Chapter 310: The Sect Gate

Duan Rong and his group of four were sleeping in the open and eating in the wind within Changliu Mountain.

Although they had studied the map before entering the mountain and chosen the mountain path closest to the Sect gate to enter,

the early spring season meant Changliu Mountain was often filled with thick fog, and the group frequently got lost at branching mountain paths.

After wandering around like this for three days, the group had still not reached the Sect gate.

Ximen Kankan sat on a large bluestone, panting while carefully looking at the map in his hands.

Xiao Yu supported Shen Mizhi as they sat not far away.

Xiao Yu said, "What is wrong with you two? How many times have we gone the wrong way along the road? You've been holding the map and studying it for so long, and you still can't figure out the path?"

Ximen Kankan ignored Xiao Yu, frowning as he looked at the map in his hands with a focused gaze.

Shen Mizhi chimed in, "Kankan, you pointed the way every time we went wrong. Look clearly before you point; you just point randomly, and our feet are worn out from walking."

While complaining, Shen Mizhi pounded her own calves.

Xiao Yu said, "Exactly."

The two sang in harmony, immediately annoying Ximen Kankan, who threw the map in his hand and said, "You two have such strong opinions, why don't you look at it yourselves?"

Shen Mizhi lowered her head to pound her legs, and Xiao Yu turned her face away, pretending to look at the scenery over there.

They were the ones who were truly hopeless with directions.

In fact, they only had opinions about Ximen Kankan because every wrong turn they had taken along the way had been pointed out by Ximen Kankan.

Duan Rong patted Ximen Kankan on the shoulder and said, "Kankan, don't mind them. Keep looking at yours. I believe in you."

Seeing Duan Rong say this, Ximen Kankan's expression softened slightly, and he continued to look at the map in his hands.

Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi did not know what was going on, but having walked this whole way, Duan Rong was very clear that in such a fog-filled mountain, the reason they were able to take fewer detours and not get lost was all thanks to Ximen Kankan.

Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi were not wrong; those few times they went the wrong way, it was indeed Ximen Kankan who pointed them out.

But Duan Rong only asked Ximen Kankan when he could not determine which path to take. Usually, at these times, the fog was thick, and there were several mountain peaks in front of them, like a labyrinth.

In the eyes of Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi, Ximen Kankan had pointed the wrong way four times, causing them to go back and forth.

But in Duan Rong's view, Ximen Kankan had only pointed the wrong way four times, yet he had been right thirteen times; his accuracy rate was already approaching eighty percent!

With such thick fog and so many mountain peaks, it was impossible to judge where to go.

Yet Ximen Kankan could discern clues from the comparison between the vague mountain terrain in the fog and the details on the map!

This was definitely a genius!

Duan Rong finally understood at this moment why Ximen Kankan could dominate at the gambling tables; that was definitely not due to luck.

Ximen Kankan stood up, looked at the mountain peaks in the thick fog, suddenly fixed his gaze in a certain direction, looked at the map again, and smiled, saying, "Duan Rong, we are almost there."

Duan Rong looked suspicious and said, "Is that so?"

He also knew that according to the location marked on the map, they were not far from the Sect gate, but wandering around in these mountains, he really was not sure if they could go directly to that place which seemed so close.

Ximen Kankan nodded, pointed to a spot on the map, and said, "Yes. After this small mountain peak, just climb down from here."

Duan Rong looked at the place Ximen was pointing to on the map, his eyes showing an uncertain expression, but he still said, "Oh, then let's go."

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan walked together toward a mountain peak in the mist, and Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi also got up from the bluestone and followed.

Shen Mizhi whispered to Xiao Yu, "Sister Xiao, my legs hurt, I can't walk anymore. Why don't we wait for them here? What if they end up walking back here in a while?"

Xiao Yu said, "Let's go. My legs hurt too, but they won't hurt after walking a bit more."

Shen Mizhi sighed, looked at Ximen Kankan not far ahead, and said, "Kankan, we didn't go the wrong way this time, right?"

