Settling down in Phantom Spirit City and marrying into the descendants of immortals would give them a chance to step onto the immortal path.

The reason Ji Feng could become their leader was, first, because his strength was sufficient. More importantly, it was because of that great-grandfather behind him.

Ordinary disciples who entered the mountain gate without a powerful clan backing them all began from the same starting point. But with an Outer Sect Elder looking after them, things were entirely different.

It was this connection that allowed Ji Feng to command an almost unanimous response among these Martial Masters.

When all was said and done, it was for their descendants.

The trip to the mine had already changed Chu Zheng's original plans. He now had more choices.

The barrier between the mortal world and immortal sects was not merely a disparity in strength. What separated them most deeply was the barrier of information.

The secrets known by immortal sects far exceeded mortal imagination. At the very least, in Chu Zheng's view, no matter how lacking the Phantom Spirit Sect might be, it should know just how vast this world truly was.

The reason Chu Zheng had previously gone to such lengths to enter the sect was for the Library Pavilion within the Phantom Spirit Sect.

The scriptures stored there were far more comprehensive than the few Immortal Sect Scriptures Song Lingqing had given him before.

If Chu Zheng wanted to find the path ahead of him, this was an indispensable step.

How could one speak of walking a road when one had not even clearly seen the world?

There were too many unanswered questions in Chu Zheng's heart. Setting aside the distant matters, what exactly was this so-called Myriad Sects Hidden Dragon Competition for?

By ordinary logic, a rare prodigy with a High-grade Immortal Bone should be cherished by a sect before anything else. Why would they be willing to send such a person out to risk their life?

How many years had Song Lingqing been in the immortal sect?

Even if she were going to participate in the Myriad Sects Hidden Dragon Competition, Qin Feng should not have been the only one accompanying her. Were those Grand Elders who had entered the Nascent Soul Realm truly so busy?

Had the people of the Phantom Spirit Sect never anticipated that Song Lingqing would be crippled? That was surely impossible.

With a single leaf obscuring one's sight, one could live a hundred years without ambition. Knowing nothing, muddling through in a daze—even if one lived for a thousand years, what pleasure would there be in it?

The Sixth Order was merely the limit of the Grand Cycle Qi Circulation Compendium, not the limit of Qi Cultivators.

Ancient Qi Cultivators, seeking a sliver of an opportunity for breakthrough, would even willingly undergo Death Tribulations. Without experiencing anything, one's cultivation could not grow at all.

Even the Heavenly Emperor, in ascending to the position of supreme sovereign, had to endure ten thousand tribulations. Hiding away in one place, entering closed-door cultivation unto death—there was no meaning in that at all.

Rare things in this world are hard-won; without hardship, how could anything be gained?

For the short term, however, Chu Zheng had no need to consider these matters. The Void Condensing Bracelet was a spatial Spirit Treasure of as high as the Sixth Order. It surely contained vast Cultivation Resources, enough for him to process for a long while.

Furthermore, it might contain the information he sought.

Chu Zheng's most pressing task now was to repair the Void Condensing Bracelet as quickly as possible. After taking stock of his gains, he would raise his cultivation before considering the road ahead.

Having only just entered Spiritual Transformation, at most he could rely on certain methods to kill cultivators of the Spiritual Spring Realm. Those in the Entering the Dao Realm, or even the Soul Condensation Realm beyond that, were simply not opponents he could face.

With the Void Condensing Bracelet, he could consider approaching things from other angles. So long as he could form a Golden Core and cultivate several Great Divine Abilities for protection, he would have the capital to sit down and negotiate with these immortal sects.

If he went one step further, he could even tear down the Phantom Spirit Sect itself, then take in the sights of its Scripture Depository.

After boarding the Flying Boat, Chu Zheng found a corner to curl up in, closing his eyes in feigned sleep.

By the time the Flying Boat returned to Phantom Spirit City, night had already fallen.

To his surprise, the Flying Boat did not stop in Phantom Spirit City. Instead, it crossed directly over the sect's grand array and entered the Phantom Spirit Mountain Range.

Chu Zheng was briefly taken aback, but quickly understood.

His identity was now different. He was already a menial worker of the Phantom Spirit Sect; only due to special circumstances had he yet to enter its mountain gate.

The inspection for entering the sect had already been completed when the miners were recruited.

Thus, even if they returned to Phantom Spirit City now, the place they were meant to go should be the Phantom Spirit Sect's outer sect, not Phantom Spirit City.

The Martial Masters aboard the Flying Boat did not find anything amiss.

They had come for the sake of entering the Phantom Spirit Sect in the first place. To them, it made no difference where they went.

Chu Zheng rose to his feet and pressed close to the light barrier formed by the Magic Array. Spiritual Light flowed through his eyes, and his expression gradually changed.

An endless mountain range filled his vision. Powerful pulses of life Primordial Qi rose and fell one after another, like clusters of fiercely burning flames spreading upward, illuminating the entire vault of heaven.

There had to be an expert within the Phantom Spirit Sect who understood the art of observing qi. The distribution of these Primordial Qi fluctuations was exceedingly deliberate, covering the entire mountain range precisely. The circulating Primordial Qi bestowed vitality upon the mountains.

All Primordial Qi between Heaven and Earth was arranged in perfect order, without the slightest chaos, as though it had been combed through by an invisible hand. It circulated around the entire mountain range, rising and falling like the tides.

Living creatures drew in and released spiritual qi as they cultivated; the entire mountain range likewise drew in and released the spiritual qi between Heaven and Earth, nourishing itself.

In this way, so long as the spiritual qi between heaven and earth never ran dry, this Spiritual Land could remain at its peak forever—perhaps even go a step further and undergo a transformation.

This was a foundation that would stand unshaken for ten thousand ages.

Coming back to himself, Chu Zheng could not help sighing inwardly. He had never imagined that he would enter the Phantom Spirit Sect so directly by this method.

The fact that he could bring the Void Condensing Bracelet inside meant that others could likewise bring things in this way.

No matter how rigorous the rules, they were still enforced by people. Even the tightest defenses would always have loopholes to exploit.

Now that he was already inside, all he could do was wait and watch, then make his next move once Fu Quanliang found an opportunity to summon him back.

As Chu Zheng pondered, the Flying Boat slowly descended onto a Square.

Though it was already deep into the night, the place remained brilliantly lit. Stone pillars as thick as a zhang stood scattered in every direction, giving off a hazy glow that illuminated the area as brightly as day.

Chu Zheng followed the dozen or so martial masters off the Flying Boat. Beside it stood an Outer Disciple of the Phantom Spirit Sect, along with three martial masters whose attire was clearly different.

The Outer Disciple appeared to be over thirty. Judging from the fluctuations of his Primordial Qi, his cultivation should have been at the early Spiritual Spring Realm.

At a glance, the three martial masters were clearly menial servants.

After disembarking, the dozen or so martial masters lined up. Chu Zheng looked to be only in his twenties, and coupled with his outstanding appearance, he stood out rather conspicuously among this group of martial masters past middle age.

The Outer Disciple's gaze fell upon Chu Zheng at once.

"You..."