Chapter 338

The "Tianyuan Winter Festival" is the Tianyuan Sect's annual winter ritual to worship their ancestors; after the ritual, the New Year begins immediately.

Heng Xian, dressed in the formal attire of a true disciple, headed toward Qianyuan Peak together with Senior Sister Ye Batian, who had already entered 87th place on the Earth Ranking.

The "Sacrificial Altar" and the spirit tablets of the ancestors are in the Holy Hall of Qianyuan Peak.

Upon arriving, heavy snow was falling in thick flakes. The Qianyuan Peak disciples were all dressed neatly with solemn expressions; seeing the two arrive, they bowed slightly.

The two returned the salute.

Just then, two figures came to greet them from the opposite side; they were the third disciple of Qianyuan Peak, Qing Zhu, and her disciple, Su Wan'er.

Qing Zhu's hair was coiled meticulously. Aside from her single eyelids being a bit too prominent, she was actually quite pleasant to look at. She first nodded to Ye Batian, then looked at Heng Xian and smiled: "Our sword genius, the youngest Sword Venerable in the Dongyu cultivation world in five thousand years, how could you bear to leave Ku Liu Peak? Afraid of being pestered by little fan girls?"

Heng Xian bowed solemnly: "Senior Sister, what are you saying? My talent is dull, and I am busy with cultivation; I have absolutely no time to come out. What? Are there little fan girls? Where are they?"

Qing Zhu covered her mouth and chuckled: "Stop playing dumb! Actually, Senior Sister has long known you aren't an ordinary disciple. You look so good and your talent is so high, it's truly infuriating!"

Being praised so directly made Heng Xian a bit embarrassed. He laughed: "I must thank Senior Sister for your care. I'll treat you another day!"

Qing Zhu said straightforwardly: "Fine, we won't stop until we're drunk!"

Su Wan'er, who was following behind Qing Zhu, had kept her gaze like water, looking at Heng Xian with a smile. At this moment, she curtsied: "Young Master!"

Heng Xian smiled. A year had passed, and Su Wan'er was already at the fourth level of the Qi Sea Realm. This speed was not much inferior to his own back then; he wondered how many male disciples she had toyed with.

"Wan'er is not bad. Although her talent cannot be considered top-tier, her potential is great. I like her very much," Qing Zhu chuckled.

Su Wan'er quickly said: "It is because Master taught me well!"

Qing Zhu made a gesture of invitation: "Junior Brother Heng, Junior Sister Ye, please. Everyone else has arrived!"

Heng Xian nodded and, together with Senior Sister Ye Batian, followed Qing Zhu and her disciple forward.

Ye Batian asked curiously: "In previous years, didn't the senior brothers and sisters on the Heaven Ranking participate in the ritual? Why is it our turn this year?"

Qing Zhu sighed: "The first on the Heaven Ranking, Senior Brother Baili Haoge, is participating in sealing demons in the Abyss of the Desolate Realm!

The second on the Heaven Ranking, also our Qianyuan Peak's Senior Brother Leng Qi, has been drawn into the conflicts of the Southern Region sects.

The third on the Heaven Ranking, also a disciple of our Qianyuan Peak, my Second Senior Brother Wu Dingxiu, was refining an ancient coffin from the evil Iron Coffin Sect and suffered a Qi deviation; no one knows where he ran off to!

The fourth on the Heaven Ranking, the first disciple of Yaotian Peak, Qi Yu'er, followed Senior Uncle Lan Wuyan to suppress the 'Flower Pavilion'.

Senior Brother Xu Qianmen, fifth on the Earth Ranking, is here, but ten days ago he was backlashed by a secret treasure and can't even walk steadily.

You tell me, if you on the Earth Ranking don't go, who will?"

Hearing that Senior Brother Xu Qianmen was backlashed by a secret treasure, Ye Batian couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Heng Xian asked curiously: "Are there any rules? Or places that must be observed?"

Qing Zhu chuckled: "None. The Elders will teach you the etiquette and norms. However, Junior Brother Heng, as the head of the Earth Ranking, you must lead the way later!"

Heng Xian nodded: "Not a problem!"

As they spoke, the road ahead suddenly widened. Looking up, he saw at the end a grand hall like a divine palace and a spacious square.

At this time, two or three hundred people were already waiting on the square.

The snow was heavy, and the group had not used spells to block it. Some even wore hooded cloaks, but it was not hard to recognize that they were the Elders from various peaks observing the ceremony, and the group of Earth Ranking disciples in the very center.

