In the deep night, an earthen city pushed aside the mist and emerged in the domain of Kunling.
The city gates seemed pushed open by a pair of invisible, massive hands, groaning on their hinges as they swung wide and jolting the minds of all watching.
For a time, dead silence reigned in all directions. In the vicinity were descendants of Earth Immortals, great grandmasters, and even true patriarchs, yet not a single soul dared draw near.
Its arrival brought great upheaval and unmistakable tremors, like a city rising from the underworld, appearing at the far edge of the horizon and radiating an awe-inspiring might in the darkness.
This city had existed for ages beyond memory; no one could say from which era it originated. Its fractured walls, battered ancient gates, and countless blade marks and arrow holes seemed like silhouettes cast by mottled historical eras, brimming with the weathered weight of antiquity.
Under the long night and amid the heavy mist, this somewhat oppressive ancient city bore several "corpses" hung upon it, wrapped in an inexplicable, unsettling aura.
For instance, the heavily damaged, thick gate was impaled with thick lances, dark-red broadswords, and pitch-black sabers. All were stained with dried blood, each piercing through a corpse.
Some of these remains were mere skin and bone, while others were still plump and fleshy, retaining the luster of living tissue. They spanned a wide array of races: Black Pengs, Giant Spirit Gods, sea beasts, and six-armed, three-headed humans.
Beneath the flying eaves of the gatehouse, several rust-eaten chains held swinging corpses that swayed in the wind. They collided with near-shattered wind chimes, producing a metallic clinking that sounded like it had pierced through the abyss of hell and through the mist to echo into the mortal realm.
As for the fracture-riddled city walls, even more corpses hung suspended upon them.
Deep within the open gateway, black mist surged, obscuring everything and sending chills down the spines of onlookers.
Many felt their hearts tighten, and the surrounding wilderness fell completely still.
Every faction had been probing Yujing, dispatching disciples to gather here. Now that a city tied to Yujing had manifested, everyone instead grew cautious and fell silent.
"What is going on? Yujing is a place even the gods revere, an abode where Heavenly Immortals dare not act rashly. How could the earthen city cast from its ripples be so gloomy and cold, reeking of such dense death qi?"
Several renowned great grandmasters muttered uneasily to themselves and took steps back.
When the earthen city first revived, they had all rushed over bearing rare treasures, intending to be the first to charge inside and seize whatever grand opportunity lay within. Now, every one of them lost their nerve.
Even the lords of the Perils, the patriarchs of the various paths, and the sixth-realm experts from beyond the borders behaved themselves, not daring to act recklessly.
Furthermore, the various factions exchanged intelligence and deliberated in secret. That this earthen city was neither sacred nor auspicious once it appeared filled the upper echelons with deep apprehension.
Beyond Yezhou, the terrifying spectacle of Earth Immortals passing through once again played across the horizon. Dazzling furrows were plowed into the pitch-black sky accompanied by lightning, roaring thunder, and howling astral winds, looking as though the nocturnal canopy had shattered.
Amid the blinding firelight and seas of lightning, human pelts stood against the wind, white skeletons floated, and gigantic figures towered atop clouds like mountains.
The grand figures from beyond the borders could restrain themselves no longer and drew near this domain.
Yet in the end, they dared not set foot into Yezhou, ultimately turning back and sending their personal disciples to represent them instead.
"This old master hails from the Eastern Lands' Bodhi Ridge lineage, a disciple beneath the seat of an Earth Immortal."
"This old one comes from the Great Wilderness of the north. My ancestor was once a subject of Yezhou."
The atmosphere in Yezhou became strange. The grandmasters and patriarchs from outside regions who had been lying low came out one after another, actively extending goodwill to the leadership of the various local paths.
For several days in a row, every corner was rife with discussion. The emergence of the earthen city caused a tremendous stir, and the appearance of high-ranking figures from beyond who paid visits to the patriarchs of each path exerted an even greater impact.
"Could this earthen city be an elaborate trap that you people of Yezhou guided out?" a sixth-realm expert from beyond bluntly asked.
Last time, two Earth Immortals had been sent away behind the Golden Light Cave in the minotaurs' territory. That incident had caused quite a wave across the border domains and shown everyone Yezhou's ruthless methods.
Without a doubt, even bystanders were left with psychological scars.
