116: Chapter 116 The Five Holy Lands of Central Plains

The cheers on the trial plaza gradually subsided.

Lu Jinghan sheathed his sword and turned to look at Zhou Tianchen; the two exchanged a smile, for this sparring session had ended at the appropriate point, and both had gained quite a bit.

Ao Qin stood at the front of the crowd, his gaze fixed on Lu Jinghan, his heart still savoring that stunning sword strike from just a moment ago.

As the Third Prince of the Dragon Clan, he rarely met an opponent among his peers in the East Sea, yet he realized at this moment that if he were to fight Lu Jinghan, he would only have a twenty percent chance of winning.

Baili Qingfeng's hand, which had been waving his folding fan, hung in mid-air as he murmured, "The Sect Master's Personal Disciple is truly well-deserved of his reputation."

Just then, a slightly slender figure walked over from the edge of the plaza.

Lin Yanzhou's pace was not fast as he walked towards Lu Jinghan and Zhou Tianchen in the center of the plaza.

"Senior Brother, Third Junior Brother." Lin Yanzhou stood still before them, cupped his hands in a salute, his voice clear and bright.

Lu Jinghan turned to look at him and tapped his shoulder lightly with his hand, "Second Junior Brother, how do you have time to come out today?"

Lin Yanzhou shook his head with a wry smile, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Lu Jinghan and Zhou Tianchen, his eyes full of envy.

"I felt a bit stifled cultivating in the courtyard, so I came out for a walk. I happened to see Senior Brother and Third Junior Brother sparring, so I came over to take a look."

"Senior Brother and Third Junior Brother's strength have improved quite a bit again."

Zhou Tianchen put away the qiankun furnace, glanced at Lin Yanzhou, and said indifferently, "Second Senior Brother, there is no need to be anxious. Your path is different from ours; just take it slow."

Lin Yanzhou nodded without saying much more.

He knew clearly in his heart that he had been cultivating that Minimalist Cultivation Method for nearly two years, yet he had never been able to step into the Qi Refining stage. Although there were fluctuations of Qi in his Dantian, he could never condense them.

But he was not discouraged. Revered Master had said that he needed to settle, and once he had settled enough, he would be able to soar into the sky.

Around the plaza, those new Disciples also noticed Lin Yanzhou's figure.

"It's Second Senior Brother!" A Disciple from a Loose Cultivator background exclaimed in a low voice, his tone filled with a hint of respect.

"Lin Yanzhou, the Sect Master's second Disciple. It is said that he was one of the first Disciples to join the Sect Master's tutelage, even earlier than Zhou Tianchen."

"But why is there no Qi fluctuation on him? Could it be that my perception is wrong?"

"Your perception is correct; Second Senior Brother truly has no cultivation, but do not underestimate him. He was able to join the Sect Master's tutelage, so he must have his own extraordinary qualities; it is just that we cannot see through it."

The gaze of those new Disciples towards Lin Yanzhou held no contempt, only curiosity and awe.

In a place like Kunlun, for an ordinary person to become the Sect Master's Personal Disciple, that in itself was the greatest extraordinariness.

Ao Qin's gaze also fell on Lin Yanzhou, his brows slightly raised.

He truly could not perceive any Qi fluctuations on Lin Yanzhou, but it was precisely this "ordinariness" that gave rise to a strange feeling in his heart.

Having stayed in Kunlun for a month, he had already understood one principle: in this Sect, the more ordinary things appeared, the more extraordinary they often were.

Lin Yanzhou seemed to sense those gazes; he turned around and nodded slightly towards the new Disciples at the edge of the plaza, which counted as a greeting.

"Greetings, Second Senior Brother!"

It was unclear who spoke first, but immediately, over a dozen voices followed, rising and falling.

Lin Yanzhou was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and smiled, "Everyone, no need for such formalities."

Lu Jinghan stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching this scene, the smile at the corners of his lips deepening a little.

He knew that the respect these new Disciples had for Lin Yanzhou was not entirely out of politeness; it was more because they could not fathom Lin Yanzhou's background.

In a place as unfathomable as Kunlun, a Personal Disciple without cultivation was actually more intimidating than a Disciple with deep cultivation.

Lin Yanzhou spoke a few words with Lu Jinghan and Zhou Tianchen on the plaza, then took his leave to return to his cultivation.

