CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 58: QINGWU, LIGHT DANCE?

Southern Frontier, outside the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s mountain gate.

Towering peaks that reach the clouds stand atop the mountains, filled with buildings shrouded in immortal aura. Cultivators in blue magic robes navigate the clouds and fog with magical artifacts, resembling an immortal realm.

Lu Yan gazed at the immortal palaces and pavilions standing among the towering peaks, eyes filled with an indescribable awe.

"Such a spectacle can probably only be found in a Xianxia version."

Strictly speaking, Lu Yan’s previous experiences in the Xianxia versions were among the lowest levels of its ecosystem. Numerous loose cultivators traveled between marketplaces and the Demon Beast Mountain Range, earning Spirit Stones to barely maintain their cultivation at the bottom tier.

The true core of the Xianxia version lies in the sects that control numerous resources and the Immortal Cities where various forces convene.

Unfortunately, these places are out of reach for the vast majority of loose cultivators.

Lu Yan could only come here thanks to Ji Xingyao’s help.

The note Ji Xingyao left in the storage bag explained the purpose of the Scripture Transmission Order and provided some relevant information.

After leaving the Cyan Valley Marketplace, Ji Xingyao captured Xie Yun. Through Xie Yun’s confession, she uncovered the truth about loose cultivators sabotaging the Cyan Valley Marketplace, using this as an excuse to challenge the other direct disciples in a duel of swords.

However, because her path seemed promising, Ji Xingyao didn’t kill these sect direct disciples but merely severely injured them.

Ji Xingyao started to show signs of recovery in her foundation, and since the small tricks of those direct disciples were quite unsavory, even the sect’s high-ranking members tacitly approved of Ji Xingyao’s actions.

After severely injuring these sect disciples, Ji Xingyao even offered compensation and won quite a few resources.

The Scripture Transmission Order was secretly exchanged for using those resources as compensation through certain channels.

The direct disciples, having been severely injured and gritting their teeth from contributing substantial resources, had long set their sights on Ji Xingyao.

If Ji Xingyao interacted with Lu Yan, he would certainly become a thorn in the eyes of those direct disciples.

To prevent affecting Lu Yan, Ji Xingyao secretly sent the Scripture Transmission Order over, allowing Lu Yan to personally choose at the Scripture Pavilion.

With this Scripture Transmission Order in hand, Lu Yan could go to the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s Scripture Pavilion and browse the texts on the first three layers, which most likely contained the method for refining Merit Treasures.

Besides the method for refining Merit Treasures, Lu Yan could even find other inheritance techniques related to the Merit Sect in the Scripture Pavilion, but he could only take out the method for refining Merit Treasures.

This alone is enough to prove the preciousness of the Scripture Transmission Order.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s mountain gate, a group of cultivators was queuing for entry registration, while those in blue magic robes completely ignored the registration rules, flying in on magical artifacts.

Every time such a cultivator passed by, the queuing loose cultivators couldn’t help but show expressions of envy.

Fortunately, most cultivators coming here had already prepared their documents, so entry registration didn’t take long, and soon it was Lu Yan’s turn.

"Name?"

"Lu Yan."

"What is your purpose for entering the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s mountain gate? Do you have a sect disciple’s recommendation token?"

Behind the counter stood a middle-aged cultivator at the peak of Qi Cultivation, his voice lazy and listless.

Instead of answering, Lu Yan took out the Scripture Transmission Order from the storage bag and handed it over.

Upon seeing the Scripture Transmission Order, the previously sluggish middle-aged cultivator immediately sat up straight, reaching out to take the order.

"Script... Scripture Transmission Order?"

There was a trace of tremor in the middle-aged cultivator’s voice as he quickly looked up and down at Lu Yan, testingly asking:

"Who gave you this Scripture Transmission Order?"

Lu Yan frowned slightly: "Since when does the Cyan Simurgh Sect need to ask about the source of a Scripture Transmission Order?"