Just as the various factions were establishing contact and preparing to collaborate in exploring the earthen city, another anomalous change occurred in that mysterious, mottled ancient stronghold.
In early spring, the Fire Springs revived, and earthlight surged vigorously.
On that clear morning, the oppressive earthen city suddenly echoed with the crow of a golden rooster, accompanied by golden clouds soaring upward to tear through the dense black fog.
Then, the earthen city shook and grew clearer. The nocturnal mist submerging it began to evaporate, scattering rapidly and revealing its complete outline.
Even the dark fog deep within the gateway thinned out, on the verge of exposing the scenery inside the city altogether.
"The earthen city has fully entered reality!"
That day, both the night papers and world papers ran follow-up coverage, causing a sensation throughout the realm. Even Qin Ming, far off in Chixia City, caught wind of the news.
The earthen city was far taller than it had appeared deep within the mist, yet it still could not be called a sprawling metropolis. The layout of its streets, manors, and courtyards was now visible.
People spotted skeletal remains on the streets as well, including the carcasses of various colossal ancient beasts.
However, as the city began to glow, an astounding scene unfolded. The corpses impaled upon the gates and the severed heads hanging from the walls all shattered, dissolving into dust and vanishing on a passing breeze.
The entire city shone, sending out rippling waves of light as though undergoing purification and baptism. Its deep afflictions were cast away, and a city that was both austere and brimming with the vitality of life took shape before them.
Next, the golden rooster crowed repeatedly, announcing the dawn.
Soon, people caught sight of the great rooster that seemed forged of pure gold crowing within the city. It stood a full zhang tall and was clad in metal armor.
Behind the earthen city, the thick black mist receded like the tide, revealing a vibrant oasis—in truth, a blessed land.
Living beings inhabited that place, and now creatures emerged from it into the city, seemingly stepping up to take charge.
In the distance, onlookers from all factions were stunned. Were there native inhabitants behind this city?
A black mountain goat over the height of a man, clad in metal armor, walked upright out of the city holding a broom to sweep the gateway.
An old bull with pure-white hide, also wearing armor, held a broom and began sweeping the ground outside the gates.
What kind of spectacle was this? The observers watching in secret fell into a daze.
Next, people saw a massive black tiger draped in black-gold armor patrolling the streets.
Upon the gate tower, a through-arm ape clad in chainmail carrying a spiked club appeared. When it idly glanced outside the city, two golden beams shot from its eyes.
"The creatures appearing in this city are all anomalous beasts. Could this be a domain belonging to demons?" a grandmaster questioned.
An elder spoke with gravity: "No. The armor on their bodies had great significance in ancient times. Only the highest tier of drudges could possess them; they are rare treasures."
"Could there have been beasts among the ancient drudges?" a great grandmaster asked, puzzled.
The elder showed shock and scrutinized them closely before saying, "Most likely, they were human. But after practicing their arts to the realm of perfection, they altered their life forms, transforming into this state."
"Hiss!" Instantly, many drew in cold breaths. What did this imply? It meant those drudges had very likely attained immortality.
A grandmaster inquired, "Isn't it said that although the supreme drudges of antiquity who replaced their bones with divine bones and mended their skin with immortal pelts were exceptionally formidable, their upper limit was locked tight?"
A patriarch spoke up: "There are always exceptions. Even if only one person could break the mold in an era, over countless years, multiple individuals could emerge to rewrite the established pattern."
The elder beside him closely watched the armored anomalous beings in the city and said, "According to the brief descriptions of Yujing in ancient records, these figures are what can truly be considered golden-armored drudges."
"Ah?" Nearby, several young people were dumbfounded. In the land of Yezhou, weren't the golden-armored figures flanking the immortal path seeds the lowest rank of drudges?
A patriarch explained, "That is because we have vulgarized the drudge. In truth, in ancient legends tied to Yujing, true golden-armored drudges followed nothing less than immortals and gods."
The expressions of many hardened. The drudges they witnessed today were extraordinary, anything but simple.
They stared blankly into the earthen city, realizing there were no fewer than ten of these golden-armored beasts.
Someone even counted them carefully and said, "Rat, ox, tiger... Hiss, are they assembling the twelve Chinese zodiac signs? There are twelve golden-armored drudges in total!"
