Chapter 4, Ascension

At the main table sits an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, his gaze gentle and his face glowing with health. He is none other than the leader of the Xianyu Sect, Xuan Kong Dao Ren. At this moment, he is warmly greeting these distinguished guests, clearly in very good spirits

Before this powerful figure ascended, he remained indifferent even to those ancient beings, only calling out the name of a woman, which drew envious or jealous glances from most of those present towards the graceful figure slowly walking out.

However, these are not the true reasons for the fame of Wanhua Mountain. What truly allows Wanhua Mountain to be renowned in both the secular world and the realm of cultivation is the prominent cultivation sect that occupies this spiritual vein—Xianyu Sect.

How difficult is the path of immortality? Cultivators guide and breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through the techniques of the immortal families, initially refining the qi into their bodies, establishing a foundation, refining essence into pills, transforming pills into infants, and achieving the great success of the primordial infant. They must then break through to the realm of false transformation and divine consciousness to receive the guidance of the primordial energy from the upper realm and ascend to the spiritual world. However, the realms of refining qi into divine consciousness and refining divine consciousness into the void are unattainable in this world where spiritual energy is thin. Only by breaking through the void can one truly become an immortal, living in harmony with heaven, earth, the sun, and the moon. The last two steps are profoundly mysterious, beyond the comprehension of these cultivators. Only those who ascend through the heavenly path have the opportunity to understand them. Unfortunately, the number of those who can ascend is exceedingly small. In ancient times, although there were not many ascenders, they were not few either. However, since the great battle of true immortals millions of years ago, the spiritual energy of the Tai Ji realm has been severely damaged, resulting in the current situation where ascenders appear only once in a millennium.

Today, the Xianyu Sect is destined to steal the limelight, drawing considerable attention. On Lianhua Peak, the place is overcrowded, with a throng of people. However, in the very center, in front of the Ascension Platform, a space has been cleared. In this vast area, which can accommodate thousands, there are only about ten tables set up, with fewer than thirty people seated. Each of these individuals is renowned, capable of commanding respect and influence in the realm of cultivation, possessing absolute authority and charisma.

The man had an exceptionally youthful face, with extraordinary beauty. His tall figure was enveloped in a golden glow, resembling a celestial being. A faint pressure emanated from him as his cold gaze surveyed everyone on the mountain peak, looking down upon the world. Even some old monsters, upon meeting his gaze, dared not look him in the eye. How could the power and demeanor of someone at the Transformation stage be compared to that of him and the other accomplished cultivators

Only those cultivators are aware that today is a momentous day capable of shaking the entire Taigu Continent, and one could even say the entire Taiji World, as a powerful being is about to ascend.

Things come swiftly and depart just as quickly; in the blink of an eye, everything returns to normal. These cultivators have endured arduous training for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years, merely to exchange it for such a fleeting moment. Though it appears simple, the hardships and suffering involved are understood only by themselves.

It is truly because the woman before me is so beautiful, like a startled swan. She stands gracefully, her hair styled elegantly, with pearly white teeth and starry eyes. Her skin is fair and translucent, resembling mutton fat jade. With her exquisite beauty and enchanting demeanor, she walks lightly, swaying with grace, evoking envy in those around her. In the realm of cultivation, there are only a handful of individuals with such beauty. These women are the epitome of rare elegance in the world, the ideal dual cultivation partners that all male cultivators yearn for.

A golden beam of light enveloped the Lotus Peak, and gradually, a young man was fully shrouded in this golden light as he slowly ascended into the air

Just as laughter and congratulations filled the air, suddenly a thunderous roar echoed from the sky, and within a hundred miles, golden light erupted, giving rise to an extraordinary phenomenon. Everyone ceased their conversations and looked up at the sky, although many had never truly seen it before, it was not unlike the descriptions in the books. This was the omen of ascension: heavenly golden light descended, opening the celestial gate

This time, the Xianyu Sect is making a grand display, extending an extraordinary invitation to all the powerful figures and young talents of the Taigu Immortal Cultivation Realm to attend the ceremony. It is said that there are also some ancient beings, who have lived for a long time, coming from the other three major regions of Taiqing, Taiyi, and Taixu to witness the event.

