Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System - Chapter 120: Martial Ascension Gate!
Chapter 120: Martial Ascension Gate!
“Good. Very good. This year’s batch of new disciples is even more outstanding than last year’s.”
A hearty laugh echoed through the air as four streaks of light shot across the sky. In the blink of an eye, they descended upon the square. They were none other than the Four Peaks First Seats, led by the First Seat of Earth Pillar Peak.
After landing, they swept their gazes across the crowd with clear satisfaction. Then, the Earth Pillar Peak First Seat spoke in a steady voice.
“The top fifty new disciples on the New Disciples Ranking will follow me. As for those ranked from fifty-first to twenty thousandth, an elder of Martial Ascension Gate will guide you there later.”
As his words fell, the Earth Pillar Peak First Seat raised his hand. A ray of light immediately flew out from his sleeve and soared into the clouds. As it expanded against the wind, it transformed into an ancient and majestic ship, its surface wrapped in dense Immortal Qi that radiated profound antiquity.
“Let us depart.”
With that, the Earth Pillar Peak First Seat led Li Yun and the other top fifty new disciples onto the deck of the ancient ship. He formed a hand seal, and the ship instantly turned into a streak of light. Under countless gazes filled with envy, it shot toward the distant horizon at breathtaking speed.
***
The ancient ship moved incredibly fast, crossing several thousand meters of sky with every breath.
After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they finally reached their destination, the headquarters of Martial Ascension Gate.
Ahead lay an immense stretch of land, at the center of which rose a towering mountain. It was vast beyond measure, resembling an ancient giant standing upright, piercing straight into the heavens. Waves of majestic aura continuously radiated from it, saturating this region of heaven and earth.
The area above the mountain’s mid-slope was veiled in layers of pale white mist. Through that hazy fog, the blurred outlines of buildings and moving figures could faintly be seen, giving the entire scene an ethereal and otherworldly feel.
This mountain was known as Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain. It was famous throughout the entire Southern Martial Domain, not only because it was a blessed land of exceptional spiritual beauty that was perfectly suited for martial cultivation, but also because it was home to Martial Ascension Gate, one of the four great sects of the Southern Martial Domain.
“So this is Martial Ascension Gate,” Li Yun murmured softly.
As the ancient ship drew closer to the incomparably majestic Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain, a subtle surge of excitement rose within Li Yun’s heart. His fists clenched slightly inside his sleeves without him even realizing it.
“Mother, Father, do you see this?” Li Yun thought silently. “Your son is one step closer to you now. One day, I will go to the Myriad Saints Palace in the Central Mainland and bring you both back, so our family can finally be reunited.”
“Do you see the white mist covering Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain from halfway up? That is not ordinary mist at all. It is the protective sect formation of Martial Ascension Gate, known as the Martial Ascension Misty Immortal Formation. This formation contains three profound principles: killing, trapping, and illusion. Its power is terrifying. Even a Qi Sea Realm expert who breaks in would find it extremely difficult to escape alive.”
As Li Yun and the other new disciples stared at Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain, a voice sounded beside them, steadily explaining the various features of Martial Ascension Gate.
Naturally, the Four Peaks First Seats would not bother themselves with such explanations. Instead, the accompanying steward of Martial Ascension Gate took on the role of introducing everything to the newcomers.
“Open.”
When the ancient ship reached the front of Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain, the steward took out a Martial Ascension token from his storage pouch and formed a series of hand seals. The token immediately began to hum and tremble, releasing a stream of silver white light that shot straight into the vast sea of mist ahead.
The sea of clouds churned violently, as if boiling, before a section of it split apart. A broad passage opened within the mist, allowing the ancient ship to pass through smoothly.
Once inside Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain, with the white mist no longer blocking their view, everything within Martial Ascension Gate was fully revealed before Li Yun and the others.
Shock instantly appeared on the faces of the new disciples. They had originally believed that a sect built deep within the mountains would be austere and desolate. Instead, the interior of Martial Ascension Immortal Mountain was even more prosperous than the capitals of many great nations.
