Chapter 73 - Arc 7: Dragon Ascension Gate | Chapter 73: Dragon Ascension Gate Conference
Translator: Lynn
Su Xin explained, “It’s for the Dragon Ascension Gate Conference.”
…The Dragon Ascension Gate Conference?
Xu Ziqing shook his head. “Brother Ah Xin, just tell me directly.”
Su Xin chuckled and then spoke frankly, “Brother Ziqing, the Dragon Ascension Gate Conference is an event that takes place every nine years in our Haotian small world. It brings together the continent’s most talented individuals to socialize, make friends, and forge future alliances.” Xu Ziqing pondered, realizing that it had something to do with entering the larger world.
As expected, Su Xin continued his explanation.
The Dragon Ascension Gate Conference occurs once every decade, preceding the entry of all foundation-building monks into the Dragon Ascension Gate. This year marks the ninth year of the ten-year Ascension event. However, not all monks are eligible to participate, and there are numerous selection rules and methods.
The selection rules are both straightforward and intricate.
The straightforward aspect is eliminating a group based on age, disqualifying those over fifty from participating in the grand event. Foundation-building monks are also not allowed to join.
This narrows down the participants, but it’s just a basic prerequisite.
The intricacies lie in the finer details.
Each sect has a designated quota based on its size and reputation. More prominent sects naturally have more quotas, while lesser sects have fewer. Since time is limited, sects must send their most outstanding disciples.
Similarly, aristocratic families have quotas, but because many aristocratic family disciples also worship sects, they are not counted under the family’s quota. The aristocratic families have an upper limit of participants but no lower limit.
Other factions like the Loose Cultivator Alliance have their quotas based on their influence and the number of top-ranked masters within the faction. The intricate details of these quotas depend on individual dealings and are not disclosed by the conference organizers. However, there are exceptions based on spiritual roots.
While spiritual roots also take up a quota, the cultivation requirements are more lenient, only considering age.
Those with both thick and thin spiritual roots, aged thirteen to twenty-five, and cultivating Qi-refining level six or above can directly participate.
Those with a single spiritual root, as long as they reach the age of thirteen, regardless of their cultivation level, can also enter the conference. However, to prevent any potential harm, they must be accompanied by a teacher.
After listening for a while, Xu Ziqing gradually understood, but one thing still eluded him. “What’s so special about this Dragon Ascension Gate Conference?”
Su Xin smiled and praised, “Brother Ziqing is truly perceptive.” He then proceeded to explain, “Apart from gathering many individuals expected to enter the Dragon Ascension Gate, the Dragon Ascension Gate Conference also offers another great benefit.”
That benefit is the third-order spiritual vein.
It’s because a guardian is residing in the Tenglong Mountains before the Dragon Ascension Gate.
The Tenglong mountain range is treacherous and difficult to traverse, with Tenglong Peak as its central peak. Inside this peak lies a third-order spiritual vein, which can encompass the entire Tenglong Peak. The spiritual energy contained within the third-order spiritual vein is over a hundred times more abundant than the peak itself. Even the three small secret realms within Haotian Small World cannot compare, demonstrating the incredible abundance of its spiritual energy.
Not to mention Xu Ziqing’s Lingqiao Mountain spiritual orifice, even the tiny spiritual vein within the Elder Hall’s mountain pales in comparison.
The Dragon Gate Conference takes place on Tenglong Peak, led by the guardian residing there. However, one should not underestimate this guardian. Rumor has it that they hail from the Qingyun Great World and are replaced every ten years. Being guided into Tenglong Peak by this guardian is a great honor.
And within this gathering, there was another significant event: the gatekeeper personally selected exceptional talents and allowed them to stay on Tenglong Peak for a year to cultivate their foundations and smoothly enter the Rising Dragon Gate.
There are various methods of selection.
Among them, the limitation of spiritual roots plays a crucial role. Often, those with dual spiritual roots or single spiritual roots can directly stay on Tenglong Peak without further tests.
However, those who wish to join the association will be assessed by the guardian through competitions or other means. Ultimately, only twenty individuals will remain.
It is due to the presence of the third-order spiritual vein that many prestigious families and peerless geniuses flock to this event.
Before Su Xin discovered his single-fire spiritual root, he possessed a combination of thick and thin spiritual roots. When he met Xu Ziqing, his cultivation level was at the fifth level of Qi refining. It was only a matter of entering the Dragon Gate Assembly. With his aptitude, he met the requirements to participate based on his spiritual roots and aimed to successfully build his foundation within the remaining year. That was his plan.
He invited Xu Ziqing because he also suspected that Xu Ziqing might be a genius with dual spiritual roots. However, he didn’t know if Xu Ziqing had one thick and one thin spiritual root or dual thick spiritual roots. Therefore, he hoped that Xu Ziqing could break through the Qi refining level and reach the ninth level within two years.
Now, Xu Ziqing did not disappoint him; he had indeed made such a breakthrough!
After Su Xin explained everything, Xu Ziqing had no doubts.
Su Xin smiled and said, “Since you meet the requirements, I can ask Master to reserve a spot for you. It’s remarkable to have such cultivation at your age, and no one can deny that. Quotas are precious, even for casual cultivators. There are factions within the alliance, and naturally, there will be competitions.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing felt grateful for Su Xin’s openness. Su Xin had been transparent from the beginning and even hinted that some underhanded tactics might be in the competition for alliance spots. This demonstrated Su Xin’s magnanimity. While he had his calculations, he was not the type to harbor traitorous intentions. Xu Ziqing had experienced various situations and could tell that Su Xin genuinely cared for him. It was not mere pretense. To such a person, Xu Ziqing naturally reciprocated with sincerity, considering him a friend even if he had some reservations.
