Gathering

Five days later, Xiao Yu and the others followed Grandmaster Wang to a barren mountain in northern Jianzhou, on the border between the Yue Kingdom and the Yuanwu Kingdom.

By then, three sects had already gathered there, each standing in a separate area.

The first group belonged to Yellow Maple Valley. All wore yellow robes, and there were more than twenty of them, men and women, young and old. Their leader was a square-faced elder who looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His hair was somewhat gray, but he was vigorous and ruddy-faced, with tiger-like eyes that radiated authority even without anger.

Another group consisted of disciples from the Qingxu Sect. They wore gray Daoist robes, held horsetail whisks, and had their hair tied in Daoist topknots, looking every bit like religious ascetics. Their leader was a middle-aged Daoist holding a horsetail whisk.

The third group consisted of disciples from the Covering Moon Sect, more than half of whom were women. Every one of these women was exquisitely alluring, with faces as lovely as flowers and the moon. Their leader was a captivating woman dressed in the style of a young married lady. Every gesture overflowed with charm, enough to stir the soul.

Xiao Yu had long heard that the Covering Moon Sect promoted dual cultivation. At least half the disciples it recruited had to be women, and it would never accept anyone whose looks were less than outstanding.

Seeing them in person, he found that the rumors were indeed true. Every woman was exceptionally beautiful, and some even tossed their heads and struck enticing poses, enough to awaken a man's most primal urges.

Their leader was especially striking. After just one glance, Xiao Yu's gaze grew unfocused. He felt as though she radiated boundless charm, drawing him into an intoxication from which he could not free himself.

"Hmph! Don't disgrace our Giant Sword Sect!" Fortunately, a cold snort exploded beside his ear just then. Only then did he snap awake. Grandmaster Wang had roused the disciples who had been bewitched by her charm technique. Shocked, Xiao Yu hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look at the woman again.

However, although the disciples of Yellow Maple Valley and the Qingxu Sect, along with the newly arrived Giant Sword Sect disciples, did not dare look at the Covering Moon Sect's Golden Core cultivator, every one of them cast sidelong glances at the sect's female Qi Refining Stage disciples.

The female disciples of the Covering Moon Sect seemed accustomed to being watched by so many people. They continued chatting and laughing without the slightest change in expression. Some even threw coquettish glances at their admirers, leaving those men weak-kneed and soft-boned, scarcely knowing where they were.

Xiao Yu gave a faint, cold smile. These disciples had not come here to flirt, but to fight for their lives in the Forbidden Grounds. If they still behaved this way upon encountering the Covering Moon Sect's female disciples inside, they would probably have conceded three points before the fighting even began.

Grandmaster Wang brought Xiao Yu and the others down onto an open patch of ground. After instructing them to rest there, he went to greet the leaders of the other three sects.

Xiao Yu stretched his limbs, pretending to look around while actually pricking up his ears to listen to the Golden Core cultivators' conversation.

From their conversation, Xiao Yu learned that Yellow Maple Valley's leader was Li Huayuan, the Qingxu Sect's was Fuyunzi, and the Covering Moon Sect's was Fairy Nishang.

As for why they were leading the groups, Xiao Yu learned from their conversation that errand-running duties such as escorting disciples to the Blood Trial usually fell to the Golden Core cultivator in each sect who had reached Core Formation most recently.

After a while, the Daoist from the Qingxu Sect spoke to Yellow Maple Valley's Li Huayuan with a broad smile:

"Benefactor Li, I have a proposal. Would you be interested?"

"Hmph! What good ideas could an ox-nosed Daoist like you possibly have? Let's hear it first. I'll give you an answer after I've thought it over," Li Huayuan said bluntly, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Look, Benefactor Li, our two sects have brought about the same number of disciples this time. How about a wager?" Fuyunzi was not offended and continued smiling.

"A wager? What sort of wager?" Li Huayuan glanced at the Qingxu Sect disciples and saw that twenty-three of them would enter the Forbidden Grounds. His own side also had twenty-three, and their cultivation levels were roughly equal. He asked without betraying any emotion.

"Hehe, let's wager on whose sect has more disciples emerge at the end of the trial, and whose disciples bring out more spirit herbs. What do you say?" Fuyunzi remained all smiles, as though he had planned this long ago.

"Oh? You have that much confidence in your disciples, you ox-nosed Daoist?" With that, Li Huayuan looked over the other sect's disciples again,

but found no one particularly remarkable. Could this ox-nosed Daoist have something to rely on? "Surely you aren't lacking confidence in your own disciples, Benefactor Li?" Fuyunzi prodded him.

After his gaze flickered for a moment, Li Huayuan glared at Fuyunzi and said, "Since you've put it that way, why wouldn't I dare? Tell me, what are you putting up as your stake? And what possession of mine have you set your sights on?"

Fuyunzi's smile widened. He took out a dozen or so talismans shimmering with spiritual light and said:

"I'll stake these high-grade intermediate talismans. If I lose, they're all yours. But if I win, all you need to give me is a fine piece of iron essence.

