Chapter 1879 Gathering at the Sword Sect!

It was mid-autumn, and the Sword Sect's mountain gate on the Taiyin Mountains was already bathed in a solemn and magnificent glow from the golden morning light.

Several hours before the ceremony began, the three-zhang-wide bluestone imperial road at the foot of the mountain had been swept spotless. Every five zhang on both sides stood a black iron flagpole, the scarlet sword tassels fluttering in the mountain wind. The two characters "Tianyan" embroidered in gold thread on the flag were written in a vigorous and unrestrained style, as if they were about to break free from the cloth and slash through the air.

The disciples responsible for welcoming guests were already lined up outside the mountain gate, dressed in sword robes and looking heroic.

These disciples were all outstanding members of the outer sect of the Sword Sect. They were all around twenty years old, but each of them stood tall and straight like a pine tree, with bright eyes and an undisguised pride on their faces.

Although these disciples were from the outer hall, their cultivation levels were no weaker than those of the Golden Core stage.

Even the disciples who are merely there to greet guests possess such cultivation and realm.

"Someone's already here so early."

At the end of the mountain path, a rosy glow surged as more than thirty cultivators, their feet clad in thunder-patterned boots, soared through the air. Leading them was Cui Zhen, the sect leader of the Thunderbolt Sect, surrounded by a pale purple aura of thunder. He held a bronze thunder drum in his hand, its surface flashing with electricity as they flew, exuding an astonishing aura.

When Cui Zhen travels around, almost no one dares to provoke him. As the sect leader of a near-first-class sect, he has the confidence to do so. As a cultivator at the Enlightenment Realm, he is a rare expert in the four states.

In terms of cultivation strength, he has surpassed 99% of the cultivators.

They certainly have reason to be arrogant.

However, when Cui Zhen approached the Sword Sect, he consciously put away his weapon and concealed his aura. He even forced a smile onto his originally serious expression.

Fearing that the Sword Sect disciples at the mountain gate would see them and suspect they were hostile...

Cui Zhen obediently landed a few miles away from the mountain gate and chose to walk until he arrived in front of the mountain gate. Looking at the huge stone with the words "Tianyan Sword Sect" carved by a sword on it, and the flowing sword energy and spiritual light on it, he was filled with awe.

He deepened his smile, walked over, and cupped his hands in a beaming gesture: "I am Cui Zhen, the Sect Master of the Thunderbolt Sect, here to congratulate Sect Leader Lin on his breakthrough to Ascension!"

As he spoke, he quickly handed over the congratulatory gift, which turned out to be a high-grade earth-level magic jade pendant, full of spiritual power, and it was obviously a good thing!

However, the Sword Sect disciple remained calm, simply smiled at him, and gave a simple bow, saying, "Sect Master Cui is too kind. Please come in; a disciple will guide you inside."

"Oh? Are you taking me to see Sect Leader Lin?" Cui Zhen asked.

"Of course not, the sect leader doesn't have time to see you all one by one. Just wait in the reception hall, a disciple will entertain you."

"Then when will we have to wait?"

"We'll let you know once everyone has arrived. Go inside now."

The disciple beckoned, urging him on.

As the sect leader of a second-rate sect, he was treated like this by a Golden Core disciple.

Cui Zhen didn't even dare to show an angry expression. He could only obediently bow and say "thank you for your trouble" like a businessman who makes money through harmony, and then followed him inside.

This is the reality of the cultivation world: whoever has the bigger fist is right!

Let alone the sect leader of a small, second-rate sect, even a first-rate sect would have to treat him with utmost respect.

Everyone felt that Lin Jichen wanted to be the emperor of the cultivation world, but dared not protest, in case he angered the other party and was made an example of.

We're all seasoned veterans in the cultivation world, and no one dares to be the first to stick their neck out.

As time passed, one after another, important figures from various sects arrived.

Crimson Flame Fist Sect, Sunset Bow Sect, Primordial Extreme Dharma Sect, Mysterious Medicine Sect, and so on—without exception, all the invited sects from the four states.

Even the Jixiao Blade Sect was present. The Jixiao Blade Sect and Lin Jichen had an irreconcilable feud. Their patriarch had tried to assassinate Lin Jichen to protect his grandson, but was killed instead.

Even so, Mo Wenqing, the current sect leader and the patriarch's own son, knows that his father died at the hands of Lin Jichen, but he dares not take revenge. He even came to congratulate him now.

It is said that after Lin Jichen killed his father, Mo Wenqing couldn't even find the body, so he could only make a cenotaph and bury it in the back mountain of the sect.

It is said that a disciple overheard him saying something to the Soul Tomb during his worship.

“Father, the hatred for killing your father is irreconcilable, but your son is of mediocre strength and I am afraid that I cannot take revenge on Lin Jichen. So from now on, I sever my relationship with you. Rest in peace.”

Besides the human sects, even the demon and ghost races were present.

"Isn't that the Tiger Demon King? He's said to be a Demon Emperor already!"

"Is that the new queen of the fox clan? She is so beautiful and captivating. Just one glance at her makes one's Dao heart unstable. She is truly terrifying."

"Look, isn't that Ghost King Jiang Chen? He's said to be the strongest warrior in the Ghost Realm besides the Empress! He's here too?"

"Even the merfolk have appeared!"

"Why have they even invited alien races? What exactly is the Sword Sect up to?"

As the number of people increased, they began to whisper among themselves.

The three races of humans, ghosts, and demons sat separately, without any intention of exchanging words with each other.

On the demon side, the Tiger Demon King looked displeased. As the Demon Emperor, he could only condescend to stay here.

But when he saw that the Ghost Clan and other sects were doing the same thing, his expression softened slightly.

"Little fox, what are you doing here? That Lin Jichen isn't you..."

The Tiger Emperor was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"Shut up, you're even more gossipy than my grandma!"

Hu Qi'er blushed and scolded him playfully.

Just as she finished speaking, a disciple of the Sword Sect walked over and respectfully said to Hu Qi'er, "Senior of the Fox Clan, the Sect Leader has ordered you to move to the back mountain."

Hu Qi'er was secretly delighted upon hearing this, feeling as if she were being cared for and valued by her beloved, and immediately got up.

The Tiger Emperor also wanted to follow, thinking that as a great emperor of the demon race, he should be qualified to be summoned alone, right? But he was stopped by the disciple.

"The sect leader did not invite you, so please remain calm."

The Tiger Emperor was furious and almost lost his temper, but seeing his disciple's composed and unyielding expression, he could only suppress his anger and return to his seat in frustration.

Fine, fine, your sect leader is so arrogant, and you disciples are getting cocky too, huh? It's like one person's success brings benefits to their entire family! This is infuriating!

At noon, when the sun was at its highest point, the Sword Sect's reception hall was already bustling with activity.

Although they had been waiting for several hours, no one urged them or showed any impatience; thousands of people gathered together.

Immediately after

Suddenly, a melodious bell rang out from the depths of the Sword Sect, a full 108 times, deep and resonant, echoing throughout the entire Taiyin Mountain.

"The mountain-opening bell has rung!" Nangong Wu shouted. "Everyone, the sect leader will be here soon!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present immediately fell silent and sat up straight.

The next moment, Lin Jichen strode into the hall, his movements and aura completely unaffected.

No one dared to underestimate him because of this. On the contrary, everyone was secretly surprised, because even with their level of cultivation, they could not see through his strength!

...