pdf-ebookys Chapter 628 The Great Competition of the Intercepting Sect
Chapter 628 The Great Competition of the Intercepting Sect
Chu Yang naturally sensed this restless atmosphere as well.
While setting up the formation, he kept an eye on the surrounding movements.
Sure enough, not long after, several figures landed not far from him.
Several figures approached from afar, finally landing not far in front of Chu Yang. The leader, dressed in a fiery red Daoist robe, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes, sized Chu Yang up and down, his tone slightly disdainful: "Who are you? How dare you set up an array here? Don't you know this is a sacred ground of our Jie Sect?"
Chu Yang didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing what he was doing, and said indifferently, "It's just setting up an array, why make such a fuss?"
Upon hearing this, the red-robed disciple's expression darkened further: "What kind of attitude is this? Do you know who I am?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know."
Chu Yang finally stopped what he was doing, raised his head, and calmly looked at the red-robed disciple. "If you have nothing else to do, please leave and do not disturb my formation."
"you!"
The red-robed disciple laughed in fury, "What arrogance! I am a Golden Immortal, a top disciple among the third generation of the Jie Sect, and you are just a…"
He had intended to mock Chu Yang's low cultivation level, but suddenly realized he couldn't see through Chu Yang's true strength. This startled him, and his tone softened somewhat. "May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"
"Chu Yang".
Chu Yang did not reveal his Daoist name; if he had, these people would have been stunned.
After all, the name of Daoist Xiaolei was widely known in the Jie Sect, and everyone knew about his competition with the Chan Sect.
The disciples had clearly never heard of the name Chu Yang before. They exchanged glances, all seeing the same doubt in each other's eyes.
The red-robed disciple coughed dryly to cover his embarrassment: "So it's Fellow Daoist Chu Yang. I am Luan Shan. May I ask what brings you here to set up this formation?"
"Build a training ground for the disciples of the Jie Sect to spar and compete," Chu Yang said succinctly.
"A training ground?" A rather short and stout disciple behind Luan Shan sneered. "Why do we, the disciples of the Jie Sect, need to go to such lengths for a competition? We can fight anywhere."
"This training ground is no ordinary place; it contains the power of various laws and can simulate various combat environments," Chu Yang explained patiently.
"Oh? It has such a wonderful feature?" Luan Shan became interested. "Would you allow us to go in and try it out?"
As a disciple of the Jie Sect with the cultivation level of a Golden Immortal, he naturally had no worries about danger on Jin'ao Island.
"Of course." Chu Yang gestured for them to enter the vortex.
Although Luan Shan and the others still held some contempt in their hearts, their curiosity overcame everything, and they each used their supernatural powers to leap into the vortex.
Upon entering the training ground, the group was stunned by the sight before them. The previously empty space had instantly transformed into a lava hell, with scorching heat hitting them and molten lava flowing beneath their feet.
"This..." The short, stout disciple's expression changed drastically. "Where is this place?"
Before the words were finished, several monsters engulfed in flames burst out of the lava and pounced on the group.
"Watch out!" Luan Shan shouted, summoning his magic weapon to fight the fire beast.
The other disciples also reacted quickly, each unleashing their own supernatural abilities to engage in fierce battle with the fire beast.
Inside the training grounds, the environment was constantly changing. One moment it was a lava hell, and the next it was an icy world. A biting wind howled past, snowflakes fell, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice, making it easy to slip and fall.
Immediately afterwards, the gravity suddenly increased, and the group felt as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs, making them move slowly and have difficulty breathing.
Space itself began to distort, everything in front of me became blurry, and I completely lost my sense of direction.
Some disciples struggled desperately in their predicament, nearly losing their lives. The short, stout disciple was in even worse shape; already quite fleshy, the increased gravity made it even harder for him to move. He was slapped away by a giant ice beast and sent flying, crashing into a massive iceberg, coughing up blood and seeing stars.
"Help!" he cried out desperately.
Although Luan Shan was also struggling, he could barely hold on thanks to his Golden Immortal cultivation. While defending against the attacks, he observed his surroundings, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
Chu Yang stood outside the vortex, watching their disheveled state in the training ground, a playful smile curling at the corner of his lips.
He extended his finger and gently touched it; suddenly, a golden light appeared in the vortex…
Golden light, like a bridge, connected the inside and outside of the trial grounds.
Luan Shan and the others were startled by this sudden turn of events and stopped what they were doing, watching the golden light warily.
"What is this?" The short, stout disciple clutched his chest, struggled to his feet, and asked with lingering fear.
Luan Shan frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He tentatively reached out and touched the golden light.