With a smile, Xu Ziqing offered a cup of tea and said, “Let’s toast with tea instead of wine, thank you, Brother Ah Xin.”
Su Xin chuckled and said, “Why thank me? Once you enter the larger world, you might pretend not to know me.”
Hearing this, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but smile.
He knew that the larger world held countless dangers, and when he found himself entangled in them, he would likely need to rely on Su Xin’s support.
Three days later, Xu Ziqing received a letter through a flying sword, informing him to go to the Inner League to obtain a membership quota. He happily went there, and upon arriving outside the Inner League, he saw Su Xin welcoming him. The two entered side by side and headed straight for the Elder’s Hall.
The leader of the alliance was seated in the hall, accompanied by all the elders, just like in their previous meeting.
This time, no one tried to test Xu Ziqing, but they all scanned him with their spiritual senses, assessing his cultivation level.
The leader smiled and said, “As expected, you’ve reached the ninth level of Qi refining. Young friend Xu, your talent is remarkable, and your potential is unlimited.”
Hearing this praise, Xu Ziqing didn’t display any arrogance and simply smiled gently, saying, “Leader, your kind words are excessive.” A glimmer of appreciation flickered in the leader’s eyes, but he refrained from further praise. Raising his hand, he released a white light and said, “Take it.”
Xu Ziqing was prepared when the leader raised his hand, immediately reaching out to catch the white light in his hand.
The white light dissipated, revealing the true appearance of the object inside.
It was an extremely small jade token, shaped like a Ganoderma lucidum1, exquisitely crafted. Its head bore an engraved dragon pattern, and the jade handle was slender, yet it appeared open, exuding a sense of mystery. It was incredibly delicate, yet unbreakable.
The leader said, “This is the membership certificate. There are only eight such tokens in our Loose Cultivator Alliance. You have one, and Xin’er has another. However, there are differences between the two certificates due to different reasons.” He chuckled and showed his certificate to Xu Ziqing in jest.
Indeed, there was a difference. While both certificates were jade tokens, Xu Ziqing’s was emerald green, crystal clear, and lacked the lightness of the leader’s token.
If Xu Ziqing were to mention his single spiritual root, the evidence he held should be the same as Su Xin’s. However, as a casual cultivator, it was challenging for him to disclose such information. Otherwise, the origin of his identity would raise suspicion once again. Nevertheless, for now, Xu Ziqing had obtained a quota based on his cultivation alone, and the remaining matters would be discussed at Tenglong Peak.
After expressing his gratitude to the leader, Xu Ziqing intended to take his leave. Although he had entered the hall without succumbing to temptation, he could sense that not all the elders were pleased. There were a few individuals displaying displeasure, likely related to the quota. Xu Ziqing was self-aware and didn’t linger for too long, so as not to attract unwanted attention.
Upon leaving the hall, Xu Ziqing bid farewell to Su Xin.
The Rising Dragon Gate Conference was still half a month away, and the two agreed to meet again then and travel together to the Tenglong Mountains.
In his quiet chamber, Xu Ziqing sat cross-legged, deep in thought. He carefully pondered the words spoken by Su Xin, finding himself increasingly intrigued by the gatekeeper.
The Dragon Gate opens once every ten years, and the gatekeepers change with each cycle… Is this to ensure fairness in the Rising Dragon Gate Conference, or is there something more to it?
The path to immortality is arduous and treacherous, and Xu Ziqing must now contemplate deeply to avoid falling into the traps of villains and meeting an untimely demise.
After much contemplation, Xu Ziqing still couldn’t arrive at a definitive conclusion. After all, his knowledge was limited, and any speculation lacked a solid foundation. If anything, it allowed him to make more predictions and mental preparations. Even in the worst-case scenario, he would remain steadfast and resolute. Clearing his mind, Xu Ziqing raised his left hand and gazed at the storage ring adorning his little finger.
Within the ring resided a close friend, someone with vast knowledge, a calm demeanor, and a warm heart… If he could seek advice from him, even if no concrete answers were obtained, it would provide a sense of reassurance.
However, the question remained: Should he ask or not? Over the years, he had troubled Brother Yun too much.
Xu Ziqing was always considerate. From his perspective, his dear friend Yun Lie was a devoted cultivator of Taoism. Even with only his soul remaining, his mind remained as steadfast as a rock, unwavering in his dedication to the path of life and free from the enticements of ghostly cultivation.
Recalling their first encounter, Yun Lie sat on the stone platform, eyes closed and silent, likely refining his state of mind or engaging in self-reflection. If left undisturbed, Yun Lie would be as steady as Mount Tai. It was evident that Yun Lie found tranquility and contentment in such moments.
Observing Yun Lie’s sword energy, so sharp and unyielding, it was undoubtedly a result of his hard work. Yet, even in times when Xu Ziqing faced various hardships or had his emotions shaken, Yun Lie never hesitated to offer guidance… Such kindness was something Xu Ziqing found difficult to repay.
Now, with mere curiosity and speculation stirring within him, how could Xu Ziqing, in his audacity, rely on someone like Yun Lie?
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