bookrebus Chapter 20 The Grandeur of a Cultivation Family
Chapter 20 The Grandeur of a Cultivation Family
Inside the cabin, almost everyone had already formed their own teams. After all, the Abyss of Sha Ling was fraught with danger, and having more people meant having more options for each other.
“Look, they’ve already picked their people, and none of them are easy to deal with.”
"Yeah, nobody's picking on us."
Tao Tao nodded and said something that was both realistic and cruel. Song Chaofeng pulled Tao Tao to the edge and sat down cross-legged. After looking around, he said, "Don't be fooled by how happy they are in forming teams now. Once they find their mission target, things will definitely fall apart inside. The more people in a team, the harder it is to divide the tasks. Even the slightest disagreement will cause the team to collapse."
"Really?" Tao Tao tilted her head, carefully observing those people, but Song Chaofeng quickly turned her head away. "Don't look. The more low-key we are at this time, the better. After we go in, stay away from them. Once we find the spiritual materials needed for the mission, we'll immediately find a place to hide and leave when the barrier opens."
It takes about three days to travel from the Annihilation Sect to the Spirit Abyss. During this time, the disciples participating in the trial all close their eyes to rest and prepare themselves for the journey, so as to enter the Spirit Abyss in the best possible condition.
Shalingyuan is located north of Junfeng Mountain. The surrounding area is desolate, and even birds and beasts cannot be seen. Most of the time, it is covered by miasma, and nothing can be seen.
The immortal ship stopped near the Shaling Abyss. People from other sects had arrived early, and upon seeing the arrival of the Annihilation Cold Sect, they all stood up, sighing and envious.
Only the number one sect, the Annihilation Cold Sect, could afford such a grand display.
After disembarking from the ship, Uncle Wang led the group of disciples undergoing the trials to a spot where they could wait on their own, while he went to chat with people from other sects.
Tao Tao craned her neck and looked around curiously, especially since her stomach had been growling with hunger all along the way. She had almost finished all the food she had prepared in her storage bracelet, and if Song Chaofeng hadn't stopped her, it would definitely be empty right now.
"What are you going to do now that you've eaten everything?" Song Chaofeng couldn't help but sigh. The little one was just greedy. If she went inside and complained that she was hungry, he wouldn't be able to make her anything to eat.
"Okay." Tao Tao silently hugged her storage bracelet tighter.
Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Look, it's the Ye family!"
Upon hearing the name Ye family, everyone was even more surprised than upon seeing the name Yanhan Sect. After all, they were the number one cultivation family, possessing top-notch resources and wealth, far surpassing even a major sect like Yanhan Sect.
Moreover, the Ye family patriarch was a true spirit, the Azure Phoenix, who held great prestige in the Immortal Realm. He frequently descended upon the Ye family to guide their cultivation and showed great affection for the clan's disciples, especially Ye Lan, the new generation's cultivation genius. Not only did he personally impart his skills to her, but he also often brought down medicinal herbs from the Immortal Realm to give to her.
As a result, Ye Lan had already become famous even before she had shown her face.
The Ye family's pomp and circumstance were truly grand. While other sects and aristocratic families might have spirit boats or immortal ships, the Ye family went all out and brought in a building. This building was named Mirage, and its interior space was enormous. It was personally crafted by the master forging master Wen, and it took a full hundred years to complete, which shows how much importance they placed on it.
The Ye family brought the mirage here specifically to showcase their genius.
The mirage stopped above, and a transparent bridge extended directly from the building to the ground. Then, the Ye family members slowly appeared. The one walking in front was not an elder of the Ye family, but a young girl wearing a pale yellow dress.
"It's Ye Lan, it must be her, she's so beautiful!"
"As expected of a young lady from a prestigious family, her temperament is truly exceptional. I wonder what level she has reached in her cultivation?"
"It's definitely a level you can't beat, don't even think about it."
"..."
A group of people began to whisper among themselves. Song Chaofeng had no interest in the so-called genius girl. He tugged at Tao Tao and said, "Let's go over there. Let's not join in the fun."
He tried to pull Tao Tao but couldn't budge him. He turned around in surprise and asked, "What's wrong?"
At this moment, he saw Tao Tao staring blankly at the Ye family's ship and the Ye family's aloof and genius girl, muttering to herself, "Purple Gold Acacia Bell..."
What bell?
Song Chaofeng was completely bewildered and had no idea what was going on.
"It's nothing." Tao Tao's eyes suddenly dimmed, and he slowly turned around, his voice low.
She, usually so innocent and carefree, had almost never shown such an expression before, which made Song Chaofeng's heart skip a beat. He quickly leaned closer and asked, "What's wrong? Are you acquainted with the Ye family? You two..."
"I don't know her." Her voice was cold. If she really didn't know her, she wouldn't have this expression. It seems that she has a close relationship with the Ye family.
Perhaps before she met him, Tao Tao didn't talk about these things, and Song Chaofeng couldn't ask, so he could only let her be.
At this moment, the Ye family members had already stepped down from the transparent bridge. There were no fewer than ten disciples participating in the trial alone, the most among all the participating sects and families, which shows how deep their foundation was.
"Brother Ye, you've come in person. It seems you take this trial very seriously."
Upon seeing Ye Zhenlin, the head of the Ye family, descend, Uncle Wang from the Yanhan Sect greeted him first. Ye Zhenlin smiled faintly, "Since it is a trial, it is naturally taken seriously. Your Yanhan Sect is no different. This time, you personally escorted them, so the new recruits must all have quite good aptitudes."
