Chapter 11: The Baiyun Mountains

The Baiyun Mountains are located in the southeastern part of the Jin Kingdom, stretching for thousands of miles. They are characterized by vast, primordial jungles, dense forests, and winding river valleys, teeming with countless demonic beasts and spiritual birds.

Occasionally, rumors of immortals and demons seen by woodcutters and hunters circulate among the mortals, draping the Baiyun Mountains in a veil of mystery.

A century ago, a wave of "immortal-seeking" swept through the mortal realm, and the Baiyun Mountains caught the eyes of the ambitious. Countless mortals ventured into the mountains, but the results were shocking: only a few hundred managed to escape.

According to the survivors, the deeper one ventured into the Baiyun Mountains, the more demonic beasts appeared. From then on, in the eyes of mortals, the Baiyun Mountains became a dreaded land of demons, a place people feared at the mere mention of its name.

Consequently, mortals began to retreat from the mountains. Only woodcutters and hunters, who lived off the land and water, dared to operate in the peripheral regions.

For a thousand years, these mountains have been occupied by the Baiyun Sect. Naturally, the "immortals" and "demons" seen by the woodcutters and hunters were actually the cultivators of the Baiyun Sect and their demonic beasts.

Outside the mountains, nestled within a canyon, lies the massive "Baiyun City." This city is under the direct rule of the Baiyun Sect, and its inhabitants are not mortals, but cultivators.

The city serves as a convenient hub for the Baiyun Sect to facilitate trade among its cultivators, acts as a gathering place for a large number of rogue cultivators, and provides the sect with a vast amount of spirit stones and spiritual materials every year.

The interior and exterior of the Baiyun Mountains appear similar, both lush with dense forests and vibrant greenery; however, the interior contains far more demonic beasts because the concentration of spiritual energy becomes increasingly abundant the deeper one goes.

The central area of the Baiyun Mountains is covered by a massive formation that projects illusions to the outside world. Inside lies the actual site of the Baiyun Sect, featuring a dense concentration of pavilions and palaces, with streaks of light occasionally flashing across the sky.

Within the Baiyun Sect, there is one main peak and six subsidiary peaks: the main peak is Baiyun Peak, and the subsidiary peaks are Lingyao Peak, Lingshou Peak, and Xianquan Peak.

These seven peaks serve as the locations for the sect's most important structures and are the sites of the spiritual veins, making the spiritual energy exceptionally dense.

Furthermore, there are over a dozen other mountains and more than twenty canyons and basins in the surrounding area. While the spiritual energy of these surrounding mountains is not inferior to the seven main peaks, it is significantly denser than that of the basins within the canyons.

The canyons and basins are primarily where Qi Condensation stage cultivators reside. Although these are the areas with the lowest spiritual energy within the sect, the concentration is still much higher than in the rest of the Baiyun Mountains.

In the somewhat ancient "Baiyun Hall" on Baiyun Peak, Sect Leader Fang Hong sat at the head. He appeared to be a middle-aged man, but his cultivation had already reached the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage. He was known for being steady and rigorous, managing the sect with great order.

Currently, the six Hall Masters sitting on both sides below him lacked their usual imposing aura within this solemn hall, listening quietly to the Sect Leader's instructions.

After a brief glance at the Hall Masters below, the Sect Leader spoke slowly

"Do you all realize? Lingdan Valley, a fellow member of the Jin Kingdom's three great sects, has already recruited an Ice Spiritual Root talent this year. I wonder how many high-quality seedlings our sect will have this year?"

A beautiful middle-aged woman sitting on the right side smiled reassuringly

"Sect Leader, there is no news yet. I believe Junior Brother Ding will not disappoint us!"

A thin, elderly Taoist sitting below her immediately added

"Junior Sister Lu makes a valid point. This matter... the Sect Leader is worrying too early! Besides, Junior Brother Ding is usually a reserved person; even if there is good news, he won't send word back in advance!"