“That area ahead is the Outer Sect region. All Outer Sect disciples of Martial Ascension Gate reside there.”
“That structure is Ascension Peak Hall. Whenever the Four Peaks hold important meetings or make major announcements, they are conducted there.”
“That place is the Martial Battle Hall. If you wish to spar with fellow senior brothers or test your strength, you may go there.”
“That building is the Contribution Hall. Contribution points are the internal currency of Martial Ascension Gate. You can use them to exchange for all kinds of treasures. As long as you have enough contribution points, almost anything can be obtained.”
“That is the Mission Hall. If you are lacking contribution points, you may accept missions there. Upon completing them, you will be rewarded accordingly.”
“Do you see the four mountains suspended in the air? Those are Heaven Mandate Peak, Earth Pillar Peak, and the other peaks of the Four Peaks. Spirit Gathering formations exist within them, and the spiritual qi of heaven and earth there is extremely dense. Cultivating in those places is several times faster than outside.”
“However, only after becoming an Inner Sect disciple and choosing a peak to join will you be qualified to cultivate there.”
The Martial Ascension Gate steward continued explaining without pause, guiding Li Yun and the others through the vast and astonishing inner world of the sect.
Following the steward’s explanation, Li Yun and the others directed their gazes ahead. One by one, ancient, grand, and magnificent structures came into view, spreading across the landscape in breathtaking succession.
Moments later, everyone instinctively looked upward. Hundreds of meters above the ground, four enormous mountains were suspended in the sky. At the peak of each mountain hovered a dazzling mass of light that, upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be a single enormous glowing character.
The four characters were Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Human. Ancient and powerful, they represented the identities and affiliations of the four peaks.
Yet what truly captured everyone’s attention was not these four peaks, but a far more imposing mountain at their center. Surrounded by the Four Peaks like stars encircling the moon, it radiated waves of profound qi, giving the impression of a place where immortals resided.
“What is that place?” someone asked with curiosity.
Hearing this question, the Martial Ascension Gate steward immediately grew solemn. In a deep and respectful voice, he replied, “That is the greatest cultivation treasure land of Martial Ascension Gate, as well as its Holy Land. It is known as Grand Ascension Peak. The Sect Master resides there, along with powerful elders and all True Disciples.”
By this point, after listening to the steward’s continuous explanations, everyone had already gained a basic understanding of Martial Ascension Gate.
Within the sect, disciples were divided into distinct ranks.
These ranks were Outer Sect Disciples, Inner Sect Disciples, and True Disciples.
Outer Sect Disciples held the lowest status. Not only were they required to handle various mundane tasks within the sect each day, but the cultivation benefits they received were also minimal.
Inner Sect Disciples, on the other hand, enjoyed treatment far superior to that of the Outer Sect. They were free from daily chores and could focus entirely on cultivation within treasure lands such as the Four Peaks, where the Heaven and Earth spiritual qi was abundant. In addition, they were allowed to freely enter and exit the Martial Skill Pavilion and received generous cultivation resources every month.
As for the True Disciples, their status was exceptionally high, comparable to that of certain elders within Martial Ascension Gate. Their treatment was equally lavish, inspiring envy in nearly everyone else.
Martial Ascension Gate controlled ten portions of cultivation resources. Half a portion was allocated to Outer Sect Disciples, one and a half portions to Inner Sect Disciples, three portions to high ranking figures such as the Sect Master and elders, and the remaining five portions were devoted entirely to the cultivation of True Disciples.
This was because anyone capable of becoming a True Disciple was a genius among geniuses, the future backbone of Martial Ascension Gate. The strength of the sect in the years to come depended heavily on this group. Naturally, the sect spared no effort in nurturing them with the best possible treatment.
Such an uneven distribution of resources might appear unfair, but in a world that revered strength above all else, fairness held little meaning.
Everything depended on one’s own ability.
Those with strength could obtain whatever they desired.
Those without it?
They could only step aside and fade into obscurity.
