CHAPTER 1007: CHAPTER 1006: STREAMS OF VISITORS 2

Dushan began to bustle with activity.

Some distant sects arrived one after another. With only ten days left, some were eager to make a grand entrance at the last moment, while others preferred to come early to connect with various Daoist Sects on the Jinxiu Continent. As per human nature, the weaker ones arrived first, the stronger ones followed, and the most distinguished enjoyed the limelight.

The Tongtian Sword Tower started to show signs of life. Each Daoist Sect brought anywhere from a handful to dozens of people. In such settings, it wasn’t about life and death battles. Masters brought talented juniors to broaden their horizons, expand their networks, and meet the current influential figures of the Jinxiu Continent; it was a given.

Almost every cultivator arriving to offer congratulations was struck by the unique style of the mountain gate. Most of them came prepared for makeshift accommodations, yet they didn’t expect Dushan’s architecture to be so unique, unmatched across the entire continent.

Does this perhaps signify something? Is the Sword Sect about to rise?

Each Daoist Sect received a drafted schedule of the grand ceremony, preventing guests from feeling at a loss and allowing them to better arrange their personal time at Dushan.

Seeking old friends, singing heartily over drinks, enjoying the Snow Mountain’s beauty, exploring the Ice Domain... The peculiar architecture offered everyone special feelings, making the wait less tedious, an unexpected joy.

However, they were mostly small sects, peripheral forces. Among these Daoist Sects, the Anhe Daoist Sect, Nantianmen Yingtai, and Northwest Qin Sect were relatively the most significant forces. As for other major Daoist Sects, none were present.

But such pretense could not fool the Sword Sect. Li Chuping, acting as the chief steward, was confident, "I can’t speak for others, but the Southeast Daoist Sect will certainly come; they are just putting on airs for now."

The Ice Hall was already well-prepared, assuming every Daoist Sect would come, including staffing. Each Ice Hall had a dedicated Golden Core Cultivator in charge, leading a group of Foundation Establishment juniors, always ready to provide consultation services for the guests.

Hosting a grand ceremony is truly cumbersome, and it’s unclear why the Daoist Sect is so keen on it.

"You are the protagonist, fully involved in hosting, no slacking. This is the decision of the Masters." Li Chuping didn’t care whether he accepted it or not.

Hou Niao wasn’t pleased, "Other Daoist Sect gatherings have dedicated hosts, and figures of paramount importance like a Sect Leader only need to deliver an opening speech. Why do I have to handle everything myself?"

Li Chuping glanced at him, "Because you aren’t a prominent figure! To be considered significant, you either have to excel in Realm or be highly respected and experienced. Which do you qualify for?

You’re young, just a Golden Core, amidst hundreds of Masters here. Do you think it would be appropriate for an obscure Golden Core cultivator to take the stage? Would they manage the situation?"

Hou Niao was indignant, "I think the Capital Commandant is perfectly suitable."

Li Chuping dismissed him, "Since it’s the Sword Sect, there’s no need for the ceremony to be as elaborate as the Daoist Sect’s. After consulting with Master Xiao and others, we decided to omit ancestor worship, since we have too many ancestors; deciding whom to honor or not would be very complicated..."

Hou Niao listened absentmindedly, while Li Chuping spoke earnestly. In truth, Hou Niao understood the real reason why the Masters unanimously decided he should host.

This Dushan grand ceremony was destined to be tumultuous. The news from the Southeast indicated that the Daoist Sect planned a mass movement. Although ostensibly to offer congratulations, gathering like this was more about showcasing the Daoist Sect’s strength.

Ordinary cultivators couldn’t withstand such pressure, which had nothing to do with eloquence. Only someone like Hou Niao, who had repeatedly disrupted the Sword Sect meetings, had the ability to handle unforeseen changes adeptly.

He had strength, status, reputation, and a history of stirring trouble. Anyone thinking of causing a scene would have to reconsider. It was a challenging situation that tested comprehensive personal abilities, unmatched within the Sword Sect.

Li Chuping didn’t care about his nonchalance because he knew the key issues didn’t lie in the schedule but rather in the inevitable surprises the Daoists would bring, which no one could control. You couldn’t avoid inviting them for fear of surprises; it would show weakness.

In the end, they had to rely on this guy’s adaptability. This wasn’t the Sword Sect’s initial intention, but once things started, it became difficult to proceed according to their wishes, which was the nature of the Cultivation World.

There were always crooked people trying to harm the Sword Sect.

With more and more sects joining, it mostly became a trend-following behavior. Seeing others going, they couldn’t sit still for fear of missing out. Under such influence, several Daoist Sects arrived daily, converging in the Ice Sculpture Hall of the Tongtian Sword Tower.

... In three days, it would be the official day of the Dushan grand ceremony. Over the southeast of Qi Sect, a large raft of buildings slowly flew out, carrying a hundred or so cultivators, including six Nascent Soul Masters. The rest were the most outstanding disciples in the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Realms, and of course, Zhi Xuan was among them.

The aura of a great Daoist Sect was different; effortlessly gathering a group of exceptional figures, these were only the tip of the iceberg of the Qi Sect.

During the flight, they encountered the simultaneous departure of Zhou Sect and Guo Sect, with the Chu Sect also joining; almost all were on a single building raft. For the Daoist Sect, they disliked flying physically like Sword Cultivator, not being birds.

The building raft, under the mastery of a Master, flew swiftly and reached the small town Xionger on the Shan Sect’s border a day later, where they stopped; they would wait here a day and proceed to Dushan together when all Daoist Sects arrived, aiming to reach at noon on the last day.

By then, the numerous building rafts would surely give the Sword Sect a real shock, which was their purpose.

They needed an initial show of strength.

In the sky, a dozen building rafts floated quietly, with occasional cultivators appearing, but most remained inside the rafts, as it wasn’t a time for running around, which was the protocol.

Evidently, visitors from the Upper Realm were not bound by this protocol. A dozen Golden Core cultivators gathered around a raft: Taiching Zhi Xuan, Yuqing Jue Mingzi, Supreme Rong Guang, Chi Su Ye Bai, Yang Ding Ning Bei Hui, Taixuan Gu Bai, Huangting Guan Zhi, and others.

The scene was spectacular, but for people accustomed to grand scenes, it was nothing extraordinary.

Zhi Xuan Daoist looked at all this with satisfaction, at least having achieved some influence over these indigenous Daoist Sects; over time, this effect would grow deeper. Masters were numerous, but what mattered was strength. When the masters of the Qi Sect truly fought, who among them could be his match? Even with disparity in Realm, when he reached the Nascent Soul with Heaven Creation, Qi Sect would be under his command.

The people of Jinxiu would eventually understand that in the Cultivation World, status was always determined by strength, and the higher the Realm, the truer it was.

He glanced at the few Daoists who didn’t share their mindset, then laughed:

"Brother Rong Guang, are you satisfied with the momentum of this outing?"

Rong Guang Daoist replied indifferently, "It might be an initial show of strength, but it could also be a hundred paths coming to pay homage; who could say for sure?"