A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 193 The Ceremony Opens

Before the morning market in Qingshui City had even opened, a vendor selling spirit fruits outside the city gate threw down his carrying pole, pointed in the direction of the Five Elements Sect, and exclaimed excitedly, "Look! What's that?!"

The crowd queuing to enter the city looked in the direction he pointed, and saw five thick plumes of spiritual energy rising from the tops of the five peaks of the Five Elements Sect on the horizon of the Five Elements Sect territory, like five awakened dragons coiled in the clouds!

The wood spirit veins of Qingmu Peak are a translucent, deep green, with spiritual smoke enveloping the illusory shadows of bamboo leaves filling the sky.

The fire spirit veins of Lihuo Peak are a blazing crimson, with spiritual smoke transforming into swirling flames, even dyeing the morning glow on the horizon a molten gold.

The earth spirit vein of Houtu Peak is the deepest, and the earth-yellow spirit smoke is like the spine of the earth rising up, standing tall and upright.

The water veins above Cangshui Peak are a deep blue, turning into waves when the wind blows, resembling a floating ocean from afar.

Xuanjin Peak is the sharpest, and the silvery-white spiritual smoke, like a drawn sword, pierces straight into the sky, even tearing a clear gash in the clouds.

"It's the Five Elements Sect! The Five Elements Sect has reopened its mountain gates today, what a commotion!"

Some cultivators had heard rumors but didn't know if they were true; now, however, it was confirmed.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, where are you going? Didn't we agree to go to the Xuan Tian Tower together to accept the mission?"

Several cultivators who were preparing to go to the Azure Scale Mountains to hunt spirit beasts saw that the strongest but usually unreliable Spirit Origin cultivator was heading towards the Five Elements Sect, so they hurriedly called out to him.

"I'm not going today. I'm going to the Five Elements Sect to watch the excitement. I got someone's protection last time, so I'll go help them out today!"

After leaving those words behind, the cultivator had vanished without a trace before his voice had even faded away.

"This Liu Ziyi is really unreliable! How come he's the strongest of all people..."

One of the rogue cultivators said in a fit of rage.

Another person chuckled helplessly, "Oh well, what can we do when someone is so lucky and talented? Let's go see what's going on. The people who rented the cave there raved about it, let's go check it out."

The rogue cultivator beside him sighed, "That's all we can do. Alas, I don't even know if we'll be able to get into their mountain gate."

"You're just dreaming!"

A female cultivator with a large scar on her face laughed and scolded, "Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? No matter how down on your luck they are, they are still one of the seven sects of the Northern Spirit Domain. You think you can enter their mountain gate as an honored guest?"

The group of independent cultivators burst into laughter, and about a third of them decided to join in the fun.

But most of the time, they choose to do their own thing.

Because most cultivators are still ordinary people who need to support their families, they can only bury themselves in hard work...

Most of the independent cultivators stopped about ten miles away from the Five Elements Sect's mountain gate. Further ahead, they would be within the radiation range of the Five Elements Revolving Array.

For cautious, independent cultivators, this is not a good choice.

A number of independent cultivators like Liu Ziyi gradually gathered on the official road, but no one dared to take another step forward.

They could only watch as flying boats or cultivators from sects and aristocratic families arrived on swords. Last time, the Five Elements Sect had protected the city during the massacre of the Sin Clan, and most of them were coming to offer their congratulations today.

Whether in the mortal realm or the spirit realm, etiquette is indispensable.

Within the Five Elements Sect, today's event will once again be held at Greenwood Peak.

The inner sect will remain closed to the public to avoid disturbing Tao Xixing's secluded practice.

Nine spirit jade bells hang from the eaves of the Green Wood Hall. The bells are carved from the warm jade of Cangshui Peak that has been there for a thousand years. When the wind blows, they do not make any sound, but only cause the surrounding spiritual energy to tremble slightly, spreading out circles of light blue spiritual patterns, which spread across Green Wood Peak like ripples.

Looking down from the platform, you'll see that overnight, a two-story building has appeared on the outer plaza of Qingmu Peak at the foot of the mountain.