"They can't compare to your Ye family. Their talents are all average. Isn't the most important thing in this trial your genius girl?"
"You flatter me, Lan'er. Come and meet your Uncle Wang." Ye Zhenlin did not deny this, and even called Ye Lan over to greet him. Ye Lan walked over, bowed slightly, and politely said, "Greetings, Uncle."
"Lan'er has grown so much! I remember when I first met you, you were such a tiny little thing. Now you're so poised and elegant, just like your mother."
Speaking of Ye Lan's mother, an elder from the Tiangang Sect walked over, stroking his beard with a smile, and said with a look of reminiscence, "Lingbo Fairy, she was indeed a beauty."
"Ahem, Fellow Daoist with the white beard, the Ye clan leader is still here. How dare you covet his wife? Are you tired of living?"
"The term 'beautiful' is a compliment, not something malicious. Do you think everyone is like you, Wild Dog Taoist?"
"How dare you speak like that!"
The group of people over there were chatting and laughing, while the disciples from other sects remained silent. After all, the trial was about to begin, and it would be a lie to say they weren't nervous.
Tao Tao also sat on the rock, her two little legs swinging listlessly. Although her expression had recovered, she was still somewhat depressed.
She seemed listless, and Song Chaofeng, worried about her, sat down in front of her, took a peach from his storage bracelet, and handed it to her. "Have some?"
"Mmm." Tao Tao didn't refuse and took it and started eating it in big bites. Seeing her like this, Song Chaofeng breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that she could still eat proved that there was no problem.
"So you're that transformed demon beast from the Annihilation Cold Sect? I've heard you have good aptitude. I wonder who's stronger, you or Ye Lan from the Ye family?"
While Tao Tao was eating, a female disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect, Du Yin, walked over and looked her over with interest. She first checked Tao Tao's cultivation level and found that she was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, so she looked down on her.
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao looked up suspiciously, then took another bite of the peach, completely ignoring her provocative words. "I don't know."
"Is it that you don't know, or that you simply don't dare to think about it? What if you end up in the Abyss of Spirits and can't even save your life? If you ask me, it would be better to become someone else's spirit beast. Maybe you can even rise to the top with your master."
"How dare you speak like that!"
Song Chaofeng couldn't take it anymore and shouted angrily, only to be mocked by Du Yin, "You've only reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, and your cultivation hasn't even been consolidated yet. You want to play the hero and save the beauty? Or is this little beast your spirit beast that you're protecting it like this?"
"Everyone says the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect are all refined and elegant, but seeing them today, they're nothing special." Song Chaofeng sneered, his words enraging Du Yin. "You!"
Du Yin raised his hand, and a blue light shot towards Song Chaofeng. Song Chaofeng reacted quickly and immediately summoned his magic weapon to defend, but the opponent's cultivation was above his, and he could not gain any advantage by forcibly attacking.
"Today I'll show you just how powerful the Hidden Moon Sect really is."
Seeing this, Song Chaofeng knew that even if he couldn't win, he had to fight to the death and never admit defeat, otherwise he would really be looked down upon.
Although Du Yin was a member of the Hidden Moon Sect, he was extremely ruthless. He kept fanning himself with his folding fan, and blue wind blades came flying through the air at great speed, clearly intended to kill.
It was just a verbal dispute, but she actually went so far as to kill him. This infuriated Song Chaofeng, who disregarded the friendship between fellow cultivators and used all the high-level magical artifacts he had collected.
"You dare to fight me? You're tired of living." Du Yin was extremely arrogant, constantly waving his folding fan and unleashing a barrage of wind blades. While Song Chaofeng dodged, he also cast a fire spell, sending a fist-sized fireball straight towards the woman.
The commotion was quite loud, attracting the attention of many people. Tao Tao finished eating the peach in his hand, then kicked off and disappeared from the spot.
Suddenly, Du Yin felt a cool sensation on her neck. She was startled and quickly thought of the brick when she heard Tao Tao's voice beside her, "I'm full."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tao Tao slapped her. The seemingly soft slap actually made Du Yin's neck twist. Her body suddenly turned to the side, and she saw a pair of big, bright eyes staring straight at her and grinning at her.
Du Yin was furious and was about to attack again when he heard a senior from Fuyun Mountain shout sternly: "The Trial of Shaling Abyss is about to begin. All disciples, please be prepared."
After they finished speaking, all the seniors from the sects gathered together and began to channel spiritual energy into the entrance of the Sha Ling Abyss. Soon, they saw a gap gradually open in the murky water before them, like the gates of heaven opening wide. However, it was dark and deep inside, and they could not see what was inside, giving people a strange sense of danger.
Seeing this, all the disciples participating in the trial held their breath, feeling both expectant and nervous.
"The mission scroll has been handed to you. It contains a rough map, which you can use to travel. However, I must remind you that the Demon Scale Valley at the deepest part of the Shattering Spirit Abyss is extremely dangerous. Even cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage may not be able to escape unscathed. If anyone wants the spiritual materials inside, they should think twice."
"This mission is the same as previous ones. You must obtain the five medicinal herbs recorded on the mission scroll and return safely when the forbidden gate opens in seven days to complete the mission. Although the Sha Ling Abyss is dangerous, it is full of rare treasures. What kind of fortune you will have depends on yourselves."
After the senior finished speaking, with a loud bang, everyone transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the opened forbidden door.
Du Yin was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth, but she couldn't delay any longer, since the first one in had an advantage. So she turned around and glared at Tao Tao, saying fiercely, "You just wait!"