The middle-aged cultivator was startled, waving his hands repeatedly: "No need, no need!"

He then retrieved a jade disc, inscribed with array patterns, from the counter beside him and said to Lu Yan:

"This is your temporary jade disc. It will protect you from the Sect Protection Array’s influence within the mountain gate, but it only lasts one month.

If you wish to continue your stay after one month, you can return here to replace the jade disc."

Lu Yan nodded, put away the jade disc, and walked into the mountain gate with large strides.

Behind Lu Yan in line, a young cultivator at the late stage of Qi Cultivation couldn’t help but ask:

"Why do we only get a three-day command talisman with an inner sect disciple’s recommendation, while he gets the highest-grade jade disc and can continue to replace it after it expires?"

The middle-aged cultivator glanced at the young cultivator and let out a derisive snort through his nose.

"If you want to enter, enter; if not, scram!"

...

As the jade disc emitted a glow of spiritual light, Lu Yan successfully entered the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s mountain gate and immediately felt an immense amount of spiritual energy rushing toward him.

With Lu Yan’s spiritual sense, he could almost perceive the trajectory of spiritual energy flowing, with a large amount of spiritual energy drifting within the Sect Protection Array, allowing for easy absorption just by breathing in.

"It’s said that the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s Divinity Transformation Ancestor moved mountains and filled seas to collect over a hundred third-tier Spirit Veins, sealing them within the sect’s mountain gate, resulting in such dense spiritual energy.

The concentration of spiritual energy here far surpasses that of the Cyan Valley Cave Mansion District by more than five times. Even here, one doesn’t need to intentionally absorb energy to circulate it through their meridians.

And this is just at the foot of the mountain. If one reaches the Cyan Simurgh Sect disciples’ residence or the Cave Mansion area, the spiritual energy concentration would certainly be higher."

At this moment, Lu Yan understood why only Foundation Establishment cultivators have any standing within the Cyan Simurgh Sect.

The Qi Cultivation Realm is essentially a process of accumulating magical power; with such a concentration of spiritual energy, as long as one is willing to put in the effort, reaching the peak of Qi Cultivation is achievable.

But the subsequent Foundation Establishment Realm will deter many whose talents are insufficient, leading to the strict division between outer and inner disciples.

Marveling at the grand scale of the orthodox sect, Lu Yan, following the directions on the note, flew his low-grade flying ship toward the location of the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s Scripture Pavilion.

As he flew over the Servant’s Courtyard at the mountain’s base, just after entering the Cyan Simurgh Sect’s mountain gate, a beautiful female cultivator dressed in a palace-style long skirt flew across the sky on a flying sword.

Though it was just a fleeting moment, Lu Yan keenly noticed the female cultivator’s appearance.

"Why does she look somewhat familiar?"

Before Lu Yan could react, another man standing on a Lotus Leaf Magical Artifact flew out of the mountains—a man with a peculiar appearance at the peak of Qi Cultivation.

This man seemed curious about Lu Yan’s presence there and was about to engage in conversation.

However, upon seeing that Lu Yan’s flying ship was merely a low-grade artifact, his eyes revealed a trace of disdain, and he controlled his Lotus Leaf Magical Artifact to fly away.

Yet at this moment, Lu Yan stood frozen in place. The distinct appearance of the man reminded him of an internet personality on the short video platform in the urban version.

A minor influencer with a few thousand followers, famous within the Luo City area for his comedic acts.

This immediately inspired Lu Yan to recall the appearance of the palace-dressed female cultivator and connect her to another internet celebrity with over ten thousand fans in the urban version.

Before Lu Yan could comprehend the reason, the flying ship passed over a mountain peak where dozens of cultivators were observing a duel on the martial platform.

Watching closely, Lu Yan was astonished to find that most of these people could be matched with internet celebrities on the short video platform, with all of them originating from one place.

"Cyan Simurgh... Qingwu Group?"