Side Story 2
Gu Wangchuan's Hidden Sword Immortal Sect is quite famous among the immortal sects. If he hadn't become an immortal so late, he should have been promoted to Immortal Emperor long ago, instead of still being just an Immortal Venerable.
After listening to the celestial attendant's explanation, Sang Ying learned that immortals in the Immortal Realm are now divided into ranks. Those who have just ascended are the most ordinary Human Immortal.
Above the Human Immortal are the Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Golden Immortal, Immortal Venerable, and Immortal Emperor.
Only when one cultivates to the level of Immortal Emperor can one be considered comparable to those High Antiquity gods, and only then can one truly call oneself a powerful figure in the Immortal Realm.
Currently, there are only five Immortal Emperors in the Immortal Realm, each occupying a position in one of the four Immortal Realm directions (east, west, south, north, and center). This is because Immortal Realm is only so big; if there were an additional Immortal Emperor, the territories they occupy would have to be redefined.
This is the fundamental reason why Gu Wangchuan, despite his considerable abilities, has not been able to advance to the rank of Immortal Emperor. With the other five Immortal Emperor exerting pressure on him, even if Gu Wangchuan is incredibly powerful, he cannot single-handedly Immortal Emperor them all!
The matter was thus left unresolved, and the other immortals secretly discussed it among themselves. Fortunately, Gu Wangchuan was still young, and who knows, he might have a chance to ascend to the throne once one of the Immortal Emperor had outlived him.
However, Sang Ying only listened to these words casually. She was just a minor Human Immortal, and the affairs of the Immortal Emperor were far beyond her reach.
After listening to the fairy attendant's brief introduction, Sang Ying quickly chose the immortal sect she wanted to join— the Hidden Sword Immortal Sect.
She was destined to be with Gu Wangchuan, and since she was a swordsman, Hidden Sword Immortal Sect was the perfect fit for her.
Upon learning of her choice, the celestial attendant did not ask any further questions. He simply used his low-level celestial artifact to lead her to the Hidden Sword Immortal Sect and then took his leave.
Sang Ying didn't know much about the Immortal Realm, and the immortal servant, having limited time, didn't explain it to her in detail.
Moreover, for nearly ten thousand years, no cultivator has ascended from the small world where Sang Ying resides, so it is difficult for her to find someone who can explain the rules of the Immortal Realm to her. Yes, the Immortal Realm's guiding array faces more than just one small world. In the vast world, there are many small cultivation worlds, and cultivators there will ascend to the Immortal Realm through this guiding array.
This explains why, when the Lower Realm suffered calamity, only the Dragon Race were willing to lend a helping hand, while the immortals showed no intention of helping at all.
Because of the special position of the Dragon Race, which is truly connected to the Lower Realm, while the Immortal Realm has long since become more than just their Lower Realm Immortal Realm.
When Sang Ying first heard the news, she was a little confused. Not understanding, she asked the celestial attendant another question. Then she learned that perhaps because no new cultivators had ascended to the Lower Realm for too long, the guiding array had been idle for too long. Suddenly, one day, a hundred years later, a cultivator who had ascended from another Cultivation World arrived in the Immortal Realm.
From that time on, the Immortal Realm was no longer just one Immortal Realm.
It is precisely because of this that when the Lower Realm encounters danger, in order to avoid breaking the rules, the immortals of the Immortal Realm have all chosen to stand by and watch.
Only Gu Wangchuan had planted a spy within the Dragon Race long ago, just waiting for Sang Ying to come to him.
Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Sang Ying took the initiative to walk up the entrance steps of the Hidden Sword Immortal Sect.
The long steps in front of the mountain gate seemed to stretch endlessly. Sang Ying learned from the stone tablet at the foot of the mountain that this was a trial arranged by the Hidden Sword Immortal Sect for its new disciples.
This must have been Gu Wangchuan's idea. In his time, the requirements for a cultivator's temperament were extremely demanding. Back then, most prestigious sword sects would create such long staircases to temper the will of their new disciples.
