The mountain gate of the Nine Cauldrons Sect was once the headquarters of the Shadow Moon Sect.
Yet after several millennia of growth, not a single trace left behind from the Shadow Moon Sect era remained visible.
Peak after peak was wreathed in swirling immortal mist. Countless immortal fowls and spiritual beasts bounded across the slopes, which were planted with innumerable exotic herbs and heavenly treasures.
Many of these heavenly treasures were rare enough that, had they appeared in the outside world, they would have provoked full-scale warfare among cultivation sects, sending everyone into a bloody frenzy to claim them.
Certain miraculous spirit pills could even allow an ordinary cultivator to directly ignite Heavenly Fire, ascending to the heavens in a single leap.
This place had thoroughly become a holy land in the hearts of every cultivator across Beihai Star.
Every year, countless geniuses from minor sects and prodigies from small clans traveled ten thousand li to reach the mountain gate of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, aspiring solely to be accepted into the sect and become inner disciples—or even outer disciples.
With the deterrent power the Nine Cauldrons Sect commanded at present, even a single outer disciple was enough to elevate their modest sect into a regional hegemon in their local area, earning the deference of all around them.
Anyone harboring malicious intentions against them would be fraught with misgivings, daring not strike lightly.
"Speaking of which, the overall quality of cultivators on Beihai Star seems to have risen considerably."
Standing outside the mountain gate of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, Yaoguang could clearly sense that within the sect at this moment, cultivators of the Void Piercing realm numbered in the thousands, while the ranks of the Void Refining and Void Shattering realms had grown substantially as well.
Among them, Void Shattering realm cultivators alone exceeded a hundred.
This surprised him somewhat.
After a moment's thought, the realization dawned on him. "On the one hand, the Nine Cauldrons Sect is now the strongest among the Ten Immortal Sects, surpassing even the Sanqing Sacred Hall. On the other hand... the number of surrounding Dao Lords has fallen sharply. Resources that should have been offered as tribute to Dao Lords, or taken away by them, have instead fallen into the hands of Void Shattering cultivators. That has naturally caused the numbers of Void Piercing, Void Refining, and Void Shattering cultivators to rise with the tide."
"Fellow Daoist, did you also come to pay homage to the holy land of the Nine Cauldrons Sect? Shall we go together?"
Just then, an overly familiar voice reached Yaoguang's ears.
A young man dressed like a noble scion walked over with a jovial grin. He seemed to have specifically hired an escort beside him to explain the illustrious history of the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
Behind him, two exquisitely dressed young maidens—one in a red gown and the other in green—strutted over to catch up. "Brother Zhan Lian, wait for me!"
"Brother Zhan Lian, can't you slow down a little?"
The two maidens acted delightfully spoiled, each gaze directed at the man laden with sweet, tender affection.
Their adoration for this Zhan Lian was written plain across their faces.
"I already told you not to follow along, yet you insisted on coming. Wouldn't it be better to stay home and study properly? I'm climbing the Thirty-Six Peaks of Nine Cauldrons, and that won't be easy. You should just head back so you don't exhaust yourselves."
The young man greeting Yaoguang, Zhan Lian, wore a helpless expression.
"See, Brother really does care about me after all."
"How dull it would be for Brother Lian to tour the scenery of the Thirty-Six Peaks of Nine Cauldrons all alone? Having this little sister accompany you will keep you company."
The two maidens spoke in honeyed, delicate voices.
Yet hearing these words, not only the woman hired to explain the scenery along the route, but even Yaoguang nearly shivered.
This cloying display...
Was rather overpowering.
"Follow if you want, as long as you don't mind the exhaustion," Zhan Lian said. He then turned his gaze directly toward Yaoguang beside him. "I noticed Fellow Daoist standing at the foot of the mountain for quite some time, gazing at the surrounding scenery. It seems you wish to tour the Thirty-Six Peaks of Nine Cauldrons but don't know where to begin. As it happens, I've hired a guide to plan the best route and provide explanations. If Fellow Daoist doesn't mind, why don't we travel together?"
Yaoguang glanced at him, faintly realizing that Zhan Lian had grown utterly exasperated by the two girls and would rather converse with a stranger like him than deal with them.
However...
He had never experienced the sensation of touring his own sect while listening to someone else narrate its sights. He readily agreed. "Nothing could be better. I shall trouble you then, Fellow Daoist Zhan."
