Chapter 61: No Liability for Life or Death

After exiting the gourd, everyone descended into a vast mountain range.

The cold wind howled, snow swirling across the sky.

Before them stretched range after range of snow-covered peaks.

Clouds and mist wrapped around the mountainsides, obscuring whatever lay deeper within.

The air was saturated with biting cold, tinged with something ancient and desolate.

Elder Yueling stepped forward, her voice carrying across the field:

“Alright. This is the Hanling Mountain Range.

Rest up, everyone. We await the arrival of the other two major powers.”

The crowd dispersed, gathering in scattered groups of three or five.

Some sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation.

Some spoke in hushed voices, discussing the mystic realm that was about to open.

Others surveyed the surroundings, studying the terrain.

Chen Ping led Lin Xiaoyu to a quiet corner and settled down behind a large, wind-blocking boulder.

Lin Xiaoyu tugged her clothes tighter around herself. The cold had reddened her small face.

But she said nothing, just sat quietly by Chen Ping’s side.

Not far away, Yue Qingshuang stood among the crowd, a faint halo of moon-white light enveloping her.

The radiance kept the wind and snow at bay, making her seem as though she didn’t quite belong in this world.

Her gaze inadvertently drifted toward the master and disciple in the corner.

Lin Xiaoyu happened to look up and met her eyes.

The girl’s eyes sparkled, and she silently mouthed:

“Is my master handsome or what?”

Yue Qingshuang’s face instantly flushed bright red.

She hurriedly looked away, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.

But the blush spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears – impossible to hide.

Every bit of this was witnessed clearly by Zhou Yunfan, who stood not far away.

His expression darkened in an instant.

His eyes locked onto Chen Ping in the corner, murderous intent surging within them.

“A Qi Refining weakling…”

He ground his teeth, his voice low.

“He thinks he’s worthy?”

Before long –

Two streaks of golden light shot across the sky.

The golden light blazed brilliantly, illuminating the entire sky.

Wherever it passed, the wind and snow seemed to be torn apart.

In the blink of an eye, the golden light descended on either side of the mountain range.

The light receded, revealing dense crowds of figures.

On the left: a group of cultivators robed in long golden garments. Each one’s aura was profound, their gazes sharp.

Their leader was a middle-aged man with a stern face, his presence as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

On the right: a group of cultivators in cyan Daoist robes, their bearing otherworldly and transcendent.

Their leader was an elder with white hair.

He wore a faint smile, yet gave off an unfathomable impression.

Neither side’s numbers were any less than the ten thousand cultivators Tianyue Sacred Land had brought.

A buzz of discussion rippled through the crowd.

“It’s Wuya Hall and the Shengling Sect!”

“They’re finally here!”

“All three sacred lands are assembled – the Hanling Mystic Realm is about to open!”

Lin Xiaoyu tugged at Chen Ping’s sleeve and whispered:

“Master, are those Wuya Hall and the Shengling Sect?”

Chen Ping nodded.

“Seems that way.”

Elder Yueling stepped forward, looking toward the leaders of the two sides.

“Elder Yueling, your Tianyue Sacred Land arrived quite early.”

A hearty laugh rang out.

The speaker was the middle-aged man from Wuya Hall. He strode forward, clasping his hands toward Yueling in greeting.

Yueling inclined her head slightly:

“Elder of Moke Ya. It has been a while.”

From the other side, the white-haired elder also approached, a smile on his face:

“Now that everyone is here, let’s go ahead and open the mystic realm.”

Yueling nodded.

“Very well.”

Moke Ya looked out at the crowd, his voice booming:

“But first, let’s be clear on the rules – inside the mystic realm, life or death is your own concern. If you die, you’ve no one to blame but yourself.”

Yan Shengtian – the white-haired elder – said flatly:

“Why waste words? The rule has always been the same.”

Yueling wasted no time either. She produced a bronze token from within her robes.

Moke Ya and Yan Shengtian did the same with identical tokens.

