Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 583 The Young Man Once Learned Mountain Climbing Techniques - Longquan Sword Sect
[But in your eyes, it was a different scene. The snakehead fish had already survived the heavenly tribulation; the raging golden wind had long since ceased. It lay limp and motionless on the spot, seemingly exhausted.]

Strangely, the fish's body, which was originally covered in wounds and bloodstains, began to heal rapidly after the heavenly tribulation.

The lightning that struck again was no longer filled with destructive intent, but instead exuded a "burgeoning" power—like the spring thunder awakening the insects, stirring the vitality of all things.

Just like the "Awakening of Insects" in the twenty-four solar terms, "hibernation" means to lie dormant, but when the spring thunder roars, all hibernating insects, birds, and beasts awaken, and heaven and earth are reborn.

Those who survive the heavenly tribulation will also receive gifts from Heaven.

Bathed in lightning, the snakehead fish's aura surged, its physical body and blood reaching new heights. Its body, originally resembling a giant tortoise's shell, gradually transformed, with small claws sprouting from its lower body.

[When sea creatures undergo tribulation, their forms often revert to their ancestral origins. Judging from this strange phenomenon, could the ancestor of this snakehead fish actually be a descendant of the ancestral dragon?]

However, dragons are inherently promiscuous, so it's not surprising that their races are so diverse.

[However, the True Dragon Clan has always considered themselves descended from the Ancestral Dragon and has always looked down on other mixed-blood descendants.]

Moreover, those who possess dragon blood are often forced to be driven by true dragons—bloodline suppression is an unchanging law among demonic beasts.

One reason why the Dragon Clan can firmly hold the position of overlord of the four seas is that many of the sea creatures possess dragon blood, and all of them submit to their might.

Dragons also practice endogamy to maintain the purity of their bloodline.

Qi Ling and the others had also realized that the snakehead fish had successfully survived the heavenly tribulation.

Half a day later, the thunder and lightning subsided, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the sky once again became clear and blue, revealing white clouds and azure skies.

The giant snakehead, having further enhanced its cultivation, stood abruptly before the treasure ship, its imposing aura overwhelming and unyielding.

The group showed no fear – there were three elders on board who had already attained the Golden Core stage of the Great Dao, and Duanmu Xiwei was also present.

[When ordinary beasts or demons first begin their cultivation and reach realms before the Dragon Court, they often rely on their powerful physical bodies and innate bloodline talents, making it difficult for human cultivators to directly confront them.]

However, once a cultivator transcends the Golden Core stage of the Great Dao, their physical body becomes flawless, and they are further protected by magical treasures, making it difficult for demonic beasts of the same level to gain the upper hand.

There were four Golden Core cultivators on the treasure ship, so Qi Ling and the others were not worried about the snakehead fish suddenly attacking.

Duanmu Xiwei and Xin Tie, however, found the situation somewhat troublesome. While they weren't afraid of the snakehead fish itself, they knew that when a strange beast underwent its tribulation, it would always be protected by a highly skilled elder.

This is precisely why they did not easily drive the beast away.

The snakehead fish, having just survived its heavenly tribulation, exuded an imposing aura. Its massive body was even three-tenths larger than the treasure ship. Those on board looked up, but could only see it as a towering tortoise shell obscuring the sun; its head was nowhere to be seen.

A moment later, the snakehead fish withdrew its imposing aura, let out a low growl that sounded neither like a dog nor a snake, and then leisurely swam away.

Seeing this, Duanmu Xiwei breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this beast was not one to be ignorant of its own limitations.

Once the snakehead fish had gone far away, Xin Tie ordered the treasure ships to continue their journey.

[You watched the giant beast's departing figure, a slight sense of unease creeping into your heart: even though the snakehead fish are known for their gentleness among the sea creatures, the intrusion of humans into its tribulation grounds was no small matter. Its calm departure was truly perplexing.]

Could it be that the sea creatures of the East Sea have become so knowledgeable about etiquette?

You shook your head. Even humans can't act this way, let alone demons and beasts? Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune is ultimately the instinct of all living things.

Six more days passed.

[You emerged from the meditation room once more, and Sun Miao, Qi Ling, and the others appeared one after another.]

The reason is simple—the treasure ship has already stopped. From within the clouds, another treasure ship, shaped like a giant sword, has appeared, traversing the continents and seas, cutting through the clouds.

[With banners waving above, you recognized it at a glance: it was the Longquan Sword Sect.]

The Longquan Sword Sect is located on the coast of the East China Sea, with half of its territory being sea area, leading to frequent conflicts with sea creatures.

If the sea creatures were to launch a large-scale invasion of Yuzhou in the Central Plains, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect would undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt.

Therefore, all nine branches of the orthodox sects send disciples to reside permanently within their sects to jointly prevent any unforeseen events.

Almost every spring, tens of thousands, even countless, of sea monsters descend upon the Central Plains of Yuzhou; this has become a regular occurrence.

The corpses of the fallen demons piled up like mountains, a truly horrific sight.

These sea creatures did not come ashore voluntarily, but were driven by the dragons, which is why they so fearlessly attacked human territory.

