The longevity points accumulated over the past three years had also been added to their magical power. Their current longevity points were: Strength, 21. Speed, 21. Essence of All Things, 20. Magical Power, 11. However, upon seeing the disciples, a warm smile immediately spread across his face, appearing harmless in his straw hat. Chen Xun led the big black cow to the edge of the crowd, searching for a figure among them—Ji Kun. He had now broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refinement, brimming with vigor, as if he had found his place, surrounded by others like stars encircling the moon, engaged in lively discussion. Chen Xun smiled faintly, choosing not to disturb him, and turned his gaze toward the main hall of the sect, where he and the big black cow were deeply captivated.
People continued to arrive in front of the main hall, a total of seven hundred disciples in the Qi Refinement stage. Chen Xun stood at the back with the big black cow, blending into the background. Several figures flew out from behind the main hall, walking through the air with a powerful presence, their forms even shimmering with faint light. "Golden Core stage great cultivators! They can walk through the air," Chen Xun thought in shock. He now understood what lay beyond the Foundation Establishment stage—it was the Golden Core stage, where one could live for a thousand years, truly an ancient monster.
In front of the hall, all the disciples stood solemnly, the sound of a falling needle could be heard. They stood straight, not daring to act rashly. The big black cow was also frightened, its body going limp, breaking out in a cold sweat; its spiritual awareness was stronger than anyone else's, and these great cultivators could definitely kill them. The sect master, You Yuanhua, stood in front of everyone, his voice deep and resonant: "The journey to South Dipper Mountain is a rare opportunity; I hope all disciples will uphold the prestige of our Five Elements Sect." You Yuanhua's demeanor was calm as he scanned the crowd, waving his hand, and ethereal sounds of celestial music floated out, accompanied by several sharp eagle cries from the distant valley.
"This journey will be led by Master Wei Shan, a Golden Core early-stage cultivator, which shows the sect's importance placed on you all." As soon as the words fell, the seven hundred disciples were taken aback; the sect had actually dispatched a Golden Core peak master to escort them, igniting their fervor to contribute to the sect. Wei Shan, with his flowing white hair, showed no signs of aging, truly a youthful appearance, exceptionally handsome, causing the female disciples within to feel their hearts flutter.
"Respectfully following the sect master's orders, we greet Master Wei," the disciples bowed and clasped their hands, showing respect for their seniors and recognition of their strength. "No need for formalities, everyone," Wei Shan's words were like a spring breeze, resonating in everyone's ears, devoid of any senior's arrogance. Everyone felt a force gently lifting them, leaving Chen Xun dumbfounded, his body feeling uncontrollable.
Roar! Roar! At that moment, several piercing cries shattered the sky, five massive spirit beasts flapped their wings, descending from the distant horizon, casting a shadow over the entire front of the hall, making Chen Xun and the big black cow feel their scalps tingle. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of the ground cracking echoed as the five gigantic spirit beasts landed in front of the hall, their eagle-like eyes sharp and fierce, their wing feathers feeling harder than Chen Xun's mountain-splitting axe.
"This is the Qingya Eagle, at the mid-Foundation Establishment level, no need to worry," Wei Shan smiled lightly, stepping onto the back of the central Qingya Eagle. "Everyone, come aboard." Chen Xun hurriedly led the big black cow to the edge of the Qingya Eagle, which was enormous—truly gigantic! They felt like little dwarfs gazing up at it. "Old cow, draw your sword, let's fly up," Chen Xun took out his immortal sword from his storage bag, and with a whoosh, he and the big black cow soared into the air.
Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred; the Qingya Eagle turned its head to glance at the big black cow, its eyes filled with mockery, as if it were eyeing its prey. The big black cow was furious; if not for Chen Xun holding it back, it would have kicked up and charged at it, thinking it was food?! "Old cow, don't get agitated, give me some face," Chen Xun quickly soothed, whispering, "Can it outlive you? It might just steal its egg and make it cry."