Ximen Kankan said, "Definitely not."

Ximen Kankan had been this confident the whole way.

Xiao Yu said, "If we go the wrong way again, you don't get any dry rations at noon."

As soon as Ximen Kankan heard Xiao Yu's words, his face immediately turned miserable.

When the group entered the mountain, they bought some flatbreads and dried meat, but they did not expect that after walking for three days, they still had not reached the Sect gate.

From the second day at noon, Xiao Yu had gathered everyone's flatbreads and dried meat together and began to distribute them in measured amounts.

It was strange to say, but while walking in the mountains, they often heard the sounds of tigers roaring and apes howling, yet they had not encountered a single wild beast along the way.

In fact, this had to do with the Taiyi Sect's prohibition.

Ordinary people were not allowed to enter the mountain, so almost everyone who could walk in the Changliu Mountain Range was a Martial Artist.

Over the centuries, the wild beasts in these mountains knew the terror of these hairless, two-legged beasts; once they smelled humans, they would hide far away. Coupled with the early spring weather and the thick fog in the mountains, visibility was poor, so the group had not seen a single wild beast along the way.

The group jumped from a small mountain peak along the bluestones, leaping into the valley path below.

Once they landed in the valley path, the group felt a surge of joy, because under their feet were actually neat stone steps, tier by tier.

The group had been walking on primitive, wild mountain paths the whole way; this was the first time they had seen such obvious man-made chisel marks, which meant they were not far from the Sect gate.

Duan Rong patted Ximen Kankan on the shoulder and said, "You kid, your eyes are truly sharp!"

For them to jump from the mountain peak to the middle of this valley path like this was clearly taking a shortcut. For Ximen Kankan to be able to lead them on a shortcut in the thick fog was truly no ordinary sharpness of eye.

Ximen Kankan smiled and said, "Duan Rong, let me tell you, I was guessing too. Half of it was taking a shortcut, and the other half was just encountering a cliff, just like the last few times. However, it's the same principle as being at a gambling table; if you dare to gamble, you have to be bold. If you go the wrong way, at worst you just turn back."

Xiao Yu laughed, "Kankan did well this time; I'll give you an extra piece of flatbread later."

Ximen Kankan said, "What flatbread?! I want to eat meat!"

Duan Rong looked at the stone-stepped valley path in the mist and said, "Let's go! After crossing this canyon stone path, we should be there."

The group had been wandering in the mountains like headless flies for several days, and seeing that they were finally about to reach their destination, they all felt a sense of relief.

The group climbed upward along the valley stone steps.

After walking a few yards, they rounded a large rock, and the stone steps suddenly turned. After climbing a bit further, they saw a towering, majestic, and huge stone gate in the mist, like a Heavenly Gate, looming in the fog.

Duan Rong leaped, stepped on the stone pillar beside the stone gate, and reached the top of the stone gate. He suddenly jumped, grabbed the top of the stone gate with one hand, and hung himself there. Duan Rong narrowed his eyes and looked; he saw three large characters, as if carved by a person and dampened by the mist, engraved like iron hooks on a large stone: it was exactly Taiyi Sect.

Duan Rong felt a surge of joy, let go of his hand, and landed gracefully. Looking at his companions who were watching him with expectant eyes, he said, "It is the Sect gate of Taiyi Sect, we have arrived!"

Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi looked at each other and happily held hands.

Several people passed through the mountain gate and continued to walk up the stone steps.

After walking just a few steps, a figure suddenly flashed within the mist, causing the mist to churn and roll.

The group then saw a dark shadow not far away, which shouted in a deep voice: "Who goes there? Why do you enter my mountain gate?"

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he said: "We are newly promoted Registered Disciples."

The dark shadow walked forward a few steps and revealed itself from the mist; it was a thin youth in Daoist robes, with a sword tied at his waist.

The Daoist-robed youth glanced at Duan Rong and said: "Sect Cloud Token?"