The root cause is simply that the marine life has multiplied to hundreds of millions, making it far too vast for the marine resources to sustain without control.

Therefore, those who came to attack were mostly low-level sea creatures whose intelligence had not yet been developed.

The Longquan Sword Sect devoted almost all its energy to resisting the invasion of the sea tribes, thus becoming the most unique sect among the nine righteous sects, second only to Zhongnan Mountain.

What makes Zhongnan Mountain special is its extremely small number of disciples. This vast sect has only a few dozen disciples, and each generation sends only two people to travel the world.

Of these two, one will undoubtedly become the future leader of Zhongnan Mountain.

[You regain your composure and see that Duanmu Xiwei and Xin Tie have already met with several elders of the Longquan Sword Sect. Both sides have activated an isolation array, making it difficult for you to observe their conversation even with your Jade Emperor's Qi Observation Technique.]

However, many disciples of the Longquan Sword Sect are already looking towards you from the deck of their treasure ship.

[This group of young people, who appear to be around your age, must be the disciples of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect who intend to enter the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury this time.]

[The number of people is similar to yours, also twelve.]

Not only did the disciples of the Longquan Sword Sect gaze at each other from across the boat, but Sun Miao, Feng Qingge, and others also cast their eyes in the same direction.

As they exchanged glances, shock flashed in the eyes of the disciples of Fangcun Mountain.

Yuan Shujian uttered four words in a low voice, his tone tinged with hesitation: "Dragon Court Realm..."

Your gaze falls on the third floor of the Longquan Sword Sect's treasure ship, where a handsome young man in a yellow Taoist robe stands, carrying two swords on his back. His face is striking, yet a chilling, murderous aura lingers between his brows.

The aura emanating from him had actually reached the early stage of the Dragon Court realm!

All the disciples of Fangcun Mountain looked surprised, and Fu Dongcheng frowned deeply.

It should be noted that even Sun Miao, the senior disciple of Fangcun Mountain, has not yet broken through to the Heavenly Gate Realm.

You look again at the Dragon Spring Sword Sect's treasure ship, and see disciples standing on the second and third floors, gazing into the distance from the railings.

Apart from the young man in yellow, the other eleven had all reached the late stage of the Heavenly Gate realm, and a faint aura of malevolence surrounded them.

This murderous aura was not caused by ordinary "killing," but rather by a chilling killing intent forged through countless battles and trials.

The Longquan Sword Sect guards the East Sea, and its disciples are all forged through bloody battles with sea creatures since childhood.

This discovery caused the expressions of everyone at Fangcun Mountain to darken once again.

Although they had long resided within the territory of Fangcun Mountain, they were well aware that their sect ranked last among the nine righteous sects, a comparison that made their expressions grim.

[Especially the three members of Qi Yun Peak, Ji Heng and his companions, who have always prided themselves on being role models in the mountains and are also among the strongest in the sect.]

Moreover, Yao Xia, a swordsman from the Longquan Sword Sect, was not accompanying them—he had previously visited Fangcun Mountain together with the Fairy of Yaotai in West Kunlun.

Now, witnessing firsthand the imposing presence of the Longquan Sword Sect disciples, the three couldn't help but feel a sense of disparity.

However, Sun Miao's expression remained unchanged, as did Qi Ling beside you, Ziwei from Five-Colored Peak, and Xie Mosheng from Red Crane Peak.

[As for the emergence of a cultivator at the Dragon Court Realm within the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, you're not surprised. It's not unusual for a major sect to dedicate itself to nurturing an outstanding disciple.]

The world's geniuses are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, endless and boundless.

Moreover, this world is in a period of great strife; without the emergence of outstanding talents, it would seem rather desolate.

[Your eyesight is quite sharp even at this distance; you can discern not only their expressions but also what they are saying.] [They seem to be talking about you, but you don't pay any attention and walk back into the quiet room.]

[The same applies to Qi Ling and the others. This trip to the East Sea Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault will not only involve facing the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, but also encountering the geniuses of the nine righteous sects, the prodigies of the unorthodox paths, and the holy sons and daughters of the demonic sects.]

You sit back on the meditation cushion, silently calculating the time; you should be less than half a month away from your destination.

He then continued his quiet cultivation, focusing intently on studying the subsequent paths of enlightenment.

These past few months of repeated contemplation have only made the path ahead increasingly unclear, especially as the number of profound techniques I cultivate has increased, the complexities arising in my mind have become ever more intricate.

It's as if a dozen or so mountain paths branch off from beneath your feet, each one trodden by others, each marked by a predecessor.

It seems that you only need to step onto one of these paths to experience the breathtaking scenery at the very top of this world.

Your heart is as calm as still water. The state of "selflessness" that ordinary cultivators strive for is something you can easily achieve by simply entering a meditative state.

A sudden enlightenment is rare for ordinary people, but it can happen in the blink of an eye.

But at this moment, you are lost...stopping at the foot of the mountain, hesitant to move forward.

Inside the quiet room.

The boy tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing through the window and landing on the boundless sea of ​​clouds on the horizon.

