Various Factions Gather

Over the next three days, Wang Ding cultivated his spiritual thought-power day after day, constantly accumulating strength and preparing to break through his realm. Yet he never achieved any result; he merely built up a little more spiritual thought-power.

Wang Ding stopped cultivating and pondered, "It seems breaking through by bitter cultivation alone is impossible. I need tempering, pressure to purify my spirit and hone my will. The opening of Heavenly Void is almost here. Today, I leave with Huang Tutian and the others."

Wang Ding took out every item in his storage pouch and began sorting through them. "Five Magic Tools: two low-grade, three top-grade. All three top-grade Magic Tools were seized from Young Master Xihua: one Soul-Absorbing Banner, one Earth-Escaping Shuttle, and one Seven Treasures Pagoda. They need to be blood-refined. There are also several dozen low-grade talismans, and one of Young Master Xihua's high-grade talismans, the Samadhi True Fire Talisman—equivalent to a full-power strike from a Golden Core cultivator in the Qi Training Realm. If I hadn't prepared in advance back then, my corpse would probably be rotting by now. This talisman can serve as my life-saving trump card. There are also several bottles of various pills."

After dripping blood on the Magic Tools and refining them, Wang Ding packed up his belongings and left Spring Thunder Courtyard, arriving at Welcoming Island to wait for Huang Tutian and the other two.

At this time, dawn had just broken. Sunlight shone across the great sea, dyeing the entire surface orange-red. Sunrise over the sea had always been this beautiful, drawing in Wang Ding's whole mind and spirit, immersing him in the boundless mighty power of heaven and earth, leaving his heart much purer.

Just as Wang Ding was admiring the sunrise, Huang Tutian and the others had already arrived on Welcoming Island through the teleportation array and were walking toward Wang Ding, who was bathed in sunlight.

Sensing someone approaching, Wang Ding turned and saw that it was Huang Tutian. He smiled and said, "Brother Huang, you're late. I've been waiting for quite some time."

"Apologies for making Brother Wang wait. Come, let me introduce two friends to you. Both of them entered the sect at the same time as us."

"This is Long Lingyu, the eldest young lady of the Long Family, a figure said to possess the aptitude to become an immortal. She has now joined Shuiyuan Jinhua's Heavenly Water Island."

Huang Tutian spoke to Wang Ding. Wang Ding looked at the woman before him. He had seen her during the entrance competition; she truly seemed blessed by heaven and earth. Today, she was also wearing a fiery-red dress, revealing only moon-bright fair wrists and a long swanlike neck. Her skin was like ice, her bones like jade, her brows and features seemed painted, and the corners of her lips always carried a faint smile. Above her head, the light of fortune had almost formed a pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. Wang Ding cupped his fists and said, "Junior Sister Long, greetings. On this trip to Heavenly Void, I hope you'll look after me."

Long Lingyu's cherry lips parted slightly, and she said in a soft, gentle voice, "Senior Brother Wang is too polite. Though I did not personally witness Brother Wang's divine might in the arena that day, from what I heard, I still know of Brother Wang's brilliant, peerless punch. It can be seen that Brother Wang's cultivation is profound and does not lose to a Qi Training cultivator. On this trip, we will still have to rely on Brother Wang more."

"You two, no need to be so polite. Brother Wang, come, let me introduce this senior brother. He is the genius disciple of the Dongfang Family, Dongfang Riyue. Legend has it that when he was born, the sun and moon rose together, and heaven and earth lost their color." Huang Tutian interrupted Wang Ding and Long Lingyu's mutual praise and introduced the other companion to Wang Ding.

Wang Ding looked at Dongfang Riyue with a friendly gaze and said, "Brother Dongfang, greetings. During this operation, I hope you'll offer much guidance."

"Easy enough. As long as everyone works together with one heart, we will certainly return with a full load," Dongfang Riyue said with a smile.