Lu Jinghan watched him leave, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Zhou Tianchen, "Second Junior Brother's Foundation is becoming more and more solid."

Zhou Tianchen nodded and said indifferently, "He just lacks an opportunity."

The two exchanged a glance and said nothing more.

And at this moment, far away in the Central Plains, the Holy Revered Masters of the Five Great Sacred Lands were gathered together.

Zixiao Holy Land was located in the north of the Central Plains, surrounded by mountains. Nine Main Peaks pierced the clouds like nine sharp swords, the peaks shrouded in mist, with palaces appearing faintly.

Deep within the Holy Land, an ancient and simple hall stood atop the highest peak. The hall was named Lingxiao, and it was where the successive Holy Revered Masters of Zixiao Holy Land held their meetings.

In the hall, five figures were seated separately on five stone chairs.

The person in the center, wearing a purple Daoist robe, was none other than the Holy Revered Master of Zixiao Holy Land, Immortal Master Zixiao.

At the Peak of Tribulation Transcendence, a Half-Step Immortal, he was one of the most senior Holy Revered Masters among the Five Great Sacred Lands.

On the left side was the Lieyang Holy Revered Master, Heavenly Venerable Chiyan; on the right side was the Taixu Holy Revered Master, Taixuzi.

Further to the sides, the Star Holy Revered Master, Fairy Xingyue, sat like a lotus, three thousand strands of dark hair draped over her shoulders, her body surrounded by specks of starlight, cold and distant.

Jiuyou Holy Revered Master, Immortal Master Youming, was surrounded by a faint, chilling aura; sitting there, he was like a ghost king who had walked out of the Nine Nether Hell.

The five Holy Revered Masters were all existences standing at the very pinnacle of the Xuanhuang World, and at this moment, they were gathered together.

"Kunlun."

Immortal Master Zixiao spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying the vicissitudes of time.

His gaze swept over the other four, and he said indifferently, "Everyone must have heard that a Kunlun has appeared in the Southern Wilderness, destroying the Liuli Sect, and even the Ancestor of Liuli Sect, that old ghost, died at their hands."

Heavenly Venerable Chiyan snorted coldly, his voice low and scorching like a volcanic eruption, "The Ancestor of Liuli Sect? That old ghost was trapped at the Peak of Tribulation Transcendence for seventy thousand years; so what if he had one foot in the immortal realm?"

"In the end, it was only a half-step, not a True Immortal. Does the Liuli Sect, with its meager Foundation, deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as our Five Great Sacred Lands?"

His tone was full of disdain, "Kunlun destroyed a Liuli Sect and wants to make the Five Regions tremble? Ridiculous."

Taixuzi shook his head slightly, his voice ethereal like the wind, "Fellow Daoist Chiyan, that is incorrect."

"Although the Liuli Sect is not comparable to the Five Great Sacred Lands, that old ghost, the Ancestor of Liuli Sect, had a cultivation that was a genuine Half-Step Immortal. To be able to kill him in a direct confrontation, Kunlun's strength cannot be underestimated."

"Cannot be underestimated?" Heavenly Venerable Chiyan sneered.

"Taixuzi, your Taixu Holy Land has been hiding on the mountain for too long; have you lost your nerve?"

"A force that suddenly appeared, even if it has some strength, so what? The Five Great Sacred Lands have been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years; how could their profound Foundation be compared to an upstart from the Southern Wilderness?"

Fairy Xingyue raised her hand, a speck of starlight flowing at her fingertips, diluting the solemnity in the hall.

Her voice was as cold and clear as jade, unhurried, "Chiyan, Taixu, you two do not need to argue. Kunlun's strength is neither as unbearable as Chiyan says, nor as terrifying as Taixu thinks."

After speaking, her gaze fell on Immortal Master Zixiao, "The Liuli Sect was destroyed, and the Ancestor of Liuli Sect died; this matter is indeed worth being vigilant about."

"But it is only worth being vigilant about. The Foundation of the Five Great Sacred Lands is not something the Liuli Sect can compare to. If Kunlun is sensible, they should stay in the Southern Wilderness and behave themselves. If they dare to extend their reach to the Central Plains!"

The starlight at her fingertips suddenly froze, and her tone added a hint of coldness, "Then let them know the Foundation of our Central Plains."