117: Chapter 117 A fleeting dream, enough is enough.

Immortal Master Jiuyou had remained silent the entire time, but now, he finally spoke.

"Fairy Xingyue is right. Kunlun being able to destroy the Liuli Sect does not mean it can shake the Five Great Sacred Lands, but there is one point that everyone must keep in mind."

He raised his head, a hint of gravity appearing on his pale face: "That old ghost, Ancestor of Liuli Sect, I crossed paths with him back in the day."

"Although he was a Half-Step Immortal, he was not someone ordinary Peak of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators could compare to. Kunlun being able to kill him indicates that they have at least one Half-Step Immortal, or even a true Red Dust Immortal, presiding over them."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

A Red Dust Immortal is an existence standing at the very pinnacle of this world, a supreme expert who has already touched the threshold of the Immortal realm but chose to remain in the Mortal World.

The Five Great Sacred Lands each have existences at the Old Ancestor level, among whom there is no lack of Half-Step Immortals or even those who have advanced further.

"So what if they are a Half-Step Immortal?"

Celestial Venerable Chiyan sneered, "Our Sun Holy Land's Old Ancestor, Celestial Venerable Liehuo, stepped into the Half-Step Immortal realm a thousand years ago. By now, he is likely not far from being a Red Dust Immortal. If a real fight were to break out, who wins and who loses is not yet certain."

Taixuzi glanced at him and said indifferently: "Chiyan, that Old Ancestor of your Sun Holy Land does indeed have heaven-reaching cultivation, but Kunlun suppressed the Ancestor of Liuli Sect in one move. Could your Old Ancestor do that?"

Celestial Venerable Chiyan's expression stiffened, and he snorted coldly, not responding.

Master Zixiao raised his hand in a pressing gesture, stopping the two from continuing their argument.

His gaze swept over the four people in the hall, and he spoke slowly: "Everyone, there is no need to argue. Today, I invited you all here not to debate Kunlun's strength, but to discuss a strategy to deal with them."

He paused, his voice deepening: "Kunlun has entered the world and is recruiting Disciples on a large scale, gathering Prodigies from the Five Domains."

"In just one month, they have accepted nearly a hundred Disciples, including Core Disciples from top forces of various domains: the Ao Qin of the East Sea Dragon Clan, the Saintess of the North Region's Ice and Snow Palace, the successor of the Tianji Pavilion... You all should understand what it means for these people to join Kunlun."

Fairy Xingyue frowned slightly: "Zixiao, are you saying that Kunlun is using the excuse of recruiting Disciples to win over forces from various domains?"

"Not necessarily winning them over." Master Zixiao shook his head.

"But in the long run, the younger generation of the top forces in each domain will all have intricate connections with Kunlun. By then, even if Kunlun does not move a single soldier, it will be able to have great influence in the Five Domains."

The hall fell silent again.

Immortal Master Jiuyou suddenly spoke, his voice still hoarse and low: "Zixiao, what do you intend to do?"

Master Zixiao stood up, walked to the hall door with his hands behind his back, looked toward the distant southern sky, and after a long silence, slowly spoke: "Let's observe first."

He turned around and looked at the four: "Kunlun has only been in the world for a month, and its background is not yet fully clear. To act rashly would be unwise."

"Moreover, our plan has not yet been completed, and previous arrangements have been delayed for various reasons. We must speed up."

Afterward, the four Holy Land Revered Masters left Zixiao Holy Land one after another, each returning to implement their plans. Compared to Kunlun's emergence, their plans were of the utmost importance.

——

Half a year had passed since Kunlun began recruiting Disciples.

The bustle in the Southern Wilderness gradually subsided. Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains, those once densely packed temporary camps were long deserted, leaving only traces on the ground.

The Southern Wilderness returned to silence.

Inside the Kunlun Small World, however, it was a scene of vigorous cultivation.

In front of the massive bronze tower, Disciples entered every day to undergo trials and hone themselves.

Some walked out of the tower covered in blood but with faces full of excitement; others reached a certain level and could no longer continue, their faces pale when they were teleported out, but they gritted their teeth and came again the next day.

No one complained, no one slacked off, because they all knew what a Heaven-Defying Opportunity it was to be able to join Kunlun.

