Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

Above the main peak, the sword light gradually slowed down. The leader, a black-clad cultivator with a long sword at his waist, exuded sword energy like a sharp blade hanging overhead, pressing down on the disciples on the side peaks so that they couldn't lift their heads. He was none other than the elder leading the Tianzhao Sect.

After seeing off the group from Su Shui Ge, Xin Zi turned to face the sharp sword energy rushing towards her. Her expression remained calm as she slowly stepped forward to greet them.

Upon seeing Xin Zi approach, the black-clad cultivator leading the Tianzhao Sect group voluntarily withdrew his sword aura.

Only then did Zhang Li fully understand why the sect had specifically assigned the most experienced Third Elder, Xin Zi, to be in charge of welcoming and receiving guests today.

Third Elder Xin Zi is a renowned alchemist throughout the entire Desolate Continent, a pillar of the continent's alchemy tradition, and everyone has to give him some face in public.

After all, alchemists are the most unique beings in the cultivation world.

Cultivators rely on alchemy masters for breakthroughs, healing, strengthening their foundations, and refining precious pills. Even the arrogant and proud Tianzhao Sect cultivators, who rarely pay attention to others, dare not easily offend a top alchemist.

Xin Zi didn't need to display any power; her unparalleled alchemy skills alone were enough to make all forces restrain their arrogance and observe proper etiquette. The Li family's restraint of the fire dragon as a sign of respect, and the Tianzhao Sect's voluntary dispersal of its intimidating sword energy, were both based on the same principle.

Just as Xin Zi and all the cultivators from the Tianzhao Sect took their seats, a faint silver glow slowly appeared on the western horizon, signaling the arrival of the Tianxing Sect.

The group walked slowly on thin clouds, their robes embroidered with simple star patterns. Their aura was restrained, unlike the intimidating fire of the Li family or the sharp sword energy of the Tianzhao Sect.

Many disciples on the side peak turned to look.

Pei Yiming said in a low voice, "The Heavenly Star Sect has always been like this. They don't like to make a fuss. They may look inconspicuous, but no one dares to underestimate them."

At this point, he lowered his voice further: "If you encounter members of the Heavenly Star Sect in the future, try to avoid making enemies if possible. Once you do, you must not hesitate to attack. Once they activate their formations and use their talismans, you will be in trouble."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li understood. As a spirit talisman master, he naturally knew how troublesome spirit talisman masters were, and even more so how terrifying spirit array masters were.

If they manage to hold their ground, even if one's cultivation level is slightly higher, it is very easy to fall into a passive position, be controlled step by step, and find it difficult to escape.

At this moment, the bell of the main peak resounded through the mountains, clear and melodious.

All the guests from all directions were seated, and the sensational Golden Elixir Ceremony that shook the desolate continent officially began.

A moment later, a beam of yellow light shot up from behind the high platform, piercing through the sea of ​​clouds.

A yellow-robed cultivator stepped out slowly, his posture upright. He was none other than Duan Yang of the Qingxuan Sect, the protagonist of today's ceremony.

On the high platform, Elder Duanyang slightly raised his hand, and his voice echoed through the nearby mountains: "Thank you all for coming from afar, fellow Daoists from the desolate state. I, Duanyang, would like to express my gratitude to you all."

As soon as he finished speaking, he bowed slightly, showing great courtesy.

The guests and disciples all rose to return the greetings and congratulate Duan on achieving the Golden Core realm.

After the ceremony, the grand ceremony officially began with everyone taking their seats.

Spiritual wine and celestial spring water were poured into cups, and rare delicacies and spiritual fruits were laid out. Celestial music wafted through the mountains, and various factions chatted and laughed, exchanging pleasantries with each other, creating a peaceful and grand scene.

The banquet progressed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, we arrived at the table.

In the viewing area on the side peak, many cultivators from various sects who came to attend the event could no longer contain their excitement. On the surface, they remained calm, sipping wine and chatting, but their eyes would occasionally glance at the banquet on the main peak, secretly looking forward to it.

Even the disciples of the Qingxuan Sect were looking longingly at the few seats on the main peak.

"They really love making a scene."

Zhang Li looked at Pei Yiming and the others, who were staring wide-eyed at the main peak, and couldn't help but sigh in the play.