These long steps are no ordinary thing. Once you step onto them, even the most powerful cultivation will be blocked. Only by relying on your own abilities and persevering to climb up step by step can you pass the first test.
Sang Ying hadn't seen such a method of testing disciples for many years. The Flowing Light Sword Sect used to have this rule, but since her parents were elders of the Flowing Light Sword Sect and her own Spirit Root were exceptional, she had never experienced it.
Unexpectedly, she now has the opportunity to experience it for herself.
Sang Ying chuckled helplessly, but still obediently stepped onto the long staircase in front of her. Just as she expected, as soon as Sang Ying took a step, all the Spiritual Qi on her body and the immortal energy she had just absorbed disappeared.
She scanned her entire body with her Divine Sense, feeling uneasy. Sang Ying felt like an ordinary mortal, her body much heavier than before.
But she had no choice; she still had to join the immortal sect.
Sang Ying barely managed to get through the first few hundred steps on her own, but when she lifted her leg to step forward again, an inexplicable resistance suddenly attacked her entire body.
The oppressive force within the long array slammed her to the ground. If Sang Ying hadn't been prepared, she probably would have been crushed to the ground on the spot.
Even with the immense pressure, Sang Ying showed no sign of stopping, continuing to move forward step by step with great difficulty.
The Hidden Sword Immortal Sect has not seen a new disciple join its first tier for many days.
Hengguang, who was in charge of guarding the mountain gate, sighed helplessly.
Not long ago, their sect leader's cultivation level was promoted to Immortal Emperor, and all the disciples were overjoyed, thinking that it was certain that the title of Immortal Emperor would fall on their sect leader's head.
Who knew that the Five Immortal Emperor, in order not to take a piece of the spoils from here, would actually join forces to suppress the matter!
In a short time, the Hidden Sword Immortal Sect, which had fallen out of favor with the Immortal Emperor, became deserted. In the past, the Human Immortal who wanted to join their sect could fill the entire long staircase.
Now, looking around, there is only one person slowly climbing.
Wait a minute? Human Immortal actually dares to join their Hidden Sword Immortal Sect at this critical juncture?!
The disciple guarding the mountain gate widened his eyes in disbelief, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
The array on the long staircase was still in operation, and the Human Immortal was gritting her teeth and climbing upwards using both hands and feet. She looked extremely disheveled, but Hengguang didn't think anything of it.
He had been guarding the mountain gate for many years and had seen many Human Immortal climbing the long steps. Among them, quite a few were in a worse state than the person at the bottom.
However, since the other party dared to risk offending the other five Immortal Emperors to come and become their disciple when their Hidden Sword Immortal Sect was in such a difficult situation, Hengguang immediately regarded Sang Ying as one of his own from the bottom of his heart.
Thinking this, another person appeared in front of the mountain gate.
Hengyu, who was also assigned to guard the mountain gate, noticed his junior brother's eyes fixed on the water mirror as soon as he arrived, seemingly looking at something.
Only when he got closer did he realize that the other person was attracted by a figure on the long steps.
"Not bad!" Hengyu nodded at Sang Ying. "This Human Immortal has managed to get here on his own merits, which is far more impressive than the previous batch of Human Immortal."
Although Hengguang didn't reply, he thought the same thing.
Hengyu chuckled and said, "Do you think this person can make it to the mountain gate on his own?"
Hearing this question, Hengguang was also taken aback. This trial staircase was no ordinary path; even he and his fellow disciple had only managed to traverse most of it. Could this young female immortal really do it?
But seeing Sang Ying's figure climbing forward relentlessly, Hengguang suddenly exclaimed, "I think she can!"
A note from the author:
Sorry friends, my eyes hurt a little, so there's only one chapter today.
The following chapters will be extras, which may include "what if" scenarios or something similar. I'll mark them when they're released, so feel free to check them out if you're bored.
Thank you all, love you all~