The roof features a double-eaved hip roof covered with yellow glazed cylindrical tiles. The eaves tiles are "dragon-patterned eaves tiles," with a five-clawed golden dragon carved on the front, its body entwined with cloud patterns, its eyes protruding, and its scales and claws clearly defined. The "drip edge" below the eaves tile is a "dragon head drip edge," with the outline of a dragon's head carved at the end, its tongue slightly protruding, and rainwater dripping down along the dragon's tongue.

The surface of the thirty-six pillars is carved with "cloud and dragon patterns", with the dragon patterns surrounding the pillar bases and the dragon claws tightly gripping the "sea and cliffs". The pillars are painted with "red lacquer", and the top of the pillars is fitted with "brackets" at the junction with the crossbeams. The brackets are "dragon pattern brackets", which are "double-winged" and carved with a double dragon playing with a pearl pattern on the surface, with the dragon bodies wrapped in cloud patterns.

The white marble Sumeru pedestal consists of five parts: the upper lintel, the upper bracket, the waist, the lower bracket, and the lower lintel, and is surrounded by a white marble railing.

The Sumeru pedestal features two access paths on its front, located on either side of the central axis of the tower, for people to ascend and descend. These paths are paved with white marble slabs and consist of nine steps…

Five vermilion gates, with a plaque hanging above them, bearing the inscription:

Five Elements Tower!
Those invited to the city tower, including the leaders of the six sects and Tian Ru and others, were all somewhat bewildered.

And look at what that sect leader is wearing...

Well, the robes of cultivators in the spirit realm come in all sorts of strange and unusual styles.

If you dress properly, it's not too strange.

Li Weizhou appeared calm and composed, dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit.

As for the building in the square, it was naturally built in a one-to-one replica of Chengtianmen.

Produced by Dongda University, even the dimensions of a single brick or tile are accurate.

Of course, it wasn't a real brick and stone structure, but a wooden structure.

But for Li Weizhou, it made no difference.

With his current mastery of wood spirit machines and formations, none on Earth are as sturdy as this one.

I originally wanted to get a new hairstyle too, but after thinking about it, I decided against it. I was afraid that it would be too avant-garde for the public to accept.

Hou Haikun, Wang Kui, and others had already invited the hundreds of rogue cultivators who were watching the excitement outside the mountain gate to come in. Opposite the Five Elements Tower were four high platforms, and chairs were placed around the platforms.

Although not made of spirit wood, they are all exquisite and meticulously crafted.

However, there is no distinction between the inner and outer layers. The inner layer consists of guests from small and medium-sized families and sects. After all, none of them arrive empty-handed, and they are potential customers.

The outer layer consists of independent cultivators.

That's already pretty good; they originally planned to just watch from outside the mountain gate.

Being able to get in and even snag a seat was a pleasant surprise.

At the auspicious time, Li Weizhou stood in front of a row of microphones... well, the kind that are electric and have a loud sound.

He could certainly have done it with a simple magic circle, but he didn't.

Others can see through a magic array at a glance, but no one has this kind!
Hey!

"Fellow Daoists of the Northern Spirit Domain, respected sect leaders of all clans and families, and distinguished guests, today we gather here not only to celebrate the reopening of the Five Elements Sect's gates and the resumption of exchanges with fellow Daoists of the Northern Spirit Domain, but also to celebrate the three thousand years since the founding of the Five Elements Sect. Three thousand years ago, our ancestor, the Five Sacred Mountains True Lord..." This opening speech shocked everyone.

Everyone turned to look at Tian Ru. Tian Ru unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her sleeve, the earth spirit pattern embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief becoming slightly hot from the heat.

She could feel the gazes of the six sect leaders all fixed on her. Liu Xuanzhou's scrutiny was tinged with inquiry, Zhao Xinghe's doubts were hidden behind his cheerful brows, Su Qingwan's curiosity was wrapped in a gentle smile, Abbot Zhenkong of Tianji Temple's prayer beads stopped at his knuckles, the Star Chart Jade Pendant of the Xingluo Temple's leader trembled slightly, and even the most impatient leader of the Xuanlei Sword Sect squinted at her, clearly waiting for an explanation.