Throughout history, whenever there has been a period of peace and all the major powers gathered together, there has never been a time when they did not engage in several battles.

While outwardly etiquette and morality are observed, the path of cultivation is inherently competitive. This grand gathering provides a perfect opportunity to hone one's skills and test the strengths of others. Today, all the top forces of the Desolate Continent are present, and with such an opportunity before them, no one wants to miss it easily.

The change in atmosphere between the guests and disciples on the side peak could not escape the perception of the group of Golden Core cultivators.

The black-robed elder of the Amaterasu Sect, who had been silent all along, finally slowly raised his hand, put down his wine cup, looked at Duan Yang, and his voice resounded throughout the banquet:

"I have heard that Fellow Daoist Duan has a profound foundation and profound Daoist skills. My Tianzhao Sect has always advocated sword sparring. Today, I would like to take advantage of Fellow Daoist's grand ceremony to ask Fellow Daoist for some guidance on Golden Core Daoist techniques. I will stop here. Of course, I know that Fellow Daoist has just achieved Golden Core and has not yet forged his natal magic weapon, so I will not ask for permission."

"I wonder, fellow Daoist, do you dare to accept?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Yang's expression did not change much.

From the moment the Tianzhao Sect members stepped into the mountain gate, he had a premonition that this sparring match was unavoidable. If he avoided it in public, it would not only damage his own reputation but also put the Qingxuan Sect at a disadvantage in front of his fellow cultivators.

He slowly rose and calmly said, "Since Fellow Daoist Xu is so keen on discussing the Dao, I will gladly accompany you on Duan Yang. Let's have a battle in the heavens to avoid affecting our disciples. What do you say?"

"Of course!" Xu Feng nodded.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Feng's figure blurred, transforming into a black shadow that shot straight into the sky.

Duan Yang remained calm and composed, a golden aura rising around him, and he soared into the air.

Below, everyone at the banquet stood up simultaneously, their eyes fixed on the two figures high in the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Mo, between Fellow Daoist Duan and Fellow Daoist Xu, who do you think has a higher chance of winning?"

The Golden Core cultivator from the Li family looked at the cultivator beside him whose robes were embroidered with large star patterns.

The Golden Core cultivator from the Heavenly Star Sect, understanding the other party's purpose, immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Li, which of my spiritual items has caught your eye? Just say it directly, there's no need to beat around the bush."

"Isn't it because I heard that you obtained a piece of meteorite iron?" asked the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Li with a smile.

The Golden Core cultivator surnamed Mo pondered for a moment, then said, "That's fine, but I heard you have a Wind Whispering Beast's demon core in your possession?"

Clearly, the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Mo also wanted the demon core in the other party's possession.

The two of them were each after the spirit ore in the other's body and the demon core in the other's body; each had their own needs, so they hit it off immediately.

There were clearly more than one such bet. At this moment, the battle between Duan Yang and Xu Feng had become a tool for gambling among the various cultivators.

With all the bets settled, the duel between the two in the sky officially came to an end.

High above the sea of ​​clouds, Xu Feng made the first move.

Although he promised not to use his natal magic weapon, he didn't say he wouldn't use any magical artifacts. A top-grade spiritual artifact sword fell into his hand, and then he pointed forward. Countless pale blue sword energies sprang from the void, crisscrossing and transforming into a huge sword net that enveloped Duan Yang.

Before the sword energy even got close, its sharp edge tore through the clouds, causing many cultivators below to be secretly alarmed.

the other side.

Duan Yang remained calm and composed. His golden core trembled slightly, and his profound and enduring magical power surged forth. Earthy yellow spiritual light churned and condensed in front of him, transforming into several thick and heavy rock walls that stood layer upon layer in the void, like a continuous mountain range.

Boom!

The sword energy crashed violently against the rock wall, causing a burst of spiritual light. Fragments of stone flew everywhere, and the outermost layer of the rock wall was instantly covered with cracks before collapsing with a deafening roar.

Xu Feng stood on the cloud, his eyes unmoving. With a slight tremor of his top-grade magic sword, the scattered sword energy instantly converged into one, the massive sword net suddenly tightened, and thousands of fragmented sword energies condensed into an extremely refined cyan sword beam. It pierced through the clouds with a piercing sound, shooting straight towards Duan Yang!

