Chapter 47: Seven Hundred Warriors
During these three years, their Immortal Points were added to their spiritual energy.
Their current points distribution was: Strength: 21, Speed: 21, Defense: 0, Spiritual Energy: 11, Essense of all Things: 20
Chen Xun pulled the reins of the black ox and approached the gathering crowd. When he saw his fellow disciples, he flashed them a warm smile, appearing rather harmless with his straw hat. He led the ox toward the edge of the crowd and scanned with his eyes left and right, seemingly searching for someone.
There he is; Ji Kun.
Ji Kun had now reached the ninth stage of Qi Refinement. He was full of vitality. A group of disciples was currently surrounding him, chit-chatting lively, and he was clearly the center of attention.
Chen Xun smiled faintly and decided not to bother him.
He turned his head and looked towards the main sect hall, a place he and the black ox were greatly interested in.
Shortly later, the rest of the disciples arrived outside the main hall one by one. There were a total of 700 Qi Refinement disciples. Chen Xun and the big black ox stood at the far end and didn't draw any attention.
Several figures flew out from behind the main hall. Their powerful aura filled the vicinity, and their figures seemingly emitted faint rays of light.
"Foundation Building Stage cultivators! They can fly through the air!" Chen Xun was shocked; so this was the Foundation Building Stage! The realm at which one could live for up to a thousand years!
In front of the main hall, all the disciples stood upright with heavy faces and an all surrounding silence you could hear a pin drop.
This heavy atmosphere caused the black ox to start feeling frightened and it broke out in cold sweat. Its spiritual perception was stronger than the surrounding disciples, and it was absolutely certain that these Foundation Building Stage cultivators had the ability to slaughter them.
Sect Master You Yuanhua stood in the forefront, his deep voice resonating. "The journey to Southern Dipper Mountain is a rare opportunity. I hope that all the disciples will bring honor to our Five Elements Sect."
You Yuanhua had a calm demeanor. He surveyed everyone one by one then waved his hand. Ethereal music suddenly filled the air, accompanied by several high-pitched eagle cries echoing from the distant valleys.
"This journey will be led by Peak Master Wei Shan, a cultivator in the early Foundation Building Stage. This testimonial of the sect's high regard for all of you."
The 700 disciples were pleasantly surprised at his words. The sect had actually dispatched a Peak Master in the Foundation Building Stage to accompany them.
This increased their enthusiasm to contribute to the sect!
They quickly turned their focus toward Peak Master Wei Shan who had a head full of white but no signs of aging. He appeared youthful and exceptionally handsome, making the female disciples inside swoon with bubbling emotions.
"We respectfully follow the Sect Master's orders. Greetings, Peak Master Wei." The disciples all bowed their heads, respectfully greeting.
This was not only a sign of respect to their senior, but also an acknowledgment of his strength and aspiration.
"You may dispense with the formalities," Wei Shan's words—as gentle as a spring breeze—resounded in everyone's ears without any trace of seniority.
Then, everyone felt a force gently lifting them up.
Chen Xun immediately lost control of his body and fell into a daze.
**_Roar!_**
**_Roar!_**
At this moment, several deafening screeches shook the heavens. Five enormous spirit beasts with huge wings soared from the distant sky, casting a shadow over the entire main hall.
Chen Xun and the black ox watched in amazement, their scalps tingling.
**_Boom! _**
**_Boom! _**
**_Boom! _**
Several earth-shaking sounds echoed as five massive spirit beasts landed in front of the main hall. Their eyes were extremely sharp, and the feathers on their wings felt harder than Chen Xun's own axe.
"These are the Azure Cliff Eagles. Middle Foundation Building. No need to worry," Wei Shan said with a faint smile before standing on the eagle in the middle. "Come aboard."
Chen Xun quickly led the black ox to the edge of one of the Azure Cliff Eagles. They were massive, no, enormous! The two of them looked like tiny dwarfs in comparison.
"Old ox, let's draw our sword and fly!" Chen Xun took out the Immortal Sword from his storage pouch and, with a _swoosh_, flew up with the big black ox.
The Azure Cliff Eagle on the edge suddenly turned its head and looked at the black ox, its eyes filled with playfulness, as if it were looking at prey.
The black ox was immediately furious. If it weren't for Chen Xun holding it back, it would have kicked its way up there. Did it take it for food?!