"You're too polite! Fellow Daoist carries an ethereal and noble air; one can tell at a glance that you are someone fond of losing yourself in nature. Might I ask your esteemed name?"
"Yaoguang," he replied.
Zhan Lian started slightly upon hearing that, but quickly followed up, "Fellow Daoist's name is quite grand! It actually shares the same name as the Supreme Elder of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, that legendary figure renowned across the Beihai realm—Daoist Venerable Yaoguang. It seems you, like me, must deeply admire Daoist Venerable Yaoguang's deeds. Have you specifically come to the Nine Cauldrons Sect in a pilgrimage-like manner to pay homage to this legendary site and experience the majesty and splendor of our Beihai realm's foremost cultivation holy land?"
"I stayed here for a time in the past. Revisiting old haunts, I indeed wished to see how much this place has changed," Yaoguang said with a smile, nodding.
"Haha, that's wonderful! I also hold that exact mindset as I set foot upon the thirty-six peaks opened specifically for public sightseeing by the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Come, come, let us head up the mountain!"
Zhan Lian gestured for Yaoguang to join him, adding, "I don't know about others, but as for that Supreme Elder of the Nine Cauldrons Sect—the only one to hold a permanent supreme elder seat, Daoist Venerable Yaoguang—I understand him inside and out! The depth of my knowledge regarding his deeds is something few among my generation could hope to match. In this life, I intend to take him as my role model: first enter the inner court, then become a true disciple, achieve the Void Piercing realm, and forge my own legend!"
"Very good. Most ambitious!"
"Naturally! Otherwise, why would I remain completely unmoved by outside temptations? This is all emulating Daoist Venerable Yaoguang, who never took a Dao companion throughout his life. Let me tell you, my determination toward the Dao is terrifyingly steadfast."
Zhan Lian declared with unwavering conviction, "Come, let me tell you a bit more about Daoist Venerable Yaoguang's deeds."
The two chatted and laughed as they swiftly headed up the mountain.
The two maidens followed behind.
Only, the looks they cast toward Yaoguang were noticeably resentful and displeased.
*How utterly oblivious can this man be?*
Along the way, Yaoguang also came to understand the purpose of the Thirty-Six Peaks of Nine Cauldrons. In truth, it was an outer perimeter developed by the Nine Cauldrons Sect specifically for outsiders to tour and learn about the sect's culture and history; it was not part of the sect's proper core.
At the same time, he learned about Zhan Lian's background.
His clan had once produced a Void Piercing realm cultivator, being among the first batch of Void Piercing cultivators to settle in this region.
Surprisingly...
He could be considered the descendant of an old acquaintance. Four thousand years ago, someone from his clan had apprenticed under Elder Lingxi, who had now attained the Void Shattering realm, becoming one of that elder's personal disciples.
It was precisely because of this that these two young ladies, who also hailed from Void Piercing clans, hovered around him incessantly, impossible to shake off.
"Lingxi, is it?"
Yaoguang could not help sighing with nostalgic sentiment upon hearing that name.
Back when he joined the Heavenly Dao Sect, Lingxi had been the second true disciple, second only to Yan Huang. Later, after he demonstrated sufficient potential, the entire Ling family threw their support behind his faction, following him to the Southern Domain after he became deputy sect master.
Today, due to various exchanges of interests, the Southern Domain had been integrated into the territory of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. The Ling lineage, having resided in the Southern Domain for generations, naturally joined the Nine Cauldrons Sect as well, becoming one of the forces under its jurisdiction.
With someone from the Zhan clan having apprenticed under this Void Shattering elder—even if only as one of many true disciples—their status was still not something ordinary Void Piercing clans could rival.
Throughout the journey, Zhan Lian spoke most of the time, while Yaoguang chimed in with a few remarks here and there.
Yet Yaoguang had lived for thousands of years, after all, and his experiences and breadth of knowledge far exceeded what ordinary cultivators could imagine.
Even those Dao Integration Dao Lords could not hold a candle to him in terms of experience and insight.
Even a few brief words revealed his extraordinary refinement, which caused Zhan Lian to regard him with a touch more respect.
Furthermore, Yaoguang put on no airs during their conversation, allowing the two of them to get along quite harmoniously.
With Zhan Lian devoting most of his attention to Yaoguang, he naturally had little time to entertain the two maidens.