Duan Rong took out the Sect Cloud Token from his inner robe pocket and handed it over. On the Sect Cloud Token were Duan Rong's basic information and his simple portrait.

The Daoist-robed youth looked at the portrait in the Sect Cloud Token, looked at Duan Rong twice more, then pulled the Sect Cloud Token to the very end and glanced at the two large seals at the signature spot: one was the Sect's great seal, and the other was the great seal of the Shenyun Prefecture government office.

The Daoist-robed youth folded the Sect Cloud Token, handed it back to Duan Rong, and then his gaze swept over the three people behind Duan Rong.

Ximen Kankan, Xiao Yu, and the others, upon seeing the man's gaze, also prepared to take out their respective Sect Cloud Tokens.

"No need, you may go up."

Once the Daoist-robed youth finished speaking, his figure leaped, and he disappeared into the mist without a trace.

Duan Rong was the closest, yet he did not see which direction the youth had darted off in.

Duan Rong thought to himself: "As expected of the Sect; even someone guarding the mountain gate has such remarkable Lightness Skill."

The group continued upward along the stone steps, and they did not know how long they had been climbing; the stone steps seemed as if they would never end, continuously revealing themselves from the mist.

Just at this moment, a great wind suddenly rose, and one could see the mountain mists churning—how magnificent!

As the mist dispersed, streaks of golden light suddenly shot out from the gaps in the clouds, like an immortal scene.

The clouds and mist scattered with the wind, and the golden light gradually expanded; before long, a golden sun could be seen hanging among the clouds, shining directly into people's eyes.

The group was dazzled for a moment, and when they steadied their gaze, the end of the stone steps was not far away; the group immediately sprinted forward and stepped onto the final stone step.

Above the stone steps was a huge, open platform.

The four people on it were like four tiny ants.

On the large platform, there was nothing else, only a towering boulder, like a mountain, standing at the edge of the cliff, with four large characters carved in gold powder: Taishang Shengshui.

The brushwork was magnificent and ever-changing!

The group was still staring blankly at the boulder, stunned by its towering magnificence; the sunlight shone on the gold powder, and the four characters "Taishang Shengshui" glowed brilliantly.

Just at this moment, eight figures suddenly flashed out from different directions, their Long Swords unsheathed, surrounding Duan Rong and the others in the middle.

"Who goes there? Why are you climbing the mountain?"

Among these eight people, one looked slightly older; he sized up Duan Rong and the others and asked in a deep voice.

At this time, without the mist obscuring them, Duan Rong took in the appearance of these people. He saw that everyone had their hair tied up and wore crowns, looked heroic and spirited, and were all about the same height.

Duan Rong sighed in his heart: As expected of the people guarding the mountain gate; they are the face of the Sect.

Duan Rong smiled and said: "Senior Brothers, we four are newly promoted Registered Disciples, and due to some reasons, we are a few days late. This is our Sect Cloud Token."

Seeing the Sect Cloud Token Duan Rong handed over, the man sheathed his sword and checked the Sect Cloud Tokens of the four of them one by one. Only then did he wave his hand.

Following that wave of his hand, one could see sword shadows flash, and the remaining seven people also sheathed the cold swords in their hands.

The man said: "You may go." As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed in a direction, saying: "Registered Disciples report to the Lower Courtyard."

After he finished speaking, his figure leaped, and like a cloud crane soaring into the sky, with one leap and a sway, he had already disappeared.

The others also disappeared almost simultaneously.

This time there was no mist to obscure them; Duan Rong and the others only saw the few people leap upward before their eyes, and when they looked up, the figures were already gone.

Duan Rong and the others were left speechless.

"So fast!?"

They followed the direction the man had pointed and walked that way; when they reached the edge of the large platform, they saw two sets of stone steps leading downward in that area.

Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu beside him and asked: "Which one did that person just point to?"

Xiao Yu blinked his eyes, thought for a moment, and said: "It seems to be this side."

