Chapter 73: What Other Reason Could I Possibly Need!

Meanwhile, high above the Du Xian Sect, atop the sea of clouds.

This was the highest-spec VIP observation deck for the Ascension Assembly.

Six supreme-grade white jade seats floated above the churning clouds, tables laden with rare spirit fruits and millennium-aged immortal wines.

Blazing Flame Peak Master Li Changfeng stared at the massive water mirror suspended before him, stroked the rough stubble on his chin, and let out a heartfelt exclamation.

“This year’s Ascension Assembly does have quite a few promising seedlings.”

Within the water mirror, densely packed specks of light were toiling arduously along the golden bridges.

In previous Ascension Assemblies, the pressure test of this first trial would have eliminated half the participants by the time they’d traversed a third of the way.

Countless rogue cultivators and noble scions lacking firm willpower or solid foundations would have fallen from the bridges like dumplings into a pot.

But this year, with over half the journey already covered, only one-tenth of the participants had dropped out.

“It looks like our Du Xian Sect is in for an unprecedented wave of recruitment this year.”

The Blazing Flame Peak Master grinned, as if already envisioning his peak bustling with new disciples.

“Pfft.”

A soft laugh came from the seat beside him.

The Heavenly Secrets Peak Master ruthlessly poured cold water on his enthusiasm, ruining the mood: “Madman Li, are you sure it’s because there are more promising seedlings this year?

Or is it because there are more people blending in to ‘fish in troubled waters,’ and more demonic cult spies?”

At these words, the surrounding divine sense fluctuations briefly stalled.

“You’ve got your fish-fryers, I’ve got my spies.

What was supposed to be a rookie-level screening for newcomers has been turned into a high-stakes match by these light-fearing bastards.”

The Heavenly Secrets Peak Master’s tone was somber.

“Do they really think our Du Xian Sect’s threshold is just for show?”

“So what?”

The Myriad Formations Peak Master stood with his hands clasped behind his back, steadily holding a steaming cup of goji berry tea.

This outwardly refined middle-aged man blew on the tea foam and gently shook his head.

“Aiyo, little Yun, your ideological awareness still isn’t high enough.”

“What do you mean?”

The Heavenly Secrets Peak Master frowned.

“This situation is precisely an excellent trial.”

The Myriad Formations Peak Master took a sip of tea and spoke slowly.

“Does the cultivation world give you preferential treatment just because you’re weak or because you started cultivating late?

Obviously not.

When a demonic beast eats people, it doesn’t care whether you’ve just established your foundation.”

He set down his teacup, his gaze turning profound as he looked at the water mirror.

“Therefore, this Ascension Assembly is a microcosm of the entire cultivation world.

The strong fight among themselves—survival of the fittest.

Let them understand the cruelty of the cultivation world.

The victors will fight their way out of this monster house, forging invincible hearts amidst desperate circumstances, achieving sudden enlightenment—isn’t that a wonderful thing?”

These words were delivered with such lofty righteousness that the other peak masters were momentarily stunned, unable to find any fault.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than the Myriad Formations Peak Master’s eyelid twitched violently.

He seemed to have suddenly sensed an anomalous fluctuation and shifted his gaze to the edge of the water mirror—the destination where all ten golden bridges ultimately converged.

Originally, all ten golden bridges were supposed to lead to Illusory Moon Island—a safe trial zone specially designated by the Du Xian Sect.

But now, in the water mirror’s display, the three leftmost golden bridges suddenly twisted in a violent spatial distortion, changing direction.

The golden bridges snapped in midair, reformed, and rerouted toward an entirely different sea area not part of the original plan.

There, an island perpetually shrouded in grey mist.

Biqiu Island!

“What’s wrong?

Did your crappy formation break again?”

The Heavenly Secrets Peak Master leaned in, asking with schadenfreude.

“The underlying logic of my Golden Bridge Formation has been tampered with!”

The Myriad Formations Peak Master gritted his teeth, his ten fingers flying across the air in a blur of seals.

“Those demonic cultivators actually have some skill?!

I set up eighteen layers of encryption!

And they still broke through—the spatial coordinates of the first, second, and third golden bridges have all been forcibly distorted!

They’re no longer pointing to the second trial site—they’re pointing to Biqiu Island!”

“Oh?”

The Blazing Flame Peak Master’s gaze sharpened, true flames wreathing his body as his muscles bulged.

“Damn it!

They dare to mess with a god’s doorstep!

I’ll tear through space right now and fish those little brats out!”

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

“No need.”

The Soaring Cloud Peak Master raised his hand, restraining everyone’s movements.

He was clad in white robes, exuding an immortal air, his face stern and resolute—radiating the aura of a supreme expert who could “remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.”

“This is precisely what makes it excit—”

He had nearly blurted out, “This is precisely what makes it exciting to have more chaos.”

After all, watching these rookies go through the motions day in and day out was dreadfully boring; a bit of bloody conflict would suit his bloodthirsty spectator nature perfectly.

But the words caught in his throat as he suddenly remembered that several other peak masters and elders were watching.

As the Soaring Cloud Peak Master, he couldn’t afford to break character.

He cleared his throat, swallowed his words, and adopted a composed, statesmanlike tone.

Then he cleared his throat again, adjusted his micro-expressions, and put on an inscrutable, big-picture, unfazed demeanor:

“A mere mishap is nothing to fuss over.

The supervising teachers are all on-site.

If they can’t handle even this small matter, they’d be unworthy of their positions at our Du Xian Sect.

We must give the younger generation opportunities to prove themselves—excessive intervention is uncalled for.”

“But that Biqiu Island…”

The Spirit Medicine Peak Master, a gentle and refined woman, was now full of worry, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.

“That place is perpetually shrouded in the Nine Abyss Miasma—it’s also the site of an ancient battlefield from the former Blood Demon Sect!

How can these uninitiated disciples withstand the sinister forces there?”

“Even if a problem arises that the supervising teachers can’t solve, it’ll be fine.”

At this point, the Myriad Formations Peak Master, who had been watching something, suddenly stopped his hand seals.

He stood up, waved his hand, and sat back down on his white jade seat, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“After all, this year’s participants include quite a few hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

I believe they’ll definitely come up with a solution.”

A round of silence followed.

An elder who had come along to watch the spectacle couldn’t help but speak up: “Peak Master, are you really that confident in this year’s participants?”

Seeing the Myriad Formations Peak Master regain his composure, the others, who had been anxious, also relaxed, merely curious about where his confidence came from.

In response to everyone’s questions, the Myriad Formations Peak Master merely smiled confidently and sat back down leisurely.

“Just rest assured.”

He didn’t elaborate further, instead locking his gaze onto a specific image within the water mirror.

In that image was a white-robed maiden walking along the second golden bridge.

He let out a cold snort inwardly.

If I weren’t the one in charge of formations, I wouldn’t even know her true identity.

Now that she’s here—what other reason could I possibly need!

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