"Huh? This golden light... doesn't seem to be malicious." Luan Shan withdrew his hand, feeling the lingering warmth on his fingertips, and felt slightly relieved.
Just then, a voice came from within the golden light: "This is the exit of the trial grounds. If you wish to leave, you may step inside."
That voice belonged to Chu Yang.
Luan Shan and the others exchanged glances, hesitant and uncertain. They had only been in the training ground for a short time and had already experienced so many hardships; if they continued, who knew what dangers they might encounter?
"Let's go!" Luan Shan finally made up his mind and took the lead in stepping into the golden light.
Seeing this, the other disciples followed suit. Although the short, stout disciple was still unwilling, he knew that staying here was futile, so he could only grit his teeth and leave the training ground with the others.
When they returned to Jin'ao Island, they found Chu Yang still standing in the same spot, as if he had never left.
"Fellow Daoist Chu Yang, what exactly is this trial ground?" Luan Shan asked with lingering fear.
Chu Yang smiled slightly, but instead of answering directly, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Luanshan, what do you think of this training ground?"
Luan Shan pondered for a moment and said, "This trial ground is unpredictable and fraught with danger. Even we Golden Immortals are in such a sorry state. If disciples with lower cultivation levels were to enter, I'm afraid..."
He didn't dare to continue, but his meaning was already quite clear.
Chu Yang nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Luan Shan is absolutely right. This training ground is indeed dangerous, but it is precisely because of this that we can temper our disciples' character and improve their strength."
"What Fellow Daoist Chu Yang means is..." Luan Shan seemed to understand something.
"That's right. I built this training ground precisely so that the disciples of the Jie Sect could train here, improve their strength, and prepare for the upcoming Great Tribulation," Chu Yang said calmly.
With over ten thousand disciples in the Jie Sect, it was impossible to have them compete one-on-one, and it would also be unfair to those disciples with exceptional talent.
This testing ground tests more about one's character and natural talent!
Upon hearing this, Luan Shan and the others immediately understood. Previously, Duobao, the chief disciple of the Jie Sect, had also mentioned the impending Great Tribulation. At first, they hadn't taken it seriously, but now they were somewhat nervous.
After Luan Shan and the others left, Chu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the vortex at the entrance of the training ground, his eyes flashing with an inexplicable light.
This training ground was constructed by him by combining the virtual universe of the Devouring World with the power of the laws of the Primordial World. With Chu Yang's mastery of formations, he managed to create a 'virtual universe' that was unique to the Primordial World.
It contains countless variables and challenges, enough to give the disciples of the Jie Sect a true experience.
Luan Shan and his group only experienced a small portion of the functions.
Actually, there are also sections specifically for assisting cultivation, and the sections for life and entertainment are not yet complete, but they are sufficient for this Jie Sect Grand Competition!
The news quickly reached the ears of Daoist Duobao.
As the senior disciple of the Jie Sect, Duobao placed great importance on the cultivation of his disciples.
The Chu Yang Trial Grounds had been completed, faster than he had anticipated, and he immediately decided to go and see for himself.
"Junior Brother Xiaolei, your training ground is truly extraordinary!" Daoist Duobao emerged from the vortex, a hint of excitement on his face. His Daoist robes were slightly disheveled, indicating that he had experienced a fierce battle in the training ground.
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "Senior brother, you flatter me. This training ground is still under improvement, and I will need your guidance in the future."
Duobao waved his hand, took out a jade slip from his sleeve, and handed it to Chu Yang: "Junior brother, this is my insight in the trial field, which may be of some help to you."
Chu Yang took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. He saw that it contained detailed records of the changes in the various environments within the trial grounds and their effects on improving combat abilities.
To his even greater surprise, Duobao discovered a hidden illusionary world, so realistic that even Duobao, a quasi-saint, almost fell for it.
"Senior brother has a good eye. This illusionary world was specially set up by me to temper the disciples' character," Chu Yang explained.
Duobao nodded approvingly: "Junior brother has put a lot of thought into this. This trial ground is truly a great blessing for the disciples of the Jie Sect."
After leaving, Duobao reported the situation at the trial grounds to the Tongtian Sect Leader.
The Tongtian Sect Leader stood in Biyou Palace, while cranes danced on Zizhi Cliff, surrounded by auspicious clouds.
He was dressed in a purple robe, his face was dignified, but his eyes gleamed with admiration. In his hand he held a jade slip, which was the record of the trial grounds presented by Duobao.
"Xiao Lei, that child, certainly has some ingenious ideas!"
The Tongtian Sect Leader chuckled and handed the jade slip to the Golden Spirit Mother beside him: "Take a look, how does this trial ground compare to the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation?"
