Chapter 293: Yan Xi

Long Gong, Zhuoguang Lake.

This expanse of water is vast, spanning several thousand miles in diameter, surrounded on all four sides by mountains—all of them towering, precipitous cliffs a thousand fathoms high.

The waves are tranquil, the breeze gentle, like a polished, rounded mirror, clear and lustrous, reflecting the sky's light and the shadows of birds above the clouds.

The scenery is fresh.

It is truly a marvel—

This lake is no ordinary body of water.

As for its origins, it is an ancient, inherited magic treasure of the Long Gong.

If someone comes here, they need only cast a wisp of spiritual energy into the lake water, and with a single thought, the lake can manifest all manner of complex and wondrous scenes based on what is in their mind.

Most of the famous scenic spots across the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, and even landscapes from the outer cosmos, can be reflected in real-time, without the slightest discrepancy.

It only ceases when the spiritual energy is exhausted...

Though the body remains still, when the thought arises, one can easily view the scenery of the world.

This is merely a minor art for pleasure and relaxation.

But if war breaks out and catastrophe unfolds,

this Zhuoguang Lake can also serve as a scout, allowing one to clearly probe the enemy's true strength and weaknesses without wasting a single soldier or blade.

Its utility is truly extraordinary; it cannot be underestimated!

The Long Gong envoy, Tian Ying, had previously explained in detail to the various cultivators that this Long Gong marriage-selection Dharma Assembly is divided into batches based on cultivation and Daoist attainment.

Purple Palace, Cave-Mystic, Jin Dan.

Cultivators of these three realms each have their own designated areas and are not mixed together.

Therefore, in this current Zhuoguang Lake,

looking out, it is filled entirely with Purple Palace cultivators gathered in one place—several thousand of them—making it quite lively.

At this moment, Chen Hang had already arrived above this vast Cangming Lake, pressed his sword, and halted his light.

He looked around, and as his gaze fell upon the great lake below, he couldn't help but offer a slight word of praise in his heart.

It was just the time for the Long Gong to release its light—

High in the purple void near the glazed crystal wall, several massive, pitch-black Great Kun were dragging a scorching, fire-radiating golden sphere, slowly rising from the far east of the Long Gong, scattering ten million rays of golden clouds amidst the mist.

The morning sun was just rising.

The sun's brilliance vied with the mountain colors, and the shadows of the clouds and the lake's light were equally charming.

The peach forests lining the banks spread out endlessly like woven brocade, with falling blossoms drifting in abundance, filling the air for over thirty miles—it was extremely beautiful, a truly unique spectacle!

Currently, above this Zhuoguang Lake, a flying pavilion stood in the center, supported by clouds, wide enough to seat several thousand people; it was magnificent, like a heavenly palace atop the clouds.

Many cultivators were already seated inside, resting, exchanging greetings, and chatting—it was quite lively.

Seeing this, Chen Hang flicked his sleeve, transformed into a red rainbow, descended from the clouds, and arrived in the flying pavilion in an instant.

When he appeared there,

the original laughter and conversation in the pavilion seemed to quiet down slightly, and the volume dropped.

Thousands of gazes fell upon him simultaneously, carrying surprise, curiosity, arrogance, fear, envy, and various other inexplicable meanings, difficult to describe one by one.

If someone with a weaker temperament encountered this scene,

being stared at by thousands, combined with some secretly releasing their aura to exert pressure and disturb his thoughts,

no matter how vigilant he was in his heart,

he would likely lose his composure slightly and make a fool of himself in front of the crowd...

But Chen Hang had already experienced countless life-and-death battles, and he naturally wouldn't take this minor scene to heart. He flicked his sleeve and went to find a seat by the window to sit down.

His face remained calm and composed, his spirit at ease, ignoring those thousands of gazes as if they were nothing.