"You should know that these talismans are worth two or three thousand Spirit Stones. And with your Three Yang Physique, Benefactor Li, the purity of your internal true fire is renowned throughout the seven great sects. Refining a little iron essence should be a trivial matter for you. Winning these spirit talismans would certainly give you more than your money's worth! What do you say, Benefactor Li?"

Looking at the talismans in Fuyunzi's hand, Li Huayuan was indeed tempted. Intermediate talismans were already rare, let alone high-grade intermediate ones. Their power matched that of spells cast by late Foundation Establishment cultivators. Each was worth several hundred Spirit Stones. How could he not be tempted?

Li Huayuan's gaze swept back and forth between the Qingxu Sect and Yellow Maple Valley disciples again. If I win, I'll make a killing. Even if I lose, all it'll cost me is some time spent refining iron essence.

So he gritted his teeth and said:

"Fine! I'll take your wager. We'll compare how many disciples emerge, and the final value of their spirit herbs!"

"Hahaha! How decisive, Benefactor Li. It's settled!" Fuyunzi laughed heartily, his eyes darting about with the look of someone whose cunning scheme had succeeded.

Neither man tried to conceal their conversation, and both spoke quite loudly. The Qi Refining Stage disciples present reacted differently upon hearing it.

The fellow disciples around Xiao Yu whispered among themselves, quietly discussing how these two Golden Core cultivators had wagered on their disciples' lives with such utter indifference.

At that moment, Grandmaster Wang returned to the group and addressed them with a cold snort:

"Do you think that wagering on their disciples' journey of life and death shows them too little respect? Hmph! If that's what you think, then you're fools of the highest order.

"In the cultivation world, whether one belongs to an upright, prestigious sect or follows a wicked, demonic path, everyone seeks to defy Heaven, and the strong prevail while the weak are weeded out.

"The difference is that the orthodox sects favor gradual progress, letting success come as naturally as water flowing into a channel, and their cultivation arts are relatively mild. Yet they often like to carry out petty, despicable deeds beneath the banner of slaying demons and defending the righteous path. Most are hypocrites, putting on a show of virtue and benevolence.

"The unorthodox and demonic sects, meanwhile, strive for explosive increases in magical power, pursuing powerful cultivation arts above all else. Their cultivation methods are far too sinister and vicious, smacking of opportunistic shortcuts. Though they claim to follow their hearts and reveal their true natures, as their cultivation arts advance, their behavior actually grows more extreme. They lose their human nature and may even become extraordinarily bloodthirsty and cruel.

"But whether orthodox, unorthodox, or any other cultivation sect, whatever they may say, what they actually practice is the same rule: the strong devour the weak.

"We cultivators are not ordinary mortals! Cultivators with higher cultivation regard those of lower rank as ants. Killing someone with a single strike over a disagreement is commonplace.

"So wagering on them is no different from two giants watching ants fight! It couldn't be more ordinary. Once you reach that height yourselves, you'll naturally think the same way."

These words stirred a commotion among the disciples. Clearly, some were deeply shocked by what they had heard.

Grandmaster Wang continued:

"To tell you the truth, several thousand years ago, our Yue Kingdom was just like other places, with the orthodox and unorthodox sides locked in opposition. Back then, the seven great sects were nothing more than insignificant little sects. To survive, we had to remain fence-sitters between the two sides, leaning toward whichever was stronger.

"The great orthodox and unorthodox sects of that time wouldn't even spare us a proper glance. But later, an exceptionally bloody war broke out between them, and both sides sent out every expert they had.

"After that battle, those sects were severely weakened and could no longer suppress small sects such as our Giant Sword Sect. Some time later, our seven sects actually joined forces and wiped out both sides, eradicating even their traditions to the last trace."

"From then on, the seven great sects established their unrivaled dominance over the Yue Kingdom. Whenever an orthodox or unorthodox sect attempts to invade, our seven sects immediately unite to drive it back, never giving it a chance to gain a foothold.

"Many of the cultivation arts you study today were actually left behind by the orthodox and unorthodox sects of that era. Thus, the arts taught by our seven sects include both orthodox and unorthodox methods, as well as some unique to us! In terms of allegiance, all seven of our sects are neutral."

"I'm telling you all this merely to remind you that, in the cultivation world, if your strength falls short of another's, you shouldn't spout foolish talk about demanding respect. So-called respect can only exist between cultivators of roughly equal strength. Otherwise, you're only seeking your own death!" At that point, Grandmaster Wang fell silent.

The disciples listened with their mouths agape, profoundly shaken. All of this was far too unexpected. They had never imagined that the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world held such secrets, or that the cultivation world's very nature was for the strong to devour the weak.

While these disciples wrestled with their differing thoughts, the people from the remaining three sects finally arrived.

The people from Spirit Beast Mountain wore garishly colorful, conspicuous clothes. They also carried a multitude of leather pouches and bags, with faint movements suggesting living creatures stirring inside.

The people from the Blade Transforming Dock all wore green robes. They looked just like ordinary people, with no obvious distinguishing traits.

The people from Heavenly Gate Fort wore blue robes. Apart from a few whose eyes were sinister and vicious, the other disciples had nothing particularly distinctive about them.