Chapter 119: A Supreme Sect's Arrogance (1)

  While Wei Rong was having an existential crisis, Xu Mo was getting acquainted with his fellow team members. Once everyone had finished introducing themselves to one another, Long Bai began sharing the insider details of the secret realm—information that had previously been kept confidential within the sect.

  The wind swept across the high mountain peak, carrying with it the scent of clouds and cold metal. Dozens of disciples, clad in their respective robes—inner and outer—stood in disciplined rows. Behind them, the floating ship that had brought them here slowly descended toward its resting formation. Before them stood a tall, broad-shouldered elder in deep navy robes, his beard like flowing iron, and his eyes like twin blades sheathed in patience.

  Elder Long Bai stepped forward.

  His voice echoed, steady and clear, without the need for force.

  “You’ve all trained for this. You’ve bled, sweated, and cultivated under the banners of the Hidden Dragon Sect. But the trials ahead do not care for sect names or titles. What awaits you… is the Verdant Sky Secret Realm.”

  He paused, letting the weight of those words settle.

  “This realm opens once every sixty years. It belongs to the Verdant Sky Hall, but quotas are distributed among neighboring sects according to the ancient accords. Hidden Dragon Sect has received 150 quotas—a rare gift in these uncertain times.”

  His gaze swept across the young disciples.

  “Only those in the Qi Condensation and Foundation Building Realms may enter. Those above will be forcibly ejected—or worse. The realm recognizes cultivation boundaries like a living being. Violators will not walk out whole.”

  Murmurs rippled. Long Bai raised a hand, silencing them instantly.

  “Inside, you will encounter zones of spiritual richness, ancient ruins, and beasts that have never walked the outside world. The realm was once a battlefield, or so the records say. Fragments of legacy techniques, cursed weapons, incomplete cultivation methods, and even artifacts beyond our understanding lie buried there.”

  His voice dropped slightly, taking on a more serious tone.

  “But do not think it’s yours for the taking. The Verdant Sky Secret Realm reshapes itself. What was once a river may now be a desert. What was a cave may become a sky-suspended garden. Time and space do not flow normally. Some who enter… vanish—not from death, but from dislocation. They wander for years before returning, if they return at all.”

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  He let that linger in the silence.

  “Your mission is survival first. Opportunity second. For the inner disciples—you will each lead a team of four outer disciples. The elite among you will form separate teams. The True Successor—Xu Mo—will lead one such team. The Saintess shall lead the other.”

  Long Bai’s gaze flicked toward Xu Mo for just a moment. Something unreadable crossed his expression before it returned to calm.

  “All combat inside will be real. No sparring rules. You may be attacked by beasts, the environment… or other sects. Yes—rival sects will be participating. Do not assume peace.”

  He turned, gesturing toward the vast sky behind him. Faintly, barely visible, a ripple of green light shimmered far above the distant clouds—like a floating mirage of mountains and stars.

  “That… is the mouth of the realm. It will open at dawn.”

  He looked over the disciples once more.

  “This is your chance to prove your worth—not to the world, not to the elders, but to yourself. Whatever you find inside, may it shape you into something worthy.”

  He stepped back.

  “Prepare yourselves. We descend at first light.”

  ...

  As cultivators, we did not need to eat, drink, or sleep daily. By the time the sun had dipped behind the horizon, some had already flown off, scouting the area around the Verdant Sky Hall. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore this territory. At any other time, they would have either been captured or killed on the spot for trespassing.

  Some also had ulterior motives—hoping to attract someone of high status within the sect with their charm and somehow gain a connection to the Verdant Sky Hall through them.

  Unfortunately for them, the disciples of Verdant Sky Hall were too arrogant to even glance below their feet when flying over our heads. Much like us cultivators, when we flew over mortals, looking down without thought. For the first time since becoming cultivators, many among us felt sympathy for mortals.

  Yet, even while being treated like this, no one voiced their complaints.

  The next morning, the atmosphere was strangely still.

  The mountain air was crisp, and the morning mist clung stubbornly to the peaks, unwilling to retreat. Then, as if responding to some unseen command, the swords that had streaked across the sky like shooting stars the day before descended gracefully from above. They came to a halt midair, hovering silently above the docking peaks—sharp, weightless, and awe-inspiring.

  Upon them stood figures cloaked in long, flowing robes of deep green and gold—a stark contrast to the lighter, ceremonial tones from the day before. Their presence felt heavier now—not in mass, but in pressure—an invisible aura that seemed to compress the very air around them. Many of them looked no older than the senior disciples gathered below… and yet, no one dared mistake them for peers.

  These were Verdant Sky Hall’s true elders.

  Even before they spoke, their identities were clear. The elegance of their sword-riding, the silence of their descent, the subtle shift in the world around them—all of it whispered of power cultivated over lifetimes.

  Long Bai, along with the other representatives and elders from the visiting sects, stepped forward at once. With practiced grace, they cupped their hands, bent slightly at the waist, and lowered their eyelids in unison, offering the formal bow of deference.

  “We pay our respects to the Esteemed Elders of Verdant Sky Hall.”

  Their voices rose together—neither too loud nor too soft—just enough to convey sincerity and respect. Though many of them held high status within their own sects, in front of these figures, even the proudest bowed without hesitation.