Chapter 38: A Gathering of Heroes at Zao Ying Mountain

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: A Gathering of Heroes at Zao Ying Mountain

Chu Fan traveled at top speed, covering a thousand li in just a day and a night.

Zao Ying Mountain had originally been a small mountain range, known in ancient times as the Thirteen Peaks of Zao Ying.

But when he reached its edge, he discovered that the entire Zao Ying Mountain was now surrounded by the Sea of Moisture.

With his current abilities, he could naturally fly across the Sea of Moisture and right to the mountain peaks.

However, upon his arrival at the periphery, he sensed the auras of many Cultivators.

In his earlier haste, he hadn’t given it much thought, but after calming down, he realized this was a perfectly normal phenomenon.

On this continent, anywhere an earthquake struck, Cultivators were sure to rush to the scene.

Some came to intervene on behalf of the common people, secretly saving those afflicted by the disaster.

Others came in search of treasure.

But most came to comprehend the Power of the Earth and elevate their Realm.

If an earthquake’s epicenter was deep enough, the Power of the Earth’s Core would emanate from the fissures, which was immensely beneficial for Cultivators seeking to comprehend the Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Even if one couldn’t comprehend the Dao of the Earth from this energy, its profound aura was several times more potent for Cultivators than regular Spiritual Qi.

Furthermore, according to the Lingyun Sect’s records, earthquakes had, on several occasions, unearthed the long-buried ruins of Ancient Sects.

As a result, any earthquake would invariably draw countless Cultivators.

Chu Fan stood at the edge of the Sea of Moisture. At his feet was a muddy, yellow flood, churning violently and carrying debris like deadwood, pots, and pans.

He raised his gaze to the mountain peaks in the distance.

"Hey, friend!"

A loud voice suddenly called out from not far behind him. Chu Fan turned to see three young people—two men and a woman—walking toward him.

All three were Cultivators, but their Cultivation was only at the Fusion Realm. They were all rather plain-looking. The woman’s slender figure was quite remarkable, but an inch-square birthmark on her face detracted significantly from her appearance.

"Are you calling me?" Chu Fan replied.

"Yes. Are those mountains up ahead Zao Ying Mountain?"

Chu Fan was dressed plainly in coarse linen clothes, with a half-inch beard on his chin. His entire demeanor was rough and unrefined, bearing no resemblance to the ethereal air of a typical Cultivator.

Moreover, ever since his Chaos Body had been activated and he had begun practicing the Miaolian Celestial Stabilization Technique, no one could discern his Cultivation level as long as he didn’t use his True Qi. They couldn’t even sense the flow of True Qi within him.

"That’s right, that’s Zao Ying Mountain. Don’t tell me you’re headed there too?" Chu Fan asked, feigning a simple-minded look.

"Too? Have other people already gone?" asked one of the men, who was a bit taller and chubbier.

As the man spoke, the woman whispered, "Senior Brother Li, how can you ask such a foolish question? If even we’ve made it all the way from the Mountain of Ten Thousand Realms, then surely the other Sects and Independent Cultivators who heard the news arrived long ago."

The woman’s voice was quiet, but she and her companions didn’t know that Chu Fan was also a Cultivator, and one whose Spiritual Power had reached Level 9. Though they were a good twenty yards away, Chu Fan heard her perfectly clearly.

’What I didn’t expect,’ Chu Fan thought, ’is that these people are actually disciples of the Purple Gold Sect, one of the Six Sects and Eight Gates.’

The Mountain of Ten Thousand Realms was seven or eight thousand li away. The earthquake at Zao Ying Mountain had occurred half a month ago. For the news to reach the Mountain of Ten Thousand Realms and for them to then travel here...

...at their Fusion Realm travel speed, it would be impossible to cross seven or eight thousand li in half a month, even if they had received the news the moment the earthquake happened.

’So, these three must possess a Secret Treasure that allows them to fly, or they rode here on a flying Profound Beast.’