But she didn't say anything.

"Junior Sister Tian..."

Liu Xuanzhou smiled and spoke first, his voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable inquisitive tone: "Sect Leader Li said the Five Elements Sect has been established for three thousand years, but according to the records of the Northern Spirit Region, the Five Sacred Mountains True Monarchs established the sect more than two thousand nine hundred years ago. In between..."

Actually, the timing of the founding of a sect is not very significant, and no one has ever investigated it in depth before.

In the cultivation world, strength ultimately comes first, and few people care about such superficial matters.

Can……

Xuanyuan Dao Sect was originally the first of the seven sects to be established, but now, for no apparent reason, it seems to have been inferior to others...

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Xinghe smiled and replied, but his tone was serious: "Yes, Junior Sister Tian, ​​our seven sects share the same classics. Back when the Five Sacred Mountains True Monarch attained enlightenment and established his sect at Qinglin Cliff, our Seven Star Mountain Ancestor even sent a congratulatory gift. That was 2,912 years ago, how could it be 3,000 years ago?"

Su Qingwan gently stroked the jade hairpin at her temple. The water-spirit pattern on the hairpin shimmered with pale blue. She smiled and said, "The 'Northern Spirit Genealogy' of the Moon Evolution Sect also records that the Five Sacred Mountains True Lords established their sect after the war between immortals and demons, which is indeed less than three thousand years ago. Sect Leader Li, is there some origin we don't know about that you're talking about?"

Tian Ru took a deep breath, cursing that wicked disciple to death in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.

Li Weizhou was still her apprentice, and he had given her instructions, so she had to cover for him now...

Tian Ru raised a hand to smooth her hair, her gaze sweeping over the disciples who were still rambling on and on, finding it somewhat amusing. She said, "My fellow disciples, you may not know this, but before my husband, Tao Xixing, went into seclusion, he organized the sect's secret ancestral manuscripts. The manuscripts say that the Five Sacred Mountains True Monarchs established their sect here three hundred years before the sect was founded. However, at that time, their Daoist practices were not yet complete, and they did not have the name 'Five Elements Sect.' It wasn't until three hundred years later, after achieving the Daoist rank of True Monarch, that they became famous throughout the world. Moreover…"

She paused, then continued, "The notes also record that when the Patriarch attained enlightenment, he wrote down the prophecy 'Three thousand years later, the Five Elements will shine again.' As for Weizhou, today is not only the reopening of the mountain gate, but also a fulfillment of the Patriarch's prophecy. So let's include these three thousand years of history in the account, so that future disciples will not forget the hardships the Patriarch endured to establish the mountain."

Upon hearing this, the leaders of the six sects fell silent.

Master Zhenkong of Tianji Temple, fingering his prayer beads, murmured, "Amitabha, if there were a patriarch's handwritten notes as proof, then we would be truly ignorant. But these notes..."

"The manuscript was destroyed, but it contained the pure five elements of spiritual energy left behind by the founder, which was originally intended to be given to his successors. However, the Five Elements Sect was not blessed with good fortune. Since the founder, no one has been able to possess all five elements of spiritual roots at the same time, and these five elements of spiritual roots are evenly distributed. Until Wei Zhou appeared. It was because of this that Wei Zhou and the others were able to step into the Spirit Origin Realm in just two years of cultivation."

Tian Ru said frankly.

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, and disregarding the three thousand years of undeserved fame, they hurriedly began to ask questions.

Tian Ru smiled wryly, "I don't know the specifics. I only heard it from Wei Zhou. The patriarch left a legacy at the array plate of the Five Elements Hall. It contains a massive amount of pure Five Elements essence..."

The six sect leaders were one thing, but their prized disciples, and even their nephews and nieces, all had red eyes.

They've all had their share of extraordinary encounters, just of varying degrees.