Bai Lianhua, Niu Wanli, Lin Shuyu, Huo Yuanqing, including Liu Yu, Tong Quezi, Zhao Wuming, Zhang Yu'er, Luo Sihai, Liu Qing, and others.

Seeing Heng Xian and the others walk over, Tong Quezi looked resentful. The group of Elders nodded slightly. Bai Lianhua, Niu Wanli, and the large group of people had different expressions, but they still bowed one after another: "Junior Brother Heng!"

Although he was a junior brother, this was respect for the head of the Earth Ranking, and also an affirmation of Heng Xian's talent and strength.

Heng Xian returned the salute: "Greetings, Elders, Senior and Junior Brothers!"

After everyone finished their salutes, an elderly bearded Elder from Qianyuan Peak looked at the sky, silently calculated the time, and shouted loudly: "The time has arrived, begin the ritual!"

"Begin the ritual!"

The thirty-six disciples guarding in front of the "Divine Hall" shouted in unison.

Immediately, someone opened the gates of the Divine Hall.

Amidst the "creaking" sounds, the Divine Hall gates opened wide. Inside, it was pitch black, and a heavy sense of history and aura rushed toward them.

Immediately after, Qianyuan Peak disciples carrying various precious sacrificial offerings filed in from the other side.

After the sacrificial procession entered the hall, the bearded Elder smiled: "Earth Ranking disciples, please!"

"Swish—"

Everyone looked at Heng Xian.

Heng Xian had no choice but to cough lightly and walk forward first.

The group of Earth Ranking disciples followed closely behind.

Senior Sister Ye Batian had already fallen to the very back, remaining unnoticed.

As for Qing Zhu and her disciple, they followed slowly along with the observing Elders from various peaks.

Heng Xian walked forward, stepping on the accumulated snow, while looking up at the Divine Hall ahead.

He saw that the Divine Hall was built entirely of hard and rare Giant Spirit Stone. Its style was ancient and solemn, not of a modern architectural type, giving one a sense of gravity and solemnity upon meeting it.

What made people feel strange was that there was another hall next to it, its doors tightly shut, its surface pitch black, as if surrounded by restrictions and arrays, very mysterious.

At this moment, Heng Xian suddenly smelled a faint fragrance behind him and turned his head in surprise.

Behind him, Bai Lianhua, Niu Wanli, Lin Shuyu, and Huo Yuanqing all looked at him curiously at once.

"What's wrong, Junior Brother Heng?" Lin Shuyu asked.

She was a very serious person; when she asked this, her face was full of seriousness, but that serious look was actually quite cute.

Heng Xian said casually: "I was just curious, whose body is that perfume scent coming from?"

"Not me!" Bai Lianhua and Huo Yuanqing spoke at the same time.

Lin Shuyu also said: "Not me either!"

The honest, thick-lipped, and simple-looking Niu Wanli stammered: "Ah, it's me. I've had a scent on me from my recent cultivation. Coming to the ritual, I'm afraid, afraid the ancestors will blame me, so... will there be any problem?"

It was actually him, which was beyond Heng Xian's expectations. He coughed and pretended to be serious: "I'll help you ask the ancestors later and plead for you!"

"Pfft—" Bai Lianhua laughed out loud, immediately held it in, carefully looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no one was paying attention.

Niu Wanli looked bitter: "Don't scare me, Junior Brother Heng, I'm timid!"

Heng Xian was about to speak when the bearded Elder suddenly walked over. The few of them had to straighten their backs, their faces serious.

The bearded Elder arrived at Heng Xian's side, handed over a tablet similar to those used by ministers at court, and said: "You will lead later. Use the Great Infinity True Essence Dao etiquette to ascend the altar, then order the ritual, read the sacrificial text, and after that, use your magic power to attack the Tianyuan Stele to awaken the ancestors' spirits, and finally draw from the sign jar to inquire about the fortune of our Tianyuan Sect for the coming year. No problem, right?"

Heng Xian thought for a moment. The "Great Infinity True Essence Dao etiquette" was a required course for Tianyuan Sect disciples, just like "Language, Math, and Foreign Language" in his previous life; every true disciple had to learn it, so it wasn't a big problem. But using magic power?

He asked: "What magic power should I use?"

The bearded Elder narrowed his eyes slightly: "Use the strongest strike of your life!"

Heng Xian nodded: "Good!"

(End of chapter)