Chapter 469

Xie Yan's voice paused slightly: "This is a secret."

Yuan Yao's eyelid twitched: "... Do we have to wait until after the Immortal Sect Grand Competition ends for you to tell me this secret?"

Xie Yan: "Mm."

"All right." Yuan Yao had just replied when she saw her third senior brother appear beside her like a ghost; she turned her head and was startled.

"What are you spacing out about?" Cang Li narrowed his eyes.

Yuan Yao spread her hands innocently, "No."

Cang Li said: "Reaching the First Province still takes half a month; want to cultivate?"

Yuan Yao nodded in agreement: "Of course. We can't waste a moment!"

Afterwards, the two sat cross-legged on the deck and entered a state of cultivation.

Song Yan and the others saw this and were stunned for a moment.

As time passed, more and more young disciples chose to sit in place and meditate.

Fan Quan Immortal Lord saw this and nodded satisfiedly.

The Holy Sect Sect Master laughed: "This time's Immortal Sect Grand Competition might finally see our Ninth Province not at the bottom."

"With them here, I can rest easy." Fan Quan Immortal Lord's gaze swept over the disciples' faces and slowly settled on Ying Wuji and the others.

At that moment, the Tai Sui Sect Sect Master sighed: "Carefree Sect Master, I heard your disciples Ying Wuji and Xiao Lingwei have both broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm; truly enviable."

Bai Li Mo smiled: "That's just their innate talent, plus personal instruction from Jade Mountain; how could they not break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm?"

The Holy Sect Sect Master tapped his folding fan: "Right, is the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord really not coming?"

"It's not that he won't come, just that he'll come later." Bai Li Mo said.

The Holy Sect Sect Master sighed lightly: "It seems the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord's closed-door retreat this time is aimed at breaking through his cultivation realm."

At the same time, the Holy Sect's Great Elder Yan Lao, standing beside the Sect Master, heard their conversation and his expression darkened.

Yan Lao's gaze turned gloomy as he stared at Yuan Yao and the others, and he snorted coldly in his heart.

…

Half a month later.

The massive spirit vessel bearing the mark of the Ninth Province gradually came to a stop.

The spirit vessel stopped at the border between the First and Second Provinces.

Yuan Yao rose with the crowd and stepped forward, only to see a huge barrier like a flowing water curtain appear ahead, emanating an oppressive aura.

From above the spirit vessel, looking down, one could see about several hundred province guards standing in neat rows before the barrier.

Yuan Yao could sense the power aura emanating from them.

Most of these province guards were Golden Core Realm cultivators, a minority were Nascent Soul Realm, and four of them had cultivation levels presumably above the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Yuan Yao felt slightly surprised in her heart.

Having so many strong ones as province guards, the defense is indeed strict.

For an ordinary cultivator to enter the First Province is nearly impossible.

No wonder everyone said before that being able to enter the First Province is already a great honor.

Yuan Yao followed her senior brothers and sisters down from the spirit vessel, then proceeded with Fan Quan Immortal Lord and the others to enter the First Province one by one.

Upon learning they were from the Ninth Province, the province guards' expressions turned contemptuous, and their tone grew colder.

This made many Ninth Province young disciples feel like country bumpkins entering the city, feeling extremely stifled.

A province guard, seeing Fan Quan Immortal Lord and the various powerful leaders already inside the First Province, turned his gaze to the young disciples queuing to enter and barked coldly: "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up!"

"What kind of attitude is this?!" a hot-tempered young disciple couldn't help retorting.

That province guard sneered: "Do you Ninth Province folks even know the rules?"

Another province guard with triangular eyes said scornfully: "No wonder Ninth Province people can't make it to the table; if not for the Immortal Sect Grand Competition, you'd never enter the First Province in your lifetime!"

Yet another province guard chimed in: "Exactly, either don't come in, or make it quick—don't waste our time or get in our way!"

Many Ninth Province young disciples hearing this flushed with anger.

Just as that hot-tempered young disciple was about to strike, a "Boom!" sounded, and he was instantly crushed to the ground by a powerful pressure, unable to rise.

The triangular-eyed province guard jeered: "Want to fight? You'll have to see if you've got the ability."

The Ninth Province young disciples' faces shifted, fear and retreat rising in their hearts.

At that moment, a light laugh came from the crowd: "You do have some ability, then let's see if you gatekeepers can withstand it."

As soon as the words fell, the pressure the triangular-eyed guard had exerted on the hot-tempered disciple instantly shattered.

And that triangular-eyed guard was pressed down by an even stronger pressure, forcing him to kneel.

Thud!

Everyone startled.

Following the sound, they saw the speaker was precisely that refined young man with smiling eyes, his palms pressed together, wearing a grin.

"Cang Li..."

If you could make a name for yourselves in the First Province, you wouldn't have to be mere gatekeepers. Gatekeeper benefactors, I, Cangaotian, really feel sorry for you; you must have suffered plenty at the hands of those high-status folks, otherwise you wouldn't mimic them and look down on people like a dog. Saying this, Cang Li sighed and shook his head.

Upon hearing this, the province guards' faces changed instantly.

And just as they were about to reprimand Cang Li, they saw him swiftly move behind a few youths, urgently shouting: "Quick, protect me!"

Immediately after, he poked his head out and told those fierce-looking province guards: "They're capable; you can go ahead and fight them!"

"Those who just want to talk can come find me."

Song Yan and the others: "……"

Di Qingye and the others: "……"

Ying Wuji lifted his eyes, his beautiful and icy phoenix eyes flashing as he said coldly: "Which family in the First Province are you lot from?"

Those few province guards had lost face; upon hearing Ying Wuji's words, their expressions darkened, "What business is it of yours?!"

Ying Wuji said lightly, "You disrespect the guests from the First Province; that is dereliction of duty. According to the First Province's province guard regulations, you should be stripped of your posts and, depending on the severity of the offense, receive corresponding punishment."

Those few province guards' expressions changed.

How could he know so clearly?

At that moment, the province guard captain seemed to hear a sound, walking from the front of the troop to here.

"What happened?"

Those few province guards exchanged glances, then hurriedly spoke with embellishment:

"Province guard captain, they not only refused to cooperate with our inspection, but also insulted us as gatekeeping dogs! They also pressured Li Jiu!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Many Ninth Province disciples spoke up, "It's not like that at all! You were the ones who first humiliated us, and your attitude was extremely awful!"

The province guard captain frowned slightly, then said in a low voice, "Shut up!"

For a moment, the scene fell silent.

The province guard captain coldly swept his gaze over the young disciples of the Ninth Province, "Don't cause any more trouble, or else you won't even think about entering the First Province."