The Ten Thousand Immortals Formation is the largest formation of the Jie Sect besides the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, and it is also the highest achievement created by the Tongtian Sect Master in the past tens of thousands of years.
It includes all kinds of formations, such as killing formations, trapping formations, and illusion formations!
Golden Spirit Mother took the jade slip and probed it with her divine sense. After a moment, a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes: "This trial ground can actually simulate such a realistic illusion, and can even adjust the difficulty according to the disciple's cultivation level. It is truly wonderful."
Golden Spirit Mother handed the jade slip back to Tongtian Sect Leader and pondered, "Master, this trial ground is indeed wonderful, but I have a concern."
The Tongtian Sect Leader asked with great interest, "Oh? What concerns does Jinling have? Please speak frankly."
The Golden Spirit Mother frowned slightly: "This trial ground simulates an illusion, constantly changing. If disciples become engrossed in it and indulge in pleasure, wouldn't that be counterproductive?"
The Tongtian Sect Leader laughed heartily: "Jin Ling, you're just too cautious. Xiao Lei is a meticulous child; how could he not have thought of this? Take another careful look at the description of the trial ground rules in the jade slip."
Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Mother probed the jade slip with her divine sense again. After a moment, she suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. There are time limits and punishment mechanisms set up in this trial ground. I was careless for a moment and wrongly blamed Junior Brother Xiao Lei."
The jade slip records that a day in the training ground is but a moment in the outside world.
Moreover, if a disciple misbehaves in the training grounds and indulges in pleasure, he/she will be punished accordingly, ranging from a decline in cultivation to damage to his/her soul.
In this way, the drawback of disciples becoming addicted to it is effectively avoided.
This Dao Realm is not just an illusion, but also various testing grounds for character and strength, and even some puppets. The most powerful puppets can even be compared to Golden Immortals!
"Xiao Lei is as meticulous as Duo Bao."
The Tongtian Sect Leader nodded in satisfaction. "Let's use this training ground as the main venue for this competition. It'll also be a good opportunity to see just how many talented individuals my Jie Sect disciples possess."
The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit accepted the order and began to arrange the grand competition.
The news caused an uproar throughout the Jie Sect.
The disciples were filled with curiosity and anticipation for this newly appeared training ground.
Of course, some disciples had doubts. After all, the trial ground was too mysterious, and very few disciples had experienced it. No one knew what kind of dangers were hidden inside.
Half a month later, Chu Yang finally completed the trial ground and gave it a name: Dao Asking Realm!
Chu Yang stood in the center of the trial field, before which was a huge stone tablet inscribed with the two characters "问道" (Seeking the Way). The calligraphy was steady yet sharp, revealing an artistic conception of pursuing one's true self.
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the stone tablet, feeling a little proud: the two words "Seeking the Way" not only expressed his own expectations, but also vaguely foreshadowed the fate of the disciples of the Jie Sect—to seek the Great Dao in endless trials.
Before long, Duobao arrived at the training ground with eight disciples.
As he stepped into the arena, he laughed and said, "Junior brother, this trial is truly remarkable. Even Master praised it highly. Today, I brought a few people with me to give you one last try. They are all outstanding young talents in the Jie Sect."
Chu Yang glanced at it and understood about 80% of what was going on.
Among these people, some were second-generation disciples, their expressions confident, clearly quite confident in their abilities; others were third-generation disciples, who, though somewhat inexperienced, could not hide their brilliance.
One of them was Wen Zhong, the future pillar of the Shang Dynasty!
Seeing that Chu Yang was staring at Wen Zhong, Daoist Duobao looked at Wen Zhong and smiled, "I heard Junior Sister Jinling praise you, saying that you have already gained some insights after just breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm. This is a good opportunity for you to show off your skills."
Wen Zhong was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands and replied, "Thank you for your kind offer, Uncle-Master. I am not very talented, but I am willing to give it a try."
Chu Yang looked at Wen Zhong, and a thought suddenly struck him.
He had long heard that Zhong was exceptionally talented and resolute by nature, and that this trial might reveal something unknown to others.
Seeing that Wen Zhong agreed, Duo Bao nodded and smiled, "Alright, then everyone, please accept your orders and enter the Dao Inquiry Illusionary Realm! You will see the depths of your own Dao heart. Remember, remember."
After a brief explanation, the eight people stepped into the illusionary portal one by one.
Wen Zhong was the last to enter. He walked steadily and seemed calm, but just before entering, he slightly turned his head and glanced at Chu Yang.
That one glance was as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless pool. (End of Chapter)