Cultivators are merely one in a million, and among all cultivators, those who achieve great success are even fewer. Furthermore, the spiritual energy today is not as abundant as it was in ancient times, and there have even been several tens of thousands of years without any ascended beings.

Having spoken, he no longer gazed upon anything in this world, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, soaring through the clouds and vanishing at the end of this golden light, after which the heavens and the earth returned to their usual state.

Wanhua Mountain is located in the easternmost part of the Taigu region. The mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles, crisscrossing in various directions. The climate here is pleasant, the scenery is exquisite, and there is an abundance of rare and unusual plants. The mountains are teeming with various rare birds and beasts, and the rich spiritual energy makes it an excellent place for cultivation.

As one of the few super sects of cultivation on the Taigu continent, the Xianyu Sect has a history of one million years and firmly occupies the position of the foremost among the four major cultivation sects of Taigu, enjoying a reputation of great prominence in the Taigu cultivation world.

If all goes well, upon the conclusion of this ceremony, the status of the Xianyu Sect in the realm of cultivation will undoubtedly be further solidified, thereby exerting a deterrent effect on other sects. It is worth noting that Fang Yan, who ascended this time, achieved a significant breakthrough and ascended to the upper realm in less than a thousand years of cultivation, a feat unprecedented in the entire Taigu Continent and even in the Taiji Realm. If one Fang Yan can emerge, who can guarantee that there won't be a second? Other sects that have had members ascend may have to keep it under wraps, fearing that news of a powerful figure's ascension will reveal a significant reduction in their sect's strength. Only their own sect possesses the strength to showcase such an achievement, without fear of others coveting or suppressing them.

Looking at the stunning woman standing below him, Fang Yan gently nodded, his expression still as cold as ever: "If you truly have the determination and perseverance, then come after me. I will be waiting for you in the upper realm"

Fang Yan stood in mid-air, halting his upward momentum, and called out in the air: "Yi Yao, come here."

Mortals are only aware that this area is inhabited by immortals, and although they are rarely seen, the radiant glow now emanating suggests that the celestial beings are gathering to hold some kind of ceremonial activity. Naturally, they tend to avoid approaching this region, merely bowing from a distance before departing

On this day, near Wanhua Mountain, rainbows occasionally passed by, and the main peak, Lianhua Peak, was surrounded by radiant clouds, with celestial beasts singing in unison. Even mere mortals passing by could see it with their own eyes and hear the celestial songs with their own ears

In fact, male cultivators do not solely value the appearance of female cultivators. Unlike male cultivators, female cultivators possess spiritual roots and qualifications, which endow them with spiritual essence. Therefore, with some exceptions, most of them are graceful in appearance. Even if they are not world-class beauties in the mortal realm, they can still be regarded as charming and elegant. Moreover, the better and purer the spiritual roots and qualifications, the more beautiful their appearance tends to be. Although this is not absolute, it holds true for about seventy to eighty percent of cases. This has also led to the widespread practice in the cultivation world of trading female furnace cauldrons.

The sound that emanated was rich and resonant, clearly audible throughout the entire Wanhua Mountain. Had it not been for the activation of the protective mountain array, it might have even spread across the entire Taigu Continent

But this was merely a moment; when everyone clearly saw the appearance of this woman, the male cultivators who could only watch from the periphery involuntarily held their breath, their gazes intense, while the female cultivators displayed expressions that were dark and complex.

In the presence of such a stunning beauty, the male cultivators could only stare, yet none dared to take notice of her. Not to mention her close relationship with Fang Yan, the conspicuous attire of a core disciple of the Xianyu Sect on her body was enough to extinguish any thoughts, prompting them to first weigh their own worth.