Pill refinement?
Mere mortals?
Unworthy of immortality?
Those words were far too grating, almost unbelievable.
Mo Wuxiang's face darkened considerably. He had never expected that his courteous treatment would be met with such a response.
The Azure Moon Divine Temple was one thing — they were nothing more than heretical scum with no manners to speak of. But since when was the Firmament Immortal Sect the same?
This was not the Firmament Immortal Sect he had in mind.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Dao of Pills Immortal Sect is, after all, a power of the Totem Heavenly River. We have always been loyal to the Totem Dragon Clan — we are a subsidiary force of the Totem Dragon Clan, here to welcome you on behalf of the Totem Heavenly River. Have we done something wrong?"
"If you choose not to accept our welcome, that is perfectly fine. But there is no need for such biting sarcasm — surely you cannot dictate even the name of our Dao of Pills Immortal Sect? That crosses the line into outright rudeness." Mo Wuxiang dropped all pretense of politeness and voiced his displeasure.
This earned him a measure of newfound respect from those of the Dao of Pills Immortal Sect and the Totem Heavenly River. After all, Mo Wuxiang represented them all.
"We think you're unworthy. Are we not even allowed to say so?"
"Old man, aren't you being a bit too sensitive?" The same woman's voice rang out once more from within the Firmament Immortal Sect.
"Hmph." Lord Wuxiang let out a cold snort, and anger finally surfaced on his face. "The Dao of Pills Immortal Sect regards the Totem Dragon Clan as our sovereign — but that does not mean we are weak. I would advise you to mind your manners."
"Mind our manners? And what if we don't?" The woman's voice came again from the Firmament Immortal Sect, dripping with provocation.
"I happen to have friends who are members of the Firmament Immortal Sect. I once held the sect in great respect — but it seems not everyone within it is worthy of that respect."
"If there are those who lack even basic courtesy, then I believe it is necessary to teach them a lesson."
As Lord Wuxiang spoke, a powerful aura of barrier energy erupted from his body.
The moment that barrier energy manifested, everyone below felt an overwhelming wave of pressure. It was — a True Dragon Barrier.
"This Mo Wuxiang has some real skill," the queen remarked with a sigh.
Chu Feng said nothing, but he realized that the Dao of Pills Immortal Sect was far from being all talk. Mo Wuxiang alone was a formidable existence.
Just then, golden light surged in all directions, and a woman's figure descended from the sky like a fairy descending to the mortal realm.
She wore a light green robe, yet golden radiance coiled around her entire body. The plain elegance of the green robe paired with the resplendent golden glow created no clash whatsoever — instead, it lent her an entirely unique beauty.
Though she was no junior, she looked remarkably young and possessed no small amount of charm — long, slender legs and a full figure that was impossible to ignore.
Yet such a captivating woman had eyes full of killing intent. No one dared look at her too closely, fearing that a single lingering glance might draw an attack that would erase them from existence.
After all, this was someone who did not even deem Mo Wuxiang worthy of her attention.
"What? Still thinking of making a move? If you're not afraid to die, go ahead and try." The woman's eyes were filled with contempt.
"And who might this be? Ah — Xia Xingchen of the Firmament Immortal Sect. Well, that explains the utter lack of manners."
"Weren't you locked up for injuring a fellow disciple? Released so soon?"
"I truly cannot fathom why the Firmament Immortal Sect still harbors a disgrace like you."
Upon seeing this woman, Mo Wuxiang grew visibly bolder and began hurling insults of his own.
At his words, Xia Xingchen's expression turned ugly. She said nothing further — she simply raised her hand and struck.
Her slender palm came down, yet it sent shockwaves rippling through the space below.
A colossal martial force hand materialized beneath her, transitioning from an ethereal phantom to solid form. It plummeted from the heavens like the hand of a giant, slamming toward Mo Wuxiang.
Mo Wuxiang did not flinch. He formed hand seals, then pointed a finger at the void. The power of the True Dragon Barrier condensed into a golden greatsword and shot upward to meet the force hand head-on.
BOOM — BOOM — BOOM — Heaven and earth shook. Many warriors below struggled to keep their footing.
Waves of martial force and barrier energy surged outward in every direction.
The clash ended in a stalemate.
Xia Xingchen's face still burned with fury. She raised her hand, ready to strike again.
HUMM — But at that moment, a pulse of light spread outward, causing Xia Xingchen to halt her attack.
Everyone turned to look. Above the ancient wooden gate, a figure had appeared.
It was another old man, but his attire was rather peculiar — part Daoist robe, part kasaya. At first glance it seemed an odd mishmash, yet upon closer inspection, it actually looked quite refined.
His features were unusual as well. His ears were pointed, resembling those of a demon beast, and slightly longer than a normal person's. His eyes were narrow and elongated, so that at first they appeared to be closed — in reality, they were simply small.
Most striking of all, two ancient symbols were inscribed upon his forehead. A closer look revealed that they were, in fact, characters.
They read: Ancient Realm.
Someone from the Ancient Realm had appeared.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have all traveled a great distance — you are guests here. I would ask that you do me the courtesy of refraining from fighting at the gates of our Ancient Realm," the Ancient Realm elder said upon his arrival.
"Senior, I was not the one looking for trouble. This old codger from the Dao of Pills Immortal Sect simply had the most unbearable things to say — I had no choice but to strike back," Xia Xingchen declared.
"You — " Mo Wuxiang was visibly stunned. How had this somehow become his fault?
The Ancient Realm elder simply smiled, then swept his gaze across the crowd below.
"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for making the journey."
"However, this trial will differ somewhat from those of the past. This time, the trial will be quite difficult."
The moment those words left the Ancient Realm elder's mouth, a wave of unease settled over the crowd — especially those who had received invitations.
In previous trials, the Ancient Realm would extend its invitations and allow everyone to enter first before administering the test.