Seeing this, Duan Yang dared not be careless. His fingertips instantly changed their hand seals, and the shattered yellow spiritual light instantly gathered again, layer upon layer, condensing into a thick, dark yellow stone shield in front of him.

call out--!

The cyan sword beam slammed into the center of the stone shield!

The ear-piercing sound of clashing weapons echoed through the mountains, and the immense force instantly shattered the surface of the stone shield, causing fine cracks to spread rapidly.

Duan Yang's body trembled slightly, as the sword strike caused his blood and qi to churn.

The entire arena below was silent, everyone staring intently at the battle unfolding in the sky.

The foundation of an established Golden Core cultivator is indeed incomparable to that of a newly promoted one.

"Fellow Daoist Duan, is all you know how to do?"

Xu Feng snorted coldly, his feet slipped into the air, and his figure suddenly split apart!

In an instant, three afterimages appeared in the sky, the three figures surrounding each other from three sides, raising their swords at the same time.

A sky full of azure light descended, and three layers of sword energy spread out simultaneously!

Countless cyan sword energies intertwined to form an array, locking down all of Duan Yang's evasive angles. The sharp sword energy pressed down so hard that the Qi Refining cultivators below could not stand up straight. It was not until Jiang Chang activated the great array that a hazy light screen rose up, which isolated the sharpness of the leaking sword energy.

"Is this what a Golden Core cultivator is like? Even from this distance, the mere residual power of their sword energy is enough to make it hard for us to breathe." Zhang Li stared intently at the two facing off in the sky, inwardly marveling.

He is now at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his physical body, thanks to the Golden Body Technique, far surpasses that of other cultivators at the same level. He considers himself quite confident in the Qi Refining realm, but when that sword aura rushed towards him just now, he still felt a sense of insignificance and powerlessness.

Zhang Li suddenly remembered a sentence he had seen in the Sutra Repository.

If you don't become a Nascent Soul cultivator, you'll remain an ant forever!

In today's desolate continent, even if one doesn't achieve the Golden Core stage, one will ultimately remain an ant!

Filled with emotion, Zhang Li did not underestimate himself. He had only been cultivating for a few years. As long as he persevered and did not perish, with the [Cave Heaven] within him, he would eventually achieve the Golden Core, condense the Nascent Soul, and even immortality was not out of the question.

high in the air.

Faced with Xu Feng's attack, Duan Yang no longer stuck to his defense.

He made a hand seal and shouted, "Rise!"

In an instant, beneath the sea of ​​clouds high in the sky, endless earth elemental power gathered wildly, and towering, illusory mountain phantoms rose and fell from the void, layer upon layer, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Then he reached down a little.

"fall!"

The illusory images of a thousand mountains crashed down with a deafening roar!

The entire sky darkened instantly, and the thousands of mountains instantly overshadowed the green peaks.

Boom—!

Heaven and earth trembled, and divine light soared into the sky!

The cyan sword energy collided violently with the yellow mountain, and the dazzling shockwaves of spiritual light spread out in layers, sweeping in all directions.

The three figures that Xu Feng conjured were shattered by the heavy pressure of the mountain, and his real body was forced to fly back several feet. A hint of surprise finally flashed in his eyes.

Duan Yang stood in the void, his robes fluttering in the wind, his aura slightly fluctuating, but his fighting spirit remained undiminished.

"Fellow Daoist Xu's swordsmanship is exquisite, but unfortunately it cannot suppress the Mountain-Suppressing Daoist Technique of my Qingxuan Sect!"

Before he finished speaking, Duan Yang made another hand seal, and nine giant mountain shadows rose into the air, layer upon layer covering the sky, ready to launch a counterattack!

The entire audience below erupted in cheers. The disciples on the side peaks were deeply shaken, and the Golden Core cultivators on the seats sat up straight, their gazes solemn.

This is the true battle of the Golden Core cultivators! A single move can disrupt the winds and clouds, a single rage can destroy a thousand mountains!

Nine colossal mountain shadows swirled across the sky, carrying an overwhelming force capable of suppressing all things, and crashed down upon Xu Feng, causing visible ripples to appear in the air.

Upon seeing this, Xu Feng's expression darkened slightly, and the slightest hint of disdain vanished from his eyes.