This state of affairs could not help provoking their discontent.
Although the two maidens coveted Zhan Lian's lineage, they were nevertheless members of Void Piercing clans themselves, naturally carrying the pride of great clan scions before outsiders.
Finding an opening, the maiden in yellow chimed in, "Brother Lian, your Golden Core banquet will be held very soon. Since you two get along so splendidly, aren't you going to invite this friend?"
"That's right. For this Golden Core banquet, I specially prepared a precious gift for Brother Zhan Lian—a Heavenly Jade Crystal! It should be immensely beneficial for refining your internal true qi, Brother."
The maiden in green also chose to present a united front against the outsider at this moment.
She regarded Yaoguang as a rival competitor.
"A Heavenly Jade Crystal?"
Zhan Lian, who was in the middle of talking with Yaoguang, frowned. "A treasure like that carries a market price of nearly a thousand, doesn't it? Where did you get so many Pure Yang Great Pills?"
With a wave of his hand, he said, "Take it back, take it back."
Beside them, Yaoguang had been wondering why he had never heard of something called a Heavenly Jade Crystal.
Yet when Zhan Lian explained that its price was less than a thousand Pure Yang Great Pills, realization dawned on him.
He naturally had no recollection of such low-tier cultivation resources.
"Brother Zhan Lian is at a crucial juncture in striving to become an inner disciple. If you have a Heavenly Jade Crystal to refine your true qi, your chances of forming an Incandescent White Golden Core will surely be higher!"
The maiden in green said with a sweet smile, "Besides, Brother, you are one of the most outstanding disciples among the Zhan clan's younger generation, with the opportunity to pay respects to the Zhan clan ancestor—a figure on the level of Elder Lingxi's personal disciple! Only such a treasure is worthy of your status."
"Indeed. I also went through clan connections specifically to obtain a portion of Soul Cleansing Water for Brother Lian. It aids in purifying the soul, making your divine sense more agile. Brother Lian, please don't be so modest with us,"
the maiden in yellow followed up.
"I already said I cannot accept them. This Golden Core banquet is being held by the elders, I..."
"Then all the more reason we cannot let Brother Lian lose face!"
"I know how Brother Zhan Lian practiced day and night over the past years to form your Golden Core. Watching you, my heart ached. Since I couldn't help you in other ways, I could only do everything in my power to gather useful cultivation resources for you, hoping to make things a little easier."
The two maidens spoke one after another, putting on pitiful, delicate airs.
Yet every resource they brought up started at a baseline of a hundred Pure Yang Great Pills without exception.
Had Yaoguang possessed any tact at this moment, he naturally would have taken his leave to avoid being invited by Zhan Lian to the Golden Core banquet and put on the spot to present a gift worth hundreds of Pure Yang Great Pills.
Yaoguang understood this full well and found it somewhat amusing.
These two young girls were not ill-intentioned toward Zhan Lian; they were merely far too full of themselves.
"Enough! Knowing that I rarely come out to seek some peace and quiet, can't you two just give it a rest?"
Zhan Lian glared at them both. "For the foreseeable future, only cultivation will exist in my heart. I will not rest until I become an inner disciple! If you two don't want to waste decades or a century in vain, you had best stop hovering around me!"
Having said that, he turned back toward Yaoguang with an apologetic tone. "Pay no mind to their words. Ten days to half a month might not even be enough to tour all of the Thirty-Six Peaks of Nine Cauldrons. Fellow Daoist, do you have lodging at the foot of the mountain? If not, you may come stay as a guest at my courtyard."
"It's fine."
Yaoguang waved his hand. "As for lodging, presumably there is..."
Sweeping his divine sense across the sect, he arrived at a precise answer. "Yes, it is still there."
"Then shall we head down the mountain for today?"
Zhan Lian smiled. "You and I hit it off like old friends from our first meeting. I still have plenty I wish to discuss with Fellow Daoist."
"No need to head down the mountain. I live up here,"
Yaoguang answered with a smile.
"Up the mountain?"
Zhan Lian froze.
"Well then. If you truly manage to become an inner disciple, you may drop by my Zixiao Peak for a visit. When that time comes, I shall listen to how you plan to emulate Daoist Venerable Yaoguang's deeds. Of course, I might no longer be here by then; whether we meet will depend on our karma."
Yaoguang patted his shoulder. "I'm off."
Chapter 612