Opportunities were plentiful for them; given their background, many opportunities were presented to them on their own initiative...

However, they also want that kind of opportunity where the patriarch feeds them and they instantly rise to the top!

Ideally, the position of sect leader should also be passed on to them!
Everyone understood that with this gift, Li Weizhou's position as sect leader was unshakeable even if Tao Xixing emerged from seclusion.

All eyes turned to Li Weizhou again, who was still speaking with measured intonation: "The Five Elements Sect is opening its doors wide, willing to discuss the Dao with all cultivators of the Northern Spiritual Region. These four arenas will be permanently set up, opening on the first and fifteenth of each month. The specific rules are as follows..."

The rogue cultivators, who had initially found it strange, were surprised to learn that the top three in terms of the number of successful defenses would receive a substantial reward, with no restrictions on cultivation techniques, magic weapons, pills, array plates, or talismans.

Similarly, the person who succeeded in the challenge the most times also did so.

If one feels that physical action is uncivilized, one can discuss formations and talismans.

And today is the first year of the event, so a bunch of prizes were presented on the spot.

Numerous treasures floated on the four arenas, their spiritual light intertwining, making even the glazed tiles of the Five Elements Tower shine even brighter.

Li Weizhou then introduced the jade slip one by one, saying that it was the "Green Wood Longevity Technique," a pure and refined Taoist method. When cultivating it, one could draw upon the wood spiritual veins to nourish the meridians, repair hidden injuries, and extend lifespan.

A collective gasp arose from the group of unaffiliated cultivators; this type of technique held a fatal attraction for them.

The cultivation methods for increasing lifespan have always been treasured by prestigious sects. Even small and medium-sized families and sects find it difficult to obtain a single copy, let alone independent cultivators who lack resources.

In their quest for a sliver of opportunity to cultivate immortality, almost none of them refrained from fighting and killing each other. Lacking the support of sects or families, any damage to their meridians, without precious medicine to heal them, would inevitably shorten their lifespan. And this cultivation technique…

Countless powerful rogue cultivators are determined to obtain it!

In addition to the jade slip containing the cultivation method, there were also magical artifacts.

A flaming sword, a top-grade magic weapon!
What Tian Ru used was a high-grade magic weapon...

This is what it means to invest heavily!

The elixirs, array plates, talismans, and so on that followed were all incredibly tempting.

A rogue cultivator used his magical power to ask loudly, "Sect Leader Li, may I ask if there is a fee of spirit stones required to challenge someone on the arena?"

With over ten thousand years of spiritual heritage, what kind of tricks haven't they tried?
There are countless ways to take advantage of an opportunity to make money.

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "What kind of talk is that? Charging fees? Wouldn't my Five Elements Sect be a fraudster? Rest assured, we won't take a single penny. It's just that my Five Elements Sect has gone through many hardships, and our manpower is dwindling. We are temporarily unable to do much for our fellow cultivators in the Northern Spirit Region. But since we are one of the Seven Sects of the Northern Spirit Region, we should still do something for our fellow cultivators. You can all rest assured."

"it is good!!"

Hundreds or even thousands of independent cultivators cheered in unison, showering them with all sorts of beautiful words and blessings...

From this day forward, the Five Elements Sect will be a sect with a history of three thousand years, the oldest of the Seven Sects of Northern Spirit, and also the most humane. Anyone who opposes it will be met with insults and curses from these rogue cultivators.

Just as the crowd was buzzing with excitement, four figures landed on the arena.

The others were alright, but Qi Zhenkun, Xiao Yichen, and the others who had come up from the lower realm were all with their fellow disciples below the city wall, and their eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.

What do you mean? They cultivated with all their might, striving for opportunities, and finally managed to reach the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, which means they can manipulate objects and fly on swords. They thought they were already among the best!
result……

This whole family has already reached the Spirit Origin level?!

……

P.S.: Hehe. The greatest joy of writing is that, compared to the dull and boring reality, I can let my imagination run wild in the world of stories, living a carefree and colorful life.

(End of this chapter)