He slashed horizontally with his top-grade magic sword, and millions of azure sword energies soared into the sky around him, all converging and merging to instantly condense into a giant azure sword tens of feet long, which swept towards the mountain shadow that was suppressing the two.

Boom!

The giant sword crashed into the mountain phantoms, and the first mountain phantom shattered instantly. The remaining eight giant mountain phantoms followed one after another, their heavy pressure undiminished.

Xu Feng continued his offensive, manipulating his giant sword to slash repeatedly, causing one mountain shadow after another to explode.

However, Duan Yang's magical power was inexhaustible, and the shattered mountain spiritual light quickly reassembled, still surrounding and suppressing the mountain layer by layer.

Knowing that he couldn't afford to remain in a stalemate, Xu Feng suddenly unleashed all his magical power. The cyan giant sword shone brightly, gathering its strongest attack, and slammed down directly towards the center of all the mountain phantoms.

Duan Yang's expression was solemn as he fully activated his Daoist magic, merging the remaining giant mountain shadows into one to withstand the sword strike.

A massive burst of spiritual light swept across the vast sea of ​​clouds, the intense light forcing the people below to squint.

Both figures were simultaneously thrown back several feet by the impact, neither of them gaining the upper hand in the single strike.

Xu Feng gripped his sword and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Duan, I underestimated you. Let's settle this with one strike."

"We will do as Fellow Daoist Xu says," Duan Yang nodded.

Xu Feng's mana surged suddenly, his aura surged dramatically, and a cyan sword domain appeared behind him.

Three hundred and sixty-five sword shadows slowly emerged in the sword domain behind him, but only fifty-four of them materialized into real images, while the rest remained in a semi-illusory state.

But at this moment, Xu Feng's aura reached its peak.

Similarly, on the other side.

Duan Yang mobilized all the magical power in his dantian, and his aura reached its peak, with twelve illusory mountain shadows appearing behind him.

Of the twelve illusory figures, only one successfully solidified, with blue and red spiritual light flowing across the mountain.

The next moment, the two attacked simultaneously.

"Zhou Tian Sword Shadow!" Xu Feng shouted in a low voice, raising his hand and slashing forward.

Fifty-four solid sword shadows rushed out of the sword domain at the same time, connecting end to end, and gathered into a blue sword rainbow that pierced through the sky, tearing through the clouds and heading straight for Duan Yang!

"The Return of Zhenyue to One"

Duan Yang thrust his palm forward, and the blue and red mountain roared out, carrying immense pressure as it rose against the sky.

Boom!!

The azure sword rainbow and the two-colored mountain collided violently in the center of the sky! The dazzling spiritual light exploded, and the intertwined waves swept across the sea of ​​clouds for thousands of miles. The flowing clouds were instantly blown away, and the residual force caused the hazy light curtain below to tremble slightly.

The violent forces continued to collide and dissolve each other, creating a continuous roar.

The Qi Refining cultivators on the side peak below could only see a blinding sea of ​​light in the sky, so dazzling that they couldn't make out the details of the two attacks clashing. The Foundation Establishment cultivators, with their even stronger eyesight, could barely make out the outlines of the cyan sword rainbow and the mountain phantom constantly eroding and pulling at each other, and they were horrified.

At the banquet on the main peak, the Golden Core cultivators had sharp eyes and took in all the changes in the battle situation. Everyone held their breath and focused their attention.

After a short while, the soaring spiritual light gradually faded.

The two powerful moves were exhausted simultaneously, the sword rainbow disintegrated, the two-colored mountain phantom shattered inch by inch, and the spiritual light in the sky turned into specks of light that scattered everywhere.

The two figures in the clouds were simultaneously thrown backward more than ten feet by the impact, before they staggered and regained their footing.

Xu Feng let out a long breath, sheathed his sword, and cupped his hands: "Fellow Daoist Duan's Daoist skills are superb; I have lost this round."

Duan Yang straightened up and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Fellow Daoist Xu's swordsmanship is superb, I have learned a lot from it. However, neither of us was injured in the last strike, so how can you say I lost? It should be a draw."

Xu Feng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He looked up at Duan Yang, and after a moment's thought, a sense of relief appeared on his face.

"Since Fellow Daoist Duan says so, then let's call it a draw."