Chapter 1208: Heaven Gate
Stronger cultivators have fainted but she relied on sheer willpower to stay awake.
She fell several times but never gave up, getting back on her feet before time ran out. Her numb legs supported her body, unable to truly stand upright because her spine was broken.
This determination impressed the rising stars of the demon races.
“Time’s up. Those who are still standing have both willpower and cultivation, qualified to partic.i.p.ate in the conference. You have earned respect and will have two hours to recover. Afterward, the supremes will open a spatial pa.s.sage to the contest ground.”
It’s not in Chaos City?
Many were surprised but Feiyun already knew this from Void Grotto Lord.
A total of nine humans were considered rising stars - Feng Feiyun, s.h.i.+ Lan, Heaven Calculating Scholar, Ximen Chuixiao, Zhongyuan, Lu Shanren, Xuanyuan Yiyi, Darkdao Child, and a girl that Feiyun didn’t know.
Her last name was Xue, hence her t.i.tle Daoist Xue. The scholar told him that she was the successor of an accomplished daoist.
Triumph-fish had two rising stars.
Qilin had three.
Firebird had two.
...
Outside of the immemorial branches, a few other ones had rising stars as well - the most talented in their history.
Dragon, in particular, had eighty-seven rising stars. Golden Crow had twelve and Draco Ox had eighteen.
The only ones coming close were the phoenixes with fifty-eight. White tigers and black tortoises had a slightly lower number but still far more than the rest.
The number of rising stars told a story about the race’s power - a purpose of the conference.
Humans have hidden their cards for a long time and still couldn’t compete with the strongest demon races. After all, the demons had more territories and resources.
“Dragons are too much, no wonder why Ancestral Dragon Monarch can command everyone, they have so many geniuses in each generation.” The scholar said sentimentally.
“We didn’t have a single rising star in the previous conferences, now there are nine, this should surprise all the arrogant demon branches.” Ximen Chuixiao remarked.
Feiyun quietly observed the rising stars. Killing any of them wouldn’t be easy despite his current cultivation.
“A total of 3,275 rising stars, the future leaders of West Bull.” He said.
“Ninety-nine percent of races don’t have a single one so they have no representative. It was like that for us too.” The scholar sighed.
Eventually, a maelstrom appeared in the air and formed a pathway. This was made by the masters of the various races.
The rising stars were pulled by an unknown power beyond their ability to resist.
Feiyun was dragged into the pathway and didn’t see anyone else. Eventually, he touched a door and everything around him changed.
A mighty power suppressed him, similar to spirit energy but far more violent and potent. He was sent flying through the spatial door, prompting him to stabilize and land.
“This is just a corner of an abandoned paradise known as Heaven Gate.” An old man spoke directly into his mind.
“The conference of the rising stars takes place at the center of this place. You all have half a year to make it there. This is a journey filled with challenges and fortunes, try your best now.”
So this is Spirit Immortal World. They’re calling it an abandoned paradise to not scare the rising stars. Isn’t half a year too long though?
Feiyun activated his divine intent to try and find the others. Given his cultivation, his range should be an entire domain. However, it became unstable at eight hundred miles.
The spatial makeup here is dense, an invisible force is suppressing us as well. Even saints are affected.
He had no choice but to keep going and find the others along the way. A pair of phoenix wings grew from his back as he leaped into the air.
“Raa!” The ground shook violently and a mountain crumbled.
A ma.s.sive winged serpent with red and black scales came for Feiyun like a whip.
What is this thing? Hiding underground and pretending to be a mountain... so strong too...
Feiyun reacted swiftly but was still hit by the tail and sent flying dozens of miles away.
“Raa!” The serpent roared and lunged forward, swallowing him into its stomach.
He used his saint energy to protect his body from the corrosive acid inside its stomach. He punched the flesh wall with his myriad beast souls, tearing it apart.
He flew outside and summoned his cauldron: “Suppress it!”
It became gigantic and suppressed the serpent.
The area shook again and a pit grew larger and larger, eventually spanning several thousand miles. Mountains and trees fell within - a flat plain turned into a valley.
“Boom!” A serpent with a lion head ten times larger than the first serpent rushed out of the ground.
It glared at Feiyun and said: “How dare you hurt my child?!”
Its roar alone made him dizzy. He immediately recalled the cauldron and entered a defensive pose.
He parried a tail whip; his arms were cut by the scales and venom immediately invaded him.
This large one was far stronger than him. Using his heavenly gaze, he saw that it had more than 200 laws and immediately fled.
It chased him for three days until he reached a mountain range engulfed in flames. It was clearly afraid of this affinity and remained outside, issuing frightening roars.
Feiyun ran for another whole day before stopping to rest.
Such a strong creature already, this place is too dangerous. Is this how the world used to be during Time Immemorial?
He sat down and noticed red gra.s.s growing from a crack. The scent from it emanated for miles.
Ver-vermillion gra.s.s? Ancient too, can be sold for three million stones or thirty thousand spirit essences.
The blade of gra.s.s looked like a piece of ruby, having grown to three inches due to its old age.
Fire-affinity creatures valued this alchemy ingredient since it had the property of improving cultivation and flames.
This was rare in West Bull but could be seen everywhere here. He looked around and saw at least ten, the tallest of which was nine inches.