"I still feel like I'm in a dream even now."

On the stone steps outside the Trial Tower, a Disciple from a Loose Cultivator background sat cross-legged, adjusting his breath while speaking to his companion beside him.

His name was Shen San. He was originally just a Loose Cultivator from a small city in the Southern Wilderness, having struggled in the Foundation Establishment Stage for over a decade without making any progress. Now, having joined Kunlun for only half a year, he had already broken through to the Early Golden Core stage.

"Who's to say it isn't?"

The companion beside him also sat cross-legged, his gaze falling on the distant, cloud-shrouded immortal Peaks, his eyes full of emotion.

"Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques, Earth Rank Medicinal Pills, Top-Grade Spirit Stones... These things, I didn't even dare to imagine them before."

"That's why we can't slack off." Shen San stood up, stretched his limbs, and looked toward the massive bronze tower.

"If I wake up one day and find that all of this was really just a dream, that would be a huge loss."

"You say that, but even if it's a Dream of Golden Millet, for us, it is already enough." The companion chuckled, but nodded in deep agreement.

Similar conversations were constantly taking place in every corner of the Kunlun Small World.

Those Prodigies from top forces, while not as anxious as the Loose Cultivators, also felt unprecedented pressure.

On the seventh floor of the Technique Pavilion, Ao Qin sat cross-legged in the open space between the bookshelves, with the "Minghuang Dragon Art" spread out before him.

Around him, golden dragon-shaped Qi energy faintly circulated, and with every breath, spiritual power surged through his Meridians like a tide.

In half a year, going from the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation to the Peak of Soul Transformation, this speed would be enough to shock everyone in the outside world.

But Ao Qin knew that within Kunlun, this progress of his was nothing.

Senior Brother Lu Jinghan was at the Early Stage of Soul Transformation half a year ago, but now he is at the Peak of Soul Transformation, only one step away from Void Refining.

What's even scarier is his combat power. Ao Qin had sparred with him once and was defeated within ten moves.

"Senior Brother Ao Qin." A cold, clear voice came from behind him.

Ao Qin turned his head and saw Mu Qingxue walking over from the stairs. Her aura was more restrained than half a year ago, but also sharper.

"Are you here to choose a Cultivation Technique too?" Ao Qin asked.

Mu Qingxue shook her head, stood beside him, and her gaze fell on the row of Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique bookshelves:

"Elder Ling Xu said that my 'Ice Heart Spirit Body Art' has been cultivated to the Perfection of the second level, and I can start to comprehend the third level, so I came to the Technique Pavilion to see if there are any related auxiliary classics."

As the two were talking, footsteps came from the stairs again.

Baili Qingfeng walked up, fanning himself with a folding fan. Although there was a smile on his face, his eyes held a hint of fatigue.

"You two are quite leisurely."

He stopped beside the two, his gaze sweeping over the rows of Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques, and he sighed.

"I have been forced by Revered Master to deduce heavenly secrets for the past few days, and my brain is almost unable to turn."

"Elder Mu Bai is strict with you because he values you." Mu Qingxue said indifferently.

"I know." Baili Qingfeng nodded and closed his folding fan.

"So I'm not complaining, just lamenting. When I was at the Tianji Pavilion, I thought my talent for deduction was top-notch, but after coming to Kunlun, I realized what it means that there is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond heaven."

The three fell silent for a moment.

Ao Qin stood up, put the "Minghuang Dragon Art" into his storage ring, and looked through the window of the Technique Pavilion toward the towering Kunlun main hall in the distance.

For the past half year, the Sect Master had rarely appeared.

Occasionally, on the enlightenment tree open day, he would appear at the Peak of the Main Peak, standing with his hands behind his back under the enlightenment tree, watching the Disciples Cultivate and comprehend under the tree, but he never spoke to offer any guidance.

But all the Disciples could feel that when the Sect Master's gaze swept over them, it seemed to be able to see through everything.

"Let's go." Ao Qin withdrew his gaze, "There are few people at the Trial Tower today, let's go and give it a try."

Mu Qingxue and Baili Qingfeng nodded, and the three went downstairs together.