Seeing him so nonchalant,

after a brief moment of surprise, most of the cultivators in the pavilion were sensible enough to realize his strength, moved their gazes away without a sound, and the laughter and conversation resumed.

In a corner,

Qi Bin watched this scene, feeling an indescribable emotion in his heart, and could only let out a long, melancholy sigh.

It wasn't just Chen Hang; the cultivators who arrived later had all faced such probing, and Qi Bin was no exception.

It was just that he lacked the tyrannical means of Chen Hang,

who could treat it as a breeze brushing his face and ignore it.

Even though Qi Bin tried his best to guard his mind, under the pressure of the many hidden auras, he still felt a panic in his heart. If it had lasted any longer, he would inevitably have lost his footing in front of everyone.

Feeling secretly ashamed, he recalled the bold words he had spoken to his fellow disciples at the Jingdu Temple before coming to the East Sea.

Qi Bin felt like a mute eating coptis—he had bitterness he couldn't voice.

"... To rank in the top eighty, how is that easy? Although I don't know the rules of this Dharma Assembly, whether it's the same as previous years, with the current situation, even if I risked my life, it would be hard to obtain a high position.

That fortune promised by the Grandmaster, I fear I won't be able to get my hands on it."

Thinking of this, Qi Bin couldn't help but feel despondent.

While the cultivators in the pavilion were each lost in their own thoughts,

suddenly, the light outside the window dimmed for a moment. After a few breaths, it returned to its original clarity, and immediately, ethereal immortal music began to play, and heavenly flowers drifted down, scattering in abundance!

Chen Hang looked up.

He saw auspicious clouds swirling, colorful mist drifting, loud immortal music in the air, and phoenixes and cranes soaring.

Dozens of pairs of acolytes held banners and staffs, standing on both sides to clear the path, drifting and ethereal, like acolytes from a painting, their postures solemn.

A black tiger, ten zhang tall, came shaking its head and wagging its tail, purple mist swirling around its body, lightning flashing, surrounded by wind and clouds—it was truly extraordinary.

Sitting upright on the black tiger's back was a young Daoist with a slight smile on his face, his eyes crystal clear, his spirit vibrant.

After seeing the Daoist's appearance clearly, Chen Hang's eyes couldn't help but flash, as if he had remembered something.

At this moment, several cultivators in the flying pavilion could no longer suppress their emotions and couldn't help but exclaim:

"Senior Yan Xi?!"

One must know that the path of cultivation is like building a fortress or a house.

Only with a solid foundation can one prepare bricks and stones, gather timber, and hire craftsmen to build the house.

If the foundation is not solid, everything that follows is empty talk, and there is no way to speak of it.

This point is the root of it all.

It is the most important of the important; it cannot be neglected!

And those who make the list in the Year-End Evaluation are almost all from the Eight Sects, Six Schools, or Twelve Great Families; there are few exceptions.

This is largely because these people have practiced superior mystic arts since childhood, lack no resources, and have the guidance of famous masters and seniors to correct their mistakes.

All these superior conditions far surpass those of people from small sects or weak families, let alone rogue cultivators!

Yet, with low-grade true qi, inferior Dao foundations, inferior Purple Palace phenomena, and bottom-tier innate gold and mercury,

there is one who still achieved the Jin Dan and Primordial Spirit realms, and finally stepped into the Return to Emptiness realm, and with the help of the Dragon Clan, opened up the "Shunlie Biyun Yuangu" Cave Heaven in the East Sea ahead of time.

Looking across the Southern Region for the past ten thousand years,

there has only been one Yan Xi!

Such a bizarre experience naturally made this True Lord famous far and wide.

Talk about him has never ceased; he is a hot topic.

And now, seeing the noise in the flying pavilion rising and falling,

Yan Xi smiled, nodded his head, and said warmly:

"Everyone, greetings.

By the decree of the Dragon Lord, I have been tasked with the role of adjudicator for this Purple Palace cultivator Dharma Assembly."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 294 =====