Chapter 47: Unwelcome Visitors
The boundless sky stretched endlessly, with drifting clouds swirling freely.
A streak of radiant light, like a comet streaking through the void, shot toward the Huntian Sacred Mountain. The light came from a leaf-shaped vessel over a hundred meters long.
At the bow of the vessel stood three figures—two young men and a woman, all around eighteen or nineteen years old—gazing ahead with lofty spirits, as if they could command the world with a single gesture.
"Yang Shixiong, Lan Shimei, our path to surpassing the other nine top forces begins with the Huntian Sect," declared the young man in a brown robe, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone brimming with arrogance.
"A mere Huntian Sect will likely disappoint us," the young woman in blue gauze said with a light laugh, covering her mouth.
"Though the Huntian Sect once flourished, it has now declined, barely clinging to the bottom of the top ten. Whether it can even maintain that position is uncertain," remarked the man addressed as Yang Shixiong, clad in black battle attire, his hands also behind his back, his gaze indifferent.
An overwhelming aura radiated from all three, repelling the air around them.
Several dozen meters behind them, a towering figure sat cross-legged, suspended in midair.
It was a red-robed, red-haired elder, his presence so immense and scorching that the very space around him seemed to distort.
Before long, the leaf-shaped vessel arrived outside the Huntian Sacred Mountain.
"Chixingzi, elder of the Tianyuan Sacred Land, accompanied by three Quasi-Saints, has come to pay a visit." The red-robed elder did not rise, but his voice boomed across the land, carrying an oppressive heat that surged toward the Huntian Sacred Mountain.
In an instant, every member of the Huntian Sect on the sacred mountain heard the declaration clearly.
…
Juejian Peak.
"The Tianyuan Sacred Land…" Chen Feng frowned slightly. "Quasi-Saints…"
Over the past six months, he had spent most of his time cultivating, but he had also taken some time to learn more about the Huntian Sect.
Naturally, understanding the Huntian Sect also meant gaining insight into the Eastern Wasteland and the wider world.
This world was known as the Linghuang Domain, and the Eastern Wasteland was but a part of it.
Within the Eastern Wasteland, countless factions were scattered like stars, but the most powerful were the top ten, collectively known as the Ten Great Forces of the Eastern Wasteland.
Even among these ten, there were distinctions. The three strongest were the Imperial Clan Nangong, the Tianyuan Sacred Land, and the Zhenwu Sacred Land. The remaining seven were super-first-rate factions, just below the sacred lands.
The Huntian Sect had once been the leader among these seven, nearly on par with the imperial clan and sacred lands. But now, it had fallen into decline, reduced to the bottom of the top ten.
As for the Quasi-Saints of the Tianyuan Sacred Land, they were theoretically equivalent to the Quasi-Sect Heirs of the Huntian Sect.
However, one was a sacred land, and the other merely a super-first-rate faction—there was a significant gap between them. Naturally, the same disparity existed between their respective elite disciples.
So why would Quasi-Saints from a sacred land come here?
The thought flickered through Chen Feng's mind, but he didn't dwell on it. It had little to do with him.
At this stage, he shouldn't let himself be distracted. His priority was to focus entirely on cultivation, improving his strength and abilities.
But avoiding involvement didn't mean he could escape it entirely.
Sometimes, things didn't go as one wished.
"Disciple." Wang Yuandao's voice reached Chen Feng's ears from afar, and in the next moment, the man appeared before him.
"Master." Chen Feng quickly rose and bowed.
"Come with me to the Huntian Palace," Wang Yuandao said unhurriedly.
Chen Feng couldn't help but show a trace of surprise.
"The three Quasi-Saints from the Tianyuan Sacred Land have come to challenge the prodigies who joined our Huntian Sect this year, building their momentum to sweep through the seven top-tier factions and compete against the peerless talents of the Zhenwu Sacred Land and the Nan Gong Imperial Clan," Wang Yuandao explained as he soared on his sword with Chen Feng.
Chen Feng suddenly understood.
So that's how it was.
But weren't they afraid of being ambushed along the way?
"The sect master has summoned all disciples who joined this year and have reached the Eleventh Transformation of the Body Forging Realm to face them," Wang Yuandao continued.
Chen Feng fully grasped the situation.
Then, a surge of fighting spirit welled up within him.
Having trained diligently for so long, he hadn’t fought in quite a while. Usually, he didn’t think much of it, but now that the idea surfaced, his hands itched for battle.
"Quasi-Saints of the Tianyuan Sacred Land..."
Unconsciously, sharp glints flashed in Chen Feng’s eyes, razor-sharp. Noticing this, Wang Yuandao’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Cultivating the martial path required fearlessness, and as a sword cultivator, this was even more essential—no matter the dangers, one must press forward, cutting through thorns and brambles.