Xiao Yu felt that the position the man had just pointed to should be closer to the stone steps on this side.

"Then let's go." Duan Rong and the others walked downward along those stone steps.

Having walked only two steps, a figure suddenly flashed out from a large blue rock to the side, coldly saying: "Go that way! This side leads to the Ruling Sect Justice Division."

Hearing the voice, they turned back, only to see that above the large blue rock, a residual image flashed, and it was already empty. They turned back to the platform and walked down from the other set of stone steps.

Behind the large blue rock on that side, a Daoist-robed youth with his hair tied and crowned walked over with a chuckle, saying to the person who had just shouted at Duan Rong and the others: "What? Those few greenhorns just now almost ran to the Ruling Sect Justice Division?"

That person laughed and said: "A place where even the King of Hell would shiver if he went there. They really dared to walk that way."

Duan Rong and the others walked down the stone steps, seeing that both sides of the steps were lush with vegetation and quite tranquil.

Just at this moment, Duan Rong suddenly felt a powerful Divine Sense sweep across their bodies.

Duan Rong gave a start, and his footsteps paused slightly.

He turned his head and saw that Xiao Yu and the others still had faint, expectant smiles on their faces, walking with light steps, completely unaware.

Duan Rong immediately followed, but his thoughts were churning like a tide.

In that instant just now, it was not his imagination; although the feeling was extremely subtle, the three Star Bodies within his Spirit Sea had trembled together.

It must have been a streak of extremely powerful Divine Sense that swept across.

Duan Rong pondered as he walked. After all, he was now inside the Sect; he was definitely no longer in that remote, god-forsaken Xiangu County.

He should use the Divine Sense Envelopment from the Womb Treasury Sutra as little as possible; in this Sect where experts were as numerous as clouds, one careless move could lead to exposure.

This was the location of the Taiyi Sect's mountain gate, not Xiangu County.

Just then, in a dense forest not far from Duan Rong and the others, on a large rock, an old man with a bald head and sparse hair, his chest bared, was lying on his side on the large blue rock, holding a wine gourd, holding it high; the wine fell into his mouth like a thread, and he smacked his lips, drinking it slowly.

He had already drunk quite a bit, and his face was already flushed red. Just at this moment, the old man suddenly frowned and was almost choked by the thread of wine.

The old man took away the wine gourd and looked toward a certain place through the dense trees. If someone were looking down from high in the sky at this moment, they would see that the direction the old man was looking was exactly where Duan Rong and the others were.

The old man's eyes revealed a look of contemplation; just a moment ago, when his Divine Sense swept past, there was a youth whose footsteps paused slightly before instantly returning to normal.

"Was it a coincidence?"

Perhaps that youth was just thinking about something else and happened to pause his steps.

This old man's Divine Sense was overly powerful, and he had released it just now without any restraint, which was what had stimulated Duan Rong.

If he had suppressed the intensity of his Divine Sense slightly just now, with Duan Rong's Diwei Realm of the third layer of the Womb Treasury Sutra, he would not have been able to detect it at all.

Just as that old man was deep in thought with his brows tightly locked, a figure suddenly landed beside him; it was a middle-aged man dressed in a green shirt.

This person looked at the old man, smiled, and said, "What? Zhao! Peeking at female disciples with your Divine Sense again?"

"Pah!" The old man spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground and said, "Don't go slandering me there!"

The middle-aged man glanced at a certain spot in the dense forest and said, "I think you just never learn! Was the punishment from Yang Sixuan of the Ruling Sect Justice Division light enough last time?"

The old man's face was full of impatience as he said, "Speak if you have business. If not, get lost!"

"The Sect Master is looking for you!"

"Then why didn't you say so earlier, you're so long-winded!" Once the old man finished speaking, he wrapped his tattered Daoist robe that was exposing his chest, tightened his Belt, leaped, and disappeared from the dense forest.

The middle-aged man shook his head slightly, his figure flickered, and he also disappeared from this place.

(End of this chapter)