The largest of the peaks was the main summit of the Six Wonders Peaks, soaring a full three to four thousand zhang into the sky. Nestled among several surrounding peaks, it towered over them all like the moon surrounded by stars, looking down upon every other mountain — including the Heavenly Spring Peak. Moreover, from halfway up, this colossal peak was shrouded in a pale violet mountain mist, hazy and indistinct, lending it an air of ineffable mystery.
At its base, however, the scene was the complete opposite — bustling and lively.
Densely packed around the foot of the mountain were buildings of every size, from cramped stone shacks barely a few rooms wide to towering halls dozens of zhang high. There were also numerous stone-paved streets that had formed spontaneously, resembling open-air markets.
Lining both sides of these streets were all manner of stalls, with vendors hawking their wares. And true enough, quite a few disciples of the Fallen Cloud Sect could be seen walking among them, haggling with the stall owners over various goods.
This spectacle left
The young man surnamed Yu, however, was long since accustomed to the sight. He paid it no heed whatsoever and urged his flying artifact forward at full speed, heading straight for a stone hall that stood alone some several hundred zhang above.
The hall was constructed entirely of massive blue-grey stone blocks, rising some twenty to thirty zhang in height. On either side stood smaller side halls six or seven zhang tall, and on the stone platform before the main entrance, a scant few cultivators could be seen flying in and out.
Young Master Yu brought the bronze basin down and let Han Li and the others descend one by one.
He then pinched a spell gesture, rapidly shrinking the basin before storing it away in his storage pouch.
"Wait here for a moment. I'll go ahead and report to the Sect Master, then call you in."
With that, the young man strode forward without another word, leaving the group behind.
The several Qi Condensation cultivators guarding the entrance clearly recognized Young Master Yu. Not one of them moved to question him; instead they bowed respectfully as he passed and watched him disappear through the doors.
Only then did the guards turn curious gazes upon Han Li and the others, who stood a short distance away, seemingly guessing at their identities.
A little while later, before anyone inside had called them in, a streak of white light came flying from the distance.
The light came to a halt above Han Li's group and dimmed to reveal a large brocade handkerchief. Standing atop it was the pale-faced young man surnamed
The pale-faced young man looked down from his vantage point at the seven below, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. But he quickly lost interest, landing his artifact nearby and having the four young cultivators remain in place while he himself strode haughtily into the stone hall.
At this, Han Li and his six companions naturally exchanged glances with the four gifted young cultivators, splitting into two distinct groups.
For reasons unclear, even though they had all just been accepted into the Fallen Cloud Sect at the same time, the atmosphere between them had turned somewhat strained. There was even a faint, barely perceptible undercurrent of hostility between the two groups.
But as newly inducted disciples of the Fallen Cloud Sect, neither group spoke a word. They simply stood there in heavy silence, waiting.
After a full half-hour's wait, Young Master Yu finally emerged from inside. The moment he appeared at the entrance, he waved to Han Li and the others, then glanced over at the four young cultivators and said without hesitation:
"You four come in as well. The Sect Master will receive this entire group of disciples together." With that, he turned and walked back inside.
Both groups dared not delay and hurriedly followed behind him.
Behind the young man, they passed through a short corridor and were led into a hall roughly twenty to thirty zhang across.
Inside sat seven or eight cultivators with varying expressions, settled in wooden chairs and conversing in low voices.
The moment they saw Young Master Yu leading in the new disciples, they immediately stopped talking, and their gazes swept over Han Li and the others in a single, simultaneous wave.
At this moment, Han Li kept his eyes straight ahead with a seemingly meek expression, but after subtly extending his spiritual sense, the appearance and cultivation level of every cultivator in the room flashed through his mind.
One was at late Foundation Establishment, two at mid Foundation Establishment, and the rest were all at early Foundation Establishment.
Senior Brother Qiu and the pale-faced young man were also seated among them.
"Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother Yu! Sit down and rest for a while." The blue-robed cultivator at late Foundation Establishment, who occupied the seat of honor, waved a hand at the young man with a warm smile.