’Either way, it means these three hold a high status within the Purple Gold Sect.’

’But I’ve never seen them before. Logically, the young prodigies of the Six Sects and Eight Gates would have certainly participated in the Tengxing Grand Assembly held the year before last, yet I have no memory of them.’

Thus, Chu Fan couldn’t help but grow curious about their identities.

Chu Fan pretended not to have heard the woman’s words and said, "Quite a few groups, yeah. I reckon they must all be Immortals, right? Some flew right over, some were standing on swords, and others just ran right across the water’s surface... TAP TAP TAP..."

Chu Fan’s words failed to elicit any reaction from them. Just then, the smaller of the two men suddenly pointed to the west and said, "Senior Brother, look! Who’s that?"

Chu Fan followed his finger and saw a massive bird pulling a large carriage, speeding toward the peaks of Zao Ying Mountain.

The carriage glittered with golden light, looking utterly extravagant.

In front of the carriage sat a veiled Maid, directing the bird.

The bird had a wingspan of about ten feet. Its body was covered in white feathers that reflected a faint silver sheen in the sunlight.

Chu Fan racked his brain but couldn’t recall the name of this bird.

The Maid wore a long, daffodil-yellow gauze dress, and the dangling hairpins and jade ornaments in her hair looked priceless.

’I doubt the person in that flying carriage belongs to any Sect or power in the Eastern Domain,’ Chu Fan mused internally.

The three behind him also watched the flying carriage with a hint of envy.

Feigning ignorance, Chu Fan stared wide-eyed and exclaimed in awe, "Good heavens! That must be a real Immortal, right?"

The woman behind him let out a "PFFT" of laughter, then quickly covered her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"I must be the luckiest man alive, seeing so many Immortals these past few days!" Chu Fan marveled.

At this point, the woman behind him said to the other two, "Senior Brothers, let’s get going too."

Perhaps it was their youthful desire to show off, but the woman took out a book and tossed it into the air.

The book expanded in the wind, growing to two zhang square in the blink of an eye. The three of them leaped onto it.

The flying book carried them swiftly toward Zao Ying Mountain.

After they had gone, Chu Fan’s expression returned to its usual solemnity. He muttered under his breath, "To think the Purple Gold Sect possesses such a treasure. The foundations of the Six Sects and Eight Gates are truly profound."

Man proposes, God disposes. Plans can never keep up with change.

The original six-month deadline to go from no Cultivation to the Pill Formation Realm was already an incredibly difficult task for Chu Fan.

If not for his Chaos Body, he likely would have given up already.

The six months weren’t up yet, but an earthquake had to strike Zao Ying Mountain, attracting countless Cultivators.

’The prerequisite for entering the secret trove of Zao Ying Mountain is reaching the Pill Formation Realm. But here I am, forced to come ahead of schedule when I haven’t even touched the threshold of Pill Formation.’

’With so many Cultivators here, if the secret trove is exposed by the earthquake for all to see, how much could I possibly snatch with my current Cultivation and Combat Power?’

’There’s no other way. I’ll have to find a way to blend into the crowd and adapt as the situation unfolds.’

Chu Fan sighed helplessly.

’Flying over is out of the question. To maximize my gains, I’ll have to play the wolf in sheep’s clothing. I need to make sure no one sees me as a threat so I can pick up the scraps in secret.’

’The best-case scenario would be for the other Cultivators to fight amongst themselves over the treasure, allowing me to swoop in at the end like the oriole.’

Of course, he knew the chances of that happening were slim.

He took out a knife, cut down some bamboo and vines in the nearby woods, and fashioned a raft. Poling the raft, he slowly made his way toward Zao Ying Mountain.

But he had poled less than a hundred zhang when someone on the shore called out. Before Chu Fan could even respond, the person performed a few leaps and landed on his raft.

"My friend, are you heading to Zao Ying Mountain? Might I trouble you for a ride?" The man clasped his hands in a salute toward Chu Fan, his attitude humble and polite.