"No, they have most likely already attained immortality. Perhaps they could be called the Twelve Golden Immortals, or rather the Twelve Variant Immortals."
The entire crowd grew solemn.
When the news spread that day, it caused an uproar.
"The Twelve Golden Immortals have emerged? This is unimaginable! From a dust-sealed earthen city, living golden-armored drudges still exist, and they've all become immortals?"
Even mighty Earth Immortals had limited lifespans. How could these figures in the earthen city have survived for so long?
People guessed this had to be connected to a gift from Yujing.
Under normal circumstances, the Twelve Golden Immortals of antiquity should have crumbled to dust ages ago.
This ignited fervent debate, and cultivators across all paths discussed it.
"Everyone, please rest assured. The beings who attained immortality in antiquity are not actually that terrifying. Viewed through modern eyes, they can only be called lesser gods and Feathered Immortals. Any strong patriarch would not fear them and could even slay them!"
Even Qin Ming, far off in a remote land, fell into a daze upon hearing the news, sitting in the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace and contemplating the matter for a long time.
Two days later, the Twelve Variant Immortals stepped out of the city and projected their voices afar, inviting all factions to enter the city for a discussion.
Furthermore, from the blessed land behind the earthen city, a black-robed youth accompanied by two child attendants walked through the city to meet the gathered crowd outside.
He appeared to be an ordinary human, surrounded by flowing Daoist charm, displaying immortal poise with every gesture. People could tell he was not an immortal; he was likely in the fourth realm, not yet having reached the grandmaster realm.
Figures from Yezhou and the external domains stepped forward to formally make contact with the being behind the earthen city.
"Little brother, what is your honorable surname, and how may we address you?" Even a great grandmaster spoke with great politeness upon approaching the black-robed youth.
"I do not deserve the honor. My surname is Gao," the black-robed youth replied calmly, his eyes deep.
"One look at Brother Gao's countenance reveals an identity too noble and exalted to approach. Could you have come from Yujing?" a young man in the fourth realm from beyond the borders asked.
The black-robed youth was remarkably steady, carrying an extraordinary bearing.
Moreover, several elders were astonished to discover that he seemed to be cultivating two paths simultaneously, even manifesting the legendary Sumeru field.
...
After a period of contact and exchange, the people of Yezhou set their worries aside. Neither the black-robed youth of the earthen city nor the Twelve Variant Immortals made any unreasonable demands.
The black-robed youth was named Gao Chan. Before the city gates, he openly stated that their emergence indeed carried out the heavenly will of Yujing, yet held no malice whatsoever.
Furthermore, on behalf of the upper echelons of the earthen city, he invited the patriarchs of the various paths to come for a gathering.
Gao Chan spoke calmly: "Everyone, if you harbor misgivings, we can meet outside the earthen city so the leaders of both sides may have a proper discussion."
Finally, he added that after such a vast span of time, the earthen city's reappearance in the mortal world was a stroke of fate. Once the immortal peaches in the oasis ripened this year, a banquet would be held to entertain distinguished guests from all quarters.
"An ancient Immortal Peach Feast?" Several elder figures were thoroughly shocked upon hearing this.
Three days later, according to the agreement, prominent figures from every path approached the earthen city. Due to various considerations, it was impossible for every patriarch to attend, but those who arrived in person held exceedingly high status.
In addition, many visitors from external domains arrived, ranging from descendants of Earth Immortals to grandmasters and patriarchs.
Within the earthen city, a dense Daoist charm surged. The Twelve Golden Immortals led the way, stepping out of the gateway and taking positions on either side of the entrance. Behind them, a group of mysterious figures walked forth, treading upon a golden thoroughfare.
The surrounding area seemed to transform into an immortal kingdom. White mist curled, immortal qi surged, and nine-colored immortal light rippled. The figures who appeared all possessed extraordinary presence and divine bearing.
In an instant, dead silence fell outside the earthen city. A moment later, the expressions of certain patriarchs changed. Their conscious spiritual lights flared violently, clearly communicating with those individuals and confirming something.
Soon afterward, several patriarchs actually performed grand obeisances to that group of mysterious figures.
Even Past Rulai from Pugong was no exception. His eyes widened in shock, and then, with a thud, he fell to his knees.
Chapter 366