"Moo~!" The big black cow responded fiercely, giving Chen Xun some face. While Chen Xun continued to hold onto the big black cow, the other disciples were all focused and calm, sitting cross-legged to conserve their energy, though their eyes were filled with tension. With just a gesture from Wei Shan, a faint blue magical shield enveloped the five Qingya Eagles. He bowed his hands in farewell to the sect master, and the few people in front of the hall nodded with smiles.
"Safe travels," a voice echoed in every disciple's ears—it was the sect master's voice. Buzz—buzz—buzz—... The Qingya Eagle spread its wings and soared, emitting several high-pitched eagle cries, the strong winds stirring up dust from the ground, making the scenery below shrink smaller and smaller, even causing Chen Xun's heart to grow uneasy. The Qingya Eagle flew high into the sky, gradually disappearing into the depths of the mountain range, while countless disciples on the ground gasped in awe, truly the seven hundred warriors of the Five Elements Sect...
"Old cow, this time we are really going to witness something grand," Chen Xun said, his expression somewhat excited as he looked at the surrounding clouds and mist, the ground filled with unfamiliar towering peaks piercing the sky, swiftly passing by under the Qingya Eagle. This speed was astonishing, Chen Xun marveled, it was several times faster than the flying boat they had taken before.
"Moo~ moo~" The big black cow was invigorated; they had finally left the small mountain village to explore the outside world. Chen Xun gazed into the distance, they were ready to face everything, having learned quite a bit about the secrets of South Dipper Mountain over the past six months. The ten great immortal sects had each dispatched fifteen hundred disciples, their strength formidable, with numerous quotas, making them the true winners of South Dipper Mountain. However, the vastness of South Dipper Mountain, the most magnificent giant mountain in the Qian Kingdom, required not only strength but also luck. Many small sects, though sending only a hundred people, often found great treasures, bringing back countless spiritual herbs.
"Old cow, we must be cautious of the demon beasts and spirit beasts inside; they are not friendly to humans," Chen Xun whispered. The spiritual energy in South Dipper Mountain was suppressed, preventing these demon and spirit beasts from advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, making them exceptionally irritable, attacking anyone they saw. This was something he had heard from the elders in the sect; these demon and spirit beasts even surpassed the strength of the tenth level of Qi Refinement, existing between the Foundation Establishment stages.
"Moo!" The big black cow nodded heavily, understanding the gravity of the situation. Over the past six months, they had heard countless rumors; many disciples had died at the hands of these demon and spirit beasts, which guarded the Foundation Establishment spiritual herbs. Gradually, Chen Xun and the big black cow began to calm down, no longer chattering.
The Qingya Eagle traversed through various states, occasionally attacked by other demon beasts, but Wei Shan merely released his aura, causing the flying demon beasts to flee in panic. After half a month, the speed of the Qingya Eagle began to slow, as South Dipper Mountain, with its nineteen majestic peaks connected as one, resembled a winding dragon soaring into the clouds. It stood like a giant among the myriad mountains, mercilessly overlooking the earth and the approaching cultivators, even the Qingya Eagle seemed incredibly small at that moment.
"My heavens, such a breathtaking sight exists in this world," Chen Xun exclaimed in shock, murmuring as he stood up. The big black cow was equally stunned, standing still, realizing just how small they truly were. Gazing into the distance, strange mountains jutted out, the mountain ranges stretched endlessly, lush and steep, shrouded in clouds and mist, enveloped by a grand formation. Chen Xun continued to marvel; indeed, it took countless great cultivators to seal this place, likely even Elder Wei would not be enough to comprehend it, not knowing what kind of overwhelming cultivator had done this.
The five Qingya Eagles descended onto a clearing, where numerous sect cultivators gathered, their gazes unfriendly as they looked toward the Five Elements Sect before averting their eyes. To the north of the clearing lay the territory of South Dipper Mountain, filled with towering ancient trees over a thousand years old, dark and silent, carrying an ancient aura that evoked a sense of reverence in one's heart.