"Calm down, old ox. Forgive it this time and give me some face." Chen Xun quickly reassured it, whispering, "Can it survive against you? When the time comes, steal its eggs and make it cry."
"Moo!" The big black ox responded fiercely but decided to let the matter go and give Chen Xun some face.
The other disciples all focused their attention and sat in meditation, conserving their energy. However, their faces displayed extreme nervousness.
With just a gesture from Wei Shan, a faint, green-colored magical barrier enveloped the bodies of the five Azure Cliff Eagles.
He bowed to the main sect hall, and those in front of the hall nodded with smiles.
"May the winds be at your back," a voice resounded in the ears of all the disciples, coming from the Sect Master.
**_Buzz..._**
**_Buzz..._**
**_Buzz..._**
The Azure Cliff Eagles spread their wings and soared into the sky, emitting a few loud eagle cries. Strong winds stirred up dust from the ground, and the landscape below gradually shrank. Even Chen Xun felt a sense of unease.
As the Azure Cliff Eagles flew through the sky, they gradually disappeared into the depths of the mountains. Countless disciples on the ground sighed in admiration.
They could now truly be considered the 700 brave warriors of the Five Elements Sect.
"Old ox, this time we're really going to experience something big," Chen Xun said with excitement, looking at the unfamiliar towering peaks and the sea of clouds around them. The ground was dominated by unfamiliar giant peaks that stretched into the sky, which the Azure Cliff Eagles swiftly passed by.
The speed was astonishingly fast, and Chen Xun couldn't help but marvel. It was several times faster than the flying boat they had used previously.
"Moo, moo!" The big black ox was filled with excitement. They had finally left the small village and were going to explore the outside world.
Chen Xun looked into the distance. They were well-prepared to face anything. Over the past six months, they had also learned a lot about the Southern Dipper Mountain secret realm.
Although the ten major sects had each sent 1,500 disciples, their strength and the number of spots were considerable. They were the true winners of Southern Dipper Mountain.
However, Southern Dipper Mountain was immense. It was the grandest mountain in the entire Qian Nation. Success was not just about strength, but also luck.
Many small sects sent fewer than a hundred disciples, but they were often the ones who profited the most, bringing back numerous spiritual herbs.
"Old ox, we must be careful of the demonic beasts and spirit beasts inside. They are not friendly towards humans," Chen Xun whispered. The suppressed spiritual energy in Southern Dipper Mountain had made these creatures exceptionally irritable, and they were quick to attack humans on sight.
This was what he had heard from the elderly members of the sect. These demonic beasts and spirit beasts had even surpassed the strength of the tenth level of Qi Refinement and were somewhere between that and the Foundation Building stage.
"Moo!" The big black ox nodded heavily, fully aware of the situation.
Over the past six months, they had heard countless rumors. Many disciples had lost their lives inside because of these demonic beasts and spirit beasts, who fiercely guarded the spiritual herbs.
Gradually, Chen Xun and the black ox stopped chatting and started meditating.
The Azure Cliff Eagles traversed through various regions, occasionally encountering attacks from other flying demonic beasts. However, Wei Shan only had to release his aura and those flying beasts would turn tail and flee.
Half a month later, the speed of the Azure Cliff Eagles began to slow down.
Southern Dipper Mountain was composed of nineteen majestic peaks that were connected like a winding dragon soaring into the sky.
It resembled a giant standing among the mountains, coldly overlooking the earth and the approaching cultivators. Even the Azure Cliff Eagles appeared tiny in its presence.
"My goodness, such a breathtaking sight exists in this world," Chen Xun marveled, his voice filled with awe.
The black ox was equally stunned, rooted in its place. They had never realized just how insignificant they were.
Looking into the distance, they saw peculiar mountains jutting out in a series, lush and towering and shrouded in clouds and mist. They were enclosed by a massive formation.
Chen Xun couldn't help but exclaim repeatedly. It was clear that countless powerful cultivators had sealed this place. Even Elder Wei Shan might not be enough to handle it. He wondered what kind of formidable cultivator had done this.
The five Azure Cliff Eagles landed in an open area, surrounded by cultivators from various sects. They all cast unfriendly glances at the Five Elements Sect but quickly averted their gazes.
To the north of the open area lay the territory of Southern Dipper Mountain. It was filled with towering thousand-year-old trees, dark and silent, exuding an ancient aura that inspired awe in anyone who saw it.