Beneath the magnificent treasure ship lies a vast, turbulent sea.

Above the sky, clouds drift and swirl.

He softly recited: "In my youth I learned the art of mountain climbing... but alas, I am but a person within this world."

No one answered.

The young man smiled slightly, then quickly entered a meditative state again.

~

On the ferry ship of the Longquan Sword Sect.

A few clouds drifted by.

A young man exhaled and formed a sword, shattering the fleeting clouds before him.

"Yun Feichen, you're really boring!" A woman on the second floor said helplessly, resting her chin on her hands. "If you're so capable, go and fight Lingxiao Jianzi, or find Che Zixu and have a sword duel."

"Yun Feichen, don't let me down."

The young man named Yun Feichen glanced at her sideways and said indifferently, "With your belligerence, how will you ever get married?"

The woman spat lightly and proudly raised her head:

"I, Chan, consider this life insignificant, my only companion is the sword. What need do I have for men?"

Chan suddenly changed the subject, "Yun Feichen, did you notice any disciples from Fangcun Mountain just now?"

"I think I saw a disciple... who was only at the Dao Embryo stage, and only at the mid-stage!"

"Could it be that I'm seeing things?"

Yun Feichen nodded slightly, "You are not mistaken, there is indeed one disciple of Fangcun Mountain whose cultivation is stuck at the Dao Embryo realm."

Chan Qing couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement: "Even if Fangcun Mountain has been declining in recent years, it is still a major sect with a history of thousands of years. To send a Dao Embryo Realm disciple for such an important event... isn't that a bit too ridiculous?"

Yun Feichen glanced at her with a strange expression.

Chan Qinghun said nonchalantly, "What, am I wrong? It's not like I'm a country bumpkin... I was referring to the sea creatures I killed."

Yun Feichen turned back and looked at the treasure ship opposite him. "Apart from this Dao Embryo Realm disciple, the cultivation levels of the rest of them are mostly at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Gate Realm."

"That does fit the image of Fangcun Mountain's weakness. They are located in the heart of Yuzhou in the Central Plains, with their own sect in the east blocking the sea tribes and the Daoling Sect in the south acting as a shield for the demonic sects... Over the years, they have probably forgotten what it means to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path."

Beside Yun Feichen was a young man who chuckled, "With such a low cultivation level as a Dao Embryo, he would probably die inside the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury."

"Under my sword domain, they don't even have a chance to make a move."

The two remained noncommittal after hearing this. In the Longquan Sword Sect, sea creatures at the Dao Embryo Realm were referred to as "miscellaneous fish" or "rotten shrimp."

Of the few people present, none had killed more than a thousand, but certainly several hundred.

However, Yun Feichen did feel that the boy's eyes were quite bright.

Chan Qing asked with interest, "It is said that there is a person on Fangcun Mountain who claims to be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Mansion Star. What do you think?"

Yun Feichen laughed and said, "It's not that great. It's just passable behind closed doors. You've seen those righteous people before, and none of them are bad."

"The Dragon and Tiger Ranking of the Righteous Path, the names of the Ten Luminaries, are not empty words; they are all earned through battle. This... Heavenly Mansion Star is not among them."

"With these powerful figures gathered, Fangcun Mountain knows its own worth."

"Moreover, there are also the demonic path and the heretical path."

Even Chan Qingtian's fearless face showed a hint of apprehension.

"Alright... I'll keep a low profile this time with the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury."

~

The East China Sea, a vast expanse of water.

Suddenly, the giant fish carrying massive armor surged out from the clouds, and with a turn of its body, it transformed into a burly middle-aged man, sitting upright on the cloud.

His face was resolute, with distinct features, except for blue ripples on his cheeks, resembling fish scales.

At this moment, however, a hint of melancholy lingered between his brows as he said in a deep voice:

"Brother Ant, why didn't you let me teach those cultivators a lesson just now?"

"Unauthorized trespassing on my tribulation grounds is a grave taboo for my sea race..."

Before he finished speaking, a purple-gold light suddenly shone brightly.

Beside him suddenly appeared a gaunt old Taoist priest in blue robes, with a long face, who remained silent.

Seeing that the old Taoist remained silent, Wang Zai couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

This old Taoist was none other than Zhou Jing. If Zhou Jing were here, he would recognize him at a glance—he was none other than the Ant Immortal who had escaped from Xiaoqing Peak of Fangcun Mountain.

The snakehead fish has the shape of a tortoise and also enjoys the longevity of a tortoise. A thousand years ago, Wang Zai met the Ant Immortal and knew that the old Taoist's foundation was that of a true spirit.

Although they had a good relationship, otherwise they wouldn't have asked the Ant Immortal to protect them during their tribulation.

Deep down, Wang Zai was still somewhat afraid of him.

"Brother Ant, I'm not blaming you. You've worked so hard to protect me, it's just that what you've done has made me..."

The old Taoist waved his hand, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and smacked his lips, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Why is the old Taoist priest so uneasy, and his eyelids are twitching..."

"Weird..."

(End of this chapter)