At the same time, Xiao Xuanwu from Gu Yuan Peak and Ye Yunqi from Tiancang Peak were also being escorted to the Huntian Palace.
Among all the disciples who joined this year, only the three of them had broken through to the Eleventh Transformation of the Body Forging Realm. The rest were, at most, at the Tenth Transformation and thus unqualified to participate in this challenge.
The Huntian Palace was one of the Three Palaces of the Huntian Sect and could even be considered the foremost among them.
Logically, for a mere elder from the Tianyuan Sacred Land, the Huntian Sect only needed to send a corresponding elder to receive them.
But who could deny that the Tianyuan Sacred Land held the status of a Sacred Land, while the Huntian Sect had now fallen to the bottom of the top-tier factions?
Inside the Huntian Palace, Sect Master Tuoba Wuxiang sat at the head, while the seats below were occupied by a group of Huntian Sect elders. Among them was a red-robed, red-haired elder—Chixingzi, the elder from the Tianyuan Sacred Land.
As for the three Quasi-Saints of the Tianyuan Sacred Land, they stood tall and proud, their auras unified and overwhelmingly powerful, as if divine light shimmered around them, marking their extraordinary nature.
"Fellow Daoist Chixing, judging by your aura, it seems your cultivation has advanced further," Sect Master Tuoba Wuxiang said with a composed smile on his resolute face.
"Indeed, I was fortunate enough to break through a minor realm," Chixingzi admitted without a hint of modesty.
The elders of the Huntian Palace stared at Chixingzi, their expressions grave.
It seemed... they were somewhat wary.
"Three peerless talents with Top Saint-Grade Divine Traits—it appears the Tianyuan Sacred Land has had an exceptional harvest this year," Tuoba Wuxiang remarked with another smile.
After all, they couldn’t neglect their guests. Might as well make small talk.
"This year, our Tianyuan Sacred Land has recruited ten peerless talents with Saint-Grade Divine Traits," Chixingzi declared, his face brimming with pride.
For a moment, Tuoba Wuxiang and the elders shuddered, unable to suppress their shock.
Ten!
To put it into perspective, last year, the Huntian Sect had only recruited three Saint-Grade Divine Trait prodigies, with Yuan Hualong being the sole standout among them.
This year was even worse—only Xiao Xuanwu qualified.
As for Ye Yunqi, his Saint-Grade Divine Trait was achieved by breaking through from a King-Grade Divine Trait, far inferior to a top-tier Saint-Grade Divine Trait.
Ten to one!
The disparity was utterly despairing.
If this continued, the Huntian Sect would only grow weaker while the Tianyuan Sacred Land grew stronger. In the end, the Huntian Sect might truly be stripped of its place among the top ten factions, replaced by another power.
For the Huntian Sect, that would undoubtedly be a devastating blow.
Yet, at this stage, there was nothing they could do.
Though the Huntian Sect had hundreds of Huntian Dao Academies across the Eastern Wasteland, other powerful factions had similar institutions. Moreover, most individuals who awakened their Divine Traits—whether naturally or later in life—would inevitably choose stronger factions or be recruited early by them.
This was the struggle—an extremely brutal one.
People fought for survival, and so did sects.
Given the choice between the Tianyuan Sacred Land and the Huntian Sect, a peerless genius with a Saint-Grade Divine Trait would almost certainly choose the former.
Chixingzi spoke without reservation because he knew that even at its peak, the Huntian Sect had never matched the Tianyuan Sacred Land. Now that it had declined, the gap was even more staggering.
What could the Huntian Sect do besides bear the pressure?
Seize the opportunity to kill them?
It wasn’t that they couldn’t—they simply didn’t dare.
If they did, the Huntian Sect would face the overwhelming wrath of the Tianyuan Sacred Land.
At that moment, a blazing, domineering light streaked across the sky and descended into the Huntian Palace, revealing two figures. One was a towering man with wild, lion-like hair and beard, while the other was an exceptionally robust young man—Xiao Xuanwu.
Chixingzi’s gaze immediately locked onto Xiao Xuanwu, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Even by his standards, Xiao Xuanwu’s Divine Trait was extraordinary, no less impressive than the three Quasi-Saints he had escorted.
Not long after, a surging tide of darkness rolled through the void, and two more figures emerged from within.
They were none other than Mo Wusheng, the Grand Elder of Tiancang Peak, and his disciple, Ye Yunqi.
Staring at Ye Yunqi, Chixingzi’s eyes narrowed slightly in surprise before he let out a mocking chuckle.
He could tell that Ye Yunqi’s Divine Trait wasn’t particularly strong—barely crossing the threshold of Saint-Grade.
Then, a sword light cut through the heavens like a meteor, streaking across the sky before landing in the Huntian Palace.
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