"Now that everyone knows each other, let's set out," Huang Tutian said, then took the lead and walked toward the outer teleportation array.

After joining the sect, every disciple only needed to pay one-tenth of the original spirit stone cost to use the teleportation array, greatly reducing the waste of the sect disciples' cultivation resources.

Heavenly Void was located in a stretch of sea deep in the West Sea. The three great merchant associations of the Central Continent had built a city named Wanhai City on an island in that sea region, specifically to purchase all kinds of treasures and materials obtained by cultivators active at sea. Naturally, it also had a large teleportation array.

Now that Heavenly Void was about to open, countless cultivators had arrived here through the teleportation array. The entire city was packed to bursting, and order was chaotic. Left with no choice, the city activated a restraining law; anyone who caused trouble would be thrown outside the city by the restraining law at the first moment.

At this moment, the teleportation array lit up once more, and four figures appeared—it was Wang Ding's group of four. As soon as the four walked out of the teleportation array, all they saw were mountains and seas of cultivators, shoulders pressed against shoulders, sweating like rain.

Seeing this situation, Huang Tutian frowned and said to Wang Ding and the other two, "Everyone, do you think we should wait inside the city or outside?"

Wang Ding considered it for a moment and said, "Outside, I think. Heavenly Void will open today. We should wait outside the city, lest chaos break out in the city when the time comes and we get dragged into disputes. That would hardly be good. What do you all think?"

"Brother Wang's words are very true. I agree," Long Lingyu said. Looking at the mountain-and-sea crowd before her, deep furrows could not help appearing on her fair forehead; anyone who saw it would feel heartache.

Dongfang Riyue saw Long Lingyu's displeased expression and felt extreme heartache. He hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Huang Tutian said indifferently, "Then we'll go with Brother Wang's idea."

Wang Ding took everyone's expressions into his eyes and understood quite a bit about their thoughts. Dongfang Riyue had clearly joined the Wongchuan Sect because of Long Lingyu; otherwise, with his aptitude of being born under an extraordinary omen, he would have been more than qualified to enter the Nine Immortal Sects, with a limitless future ahead of him.

Long Lingyu herself did not seem to feel anything toward Dongfang Riyue. In Wang Ding's eyes, she was a little like a young girl who had not yet grown up. As for Huang Tutian, he was bold, straightforward, and without much scheming, making him quite suitable as a friend.

After everyone arrived outside the city, the surrounding tide of people instantly thinned. Only scattered cultivators lingered here, some in groups of five, others in groups of three. Each maintained their vigilance and did not easily strike up conversation with others.

Wang Ding and the others came to the edge of the island and also chose a good spot, each beginning to regulate the Innate True Qi within their bodies as they waited for Heavenly Void to open.

Time flowed like water, never stopping for anyone's will. The sun rose higher and higher, and more and more people gathered on the island. Suddenly, several dozen clouds flew in from all directions with heaven-toppling momentum. Wang Ding and the others were startled awake. They saw the clouds flying rapidly toward the island, but on closer look, those clouds were actually masses of light formed from the radiance of countless Magic Tools.

"That's the forces of the Nine Immortal Sects, the Three Demon God Sects, the Seven Evil Paths, Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Heavenly Mystery Altar, Cinnabar Cauldron Pavilion, and the other great factions."

"I knew it. With a great opportunity like Heavenly Void opening, how could those major factions possibly let it pass? What a grand move. Each sect has sent at least nearly a thousand Qi Refining Realm cultivators."

"Then what the hell are we Rogue Cultivators supposed to do? Won't all the benefits be taken by them when the time comes?"

"Not necessarily. Our West Sea also has large numbers of experts and overlords. Even these major factions wouldn't dare go too far. When the time comes, entering Heavenly Void will still depend on opportunity. If your opportunity isn't enough, then even with more people, it's all for nothing."

The surrounding discussions entered the ears of Wang Ding's group of four, immediately giving them a slight understanding of the current situation.