All three tokens were tossed into the air simultaneously.

Boom –

Three beams of light intertwined in the sky, forming an enormous vortex.

The vortex spun, growing larger and larger, deeper and deeper.

Moments later, two colossal portals of light materialized before the crowd.

Elder Yueling’s voice rang out:

“Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul – enter the left portal.”

“Divine Ability, Grotto-Heaven, and Dao Severing – enter the right portal.”

She paused, and her voice turned cold:

“Higher-level cultivators who trespass into lower-level regions will be erased by the realm’s laws. Everyone – tread carefully.”

As soon as the words landed, the crowd began to surge.

Countless figures rose into the air, flying toward the two portals of light.

Lin Xiaoyu gazed at the two portals and tugged at Chen Ping’s sleeve:

“Master, which one do we enter?”

Chen Ping looked at her.

“You enter the left one.”

Lin Xiaoyu froze.

“What about you, Master?”

“Your master enters the right one.”

Lin Xiaoyu was stunned.

She stared wide-eyed at Chen Ping, her face full of disbelief.

“Master… didn’t you say you’re only at the Qi Refining stage?”

Chen Ping smiled.

“Your master is indeed at the Qi Refining stage. But…”

He paused, reaching out to tousle the top of her head.

“My battle prowess is a bit on the strong side.”

Lin Xiaoyu opened her mouth as if to speak, but couldn’t find the words.

His battle prowess was a bit on the strong side?

He’d fought a half-step Grotto-Heaven expert to a standstill, and that was just “a bit on the strong side”?

“Alright.”

Chen Ping cut off her spiraling thoughts and said earnestly:

“Xiaoyu, remember your master’s words.

Once in the mystic realm, gather every heavenly resource and treasure you can.

You’re at the twenty-fifth layer of Qi Refining now. You’ll be breaking through to Foundation Establishment soon.

The more resources, the better.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded firmly.

“Your disciple will remember!”

Chen Ping looked at her, a trace of gentleness flickering in his eyes.

“Go on. Be careful.”

Lin Xiaoyu drew a deep breath, turned, and flew toward the left portal.

At the portal’s entrance, she glanced back.

Chen Ping stood among the crowd, watching her.

She waved vigorously, then turned and vanished into the light.

*

Not far away.

Xu Hao stared at the vanishing figure, his eyes burning with vicious hatred.

“Little brat… once you’re inside the mystic realm, we’ll see how cocky you can be!”

Beside him, Xu the Butcher pressed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hao, stay calm. Inside the mystic realm, there will be plenty of opportunities.”

He paused, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“As for that Chen Ping…”

His gaze shifted toward the blue-robed figure among the crowd.

“If he dares enter the right side, I’ll make sure he never comes back out.”

He refused to believe Chen Ping was only at the Qi Refining Stage.

A man who could fight him, a half-step Grotto-Heaven cultivator, to a standstill—how could he possibly be just Qi Refining?

Just as expected—

Chen Ping moved.

He stepped forward and flew straight toward the portal of light on the right.

*

Xu the Butcher’s eyes lit up.

“Good! After him!”

With a wave of his hand, he led the Liuyun Sect’s assembled experts in close pursuit, vanishing into the right portal of light.

*

On the other side.

Zhou Yunfan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching as that blue-robed figure disappeared into the portal of light. A cold smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Qi Refining Stage? Heh…”

He turned to face the two disciples beside him.

“The girl went into the left side. You know what to do.”

The two disciples exchanged a glance and said respectfully:

“Yes! Don’t worry, boss. We’ll make sure she never leaves that mystic realm alive!”

Zhou Yunfan nodded.

Then, with a shift of his body, he flew toward the right portal of light.

Yue Qingshuang was on the right side.

Of course he would follow.

*

High in the sky, the two portals of light flickered with a dim, eerie glow.

Countless figures hurled themselves into them like moths drawn to a flame.

The Hanling Mystic Realm had officially opened.