Sect Leader Fang Hong sighed deeply and said, "I hope so. I only fear that no news is bad news."

"Sect Brother, will this disciple recruitment follow the old rules?" a dignified middle-aged cultivator sitting in the first position on the left suddenly inquired.

According to the old rules, it was his turn to have priority in selecting disciples, which was why he was so anxious to ask.

"Junior Brother Qu, no matter how good the talent of the seedlings is this time, I will not be taking any more disciples. I plan to go into seclusion to attempt the Golden Core stage! The rules remain the same!" Fang Hong glanced at the dignified cultivator.

"Additionally... in two years, the once-in-twelve-years 'Seedling Trial' will begin! At that time, the group will be led by Martial Uncle. Do not be stingy with your precious disciples; if no excellent disciples participate and it causes Martial Uncle to lose face, do not blame me for not warning you. I do not even know if I will be able to emerge from seclusion by then. The registration method remains the same: tasks will be issued by the 'Command Talisman Pavilion'!"

Seeing the heavy atmosphere in the hall, Fang Hong knew that these "precious disciples" were the pride and joy of the Hall Masters, closely tied to their own interests. It was natural for them to be reluctant to let them go; he felt the same way.

Suddenly, a streak of red light shot from a distance, passing over the crowd and hovering before the Sect Leader. The cultivators present were unfazed by this.

A moment later...

"Alright, do not think of passing off inferior goods; you won't be able to escape Martial Uncle's eyes when the time comes! Let us go! Junior Brother Ding is already outside the mountain gate. Let us go receive the seedlings and pick out your disciples."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sect Leader stood up, descended the steps, and led the dejected Hall Masters out of the Baiyun Hall.

Meanwhile, Cheng Buzheng, who was lying on the edge of the jade boat watching the scenery, noticed a city built within a canyon below. Thinking the boat would stop there for a long time, he gave it a disinterested glance.

It reminded him of his experiences during this journey; whenever they encountered a city, the White Jade Boat would stop for six or seven hours. In the blink of an eye, it had been over a month since he boarded the boat.

Suddenly, Cheng Buzheng realized that the jade boat was actually bypassing the city. This caught him off guard as the boat continued forward, flying over a massive mountain range.

Half a day later, the flying White Jade Boat suddenly veered slightly downward, flying toward a diagonal path and coming to a halt between two massive mountain peaks.

The expressionless Martial Uncle Ding glanced at the group and said to the youths on the boat, "Before you lies the entrance to our sect, the Baiyun Sect. In the future, you must have an Exit/Entry Token to pass through. If you disobey the sect rules and die inside, do not blame me for not warning you."

As he spoke, he sent out a transmission talisman, muttered a few words, and flicked his right hand. A red light shot forward, disappearing mysteriously after traveling less than thirty yards. Simultaneously, he produced a token and cast a spell; in the blink of an eye, a massive entrance flashed into existence.

Cheng Buzheng looked out. The White Jade Boat was stopped between two giant peaks, but the area ahead was empty, showing no sign of a sect whatsoever. In the distance, there were only continuous mountains, looking no different from any other range.

He observed closely, but it remained the same, prompting him to marvel: "The Sect-Protecting Array is truly miraculous; one cannot even see it with the naked eye."

Cheng Buzheng did not doubt Martial Uncle Ding's words. The sect was definitely here; it was just that as a mortal, he could not perceive the wonders of the cultivators.

The youths on the boat couldn't help but exclaim in discussion.

"It's truly magical, you can't even see it!"

"We are all like that; we certainly couldn't see it. If we could, would it even be called a Sect-Protecting Array?"

"It's breathtaking! Immortals are truly this powerful!"

The youths were filled with awe, marveling at the wonders of the immortals, while simultaneously appearing radiant with excitement at the prospect of becoming immortals themselves.

As the massive White Jade Boat passed through the giant portal and entered the sect, Cheng Buzheng, standing by the edge of the boat, realized that what he saw now was completely different from what he had seen just moments ago, as if he had entered a different world.