Chapter 280: Groups

After traveling for some time, Yu Xuan, Bing Xin, and the accompanying Discipline Committee disciples finally arrived at the floating island.The moment they crossed an unseen barrier, Yu Xuan felt the world stretch.

What had looked from the outside like an island roughly the size of the Main Elemental Heaven Peak, expanded into a sprawling continent suspended in the sky.

The spatial distortion was enormous, almost as if the island contained its own pocket world.

And floating above were the Gates.

Vast. Ominous. Distorted. And Blue.

Yu Xuan narrowed his eyes.

These portals weren’t positioned here by chance.

The Sect had long identified this region as an area of weakened spatial fabric, perhaps even nudged it further over the years.

A subtle preparation for an inevitable invasion.

The mismatched, asymmetric arrangement of Gates some wide, some narrow, some tall, some warped made the sky look like shattered mirrors.

All of them landed at the edge of the floating island.

Yu Xuan walked to the boundary and looked down at the central arena far below.

’Everything looks so small from up here... Good thing I don’t have acrophobia. A cultivator afraid of heights would live a nightmare.’

Using [Immortal’s Gaze] was now a second nature to him.

Yu Xuan pierced through the drifting clouds and looked back toward the Discipline Committee Pagoda.

Though it was impossibly far, his vision reached it clearly.

Just then, he paused.

Because, a pair of sharp crimson eyes stared straight back at him.

The red haired senior from earlier.

Even from this distance... he was looking directly at Yu Xuan.

With full clarity.

’As expected... that guy was not normal.’

"Brother Yu, what are you looking at? Let’s go," a disciple called out.

Yu Xuan blinked once, then turned away from the distant crimson gaze.

He walked over to the disciple, forcing his thoughts aside.

"Well, I never introduced myself, did I? Hello, I am Yu Xuan. Nice to meet you," he said casually.

The disciple grinned.

"I am Shangguan Yan..."

They began chatting as they walked deeper into the floating island.

***

Yu Xuan learned quite a bit from Shangguan Yan as they walked.

Apparently this batch of disciples was part of the scheduled dispatch from the Discipline Committee.

Because the Gates only allowed cultivators below Tier 3, higher-realm disciples acted as overseers, and a few Elders were stationed here as well.

The Discipline Committee, as the ones maintaining order in the sect, created a simple yet highly effective incentive.

Outstanding disciples were given a free Gate trip.

Enter the Gate → kill monsters → get loot → gain merit.

In short: A paid vacation where you might die.

Perfectly normal for a Cultivation World.

Still... every disciple Yu Xuan passed looked anything but ordinary.

Even the ones who seemed average had a certain sharpness to them, as if survival experience was carved into their bones.

After some time, they reached the Discipline Committee’s temporary branch on the floating island.

The moment the group stepped inside.

Every disciple saluted Bing Xin.

Yu Xuan blinked.

He had seen a lot of disciples bow on their way here, but inside this branch it was different.

Not admiration.

Not respect.

Reverence.

Yu Xuan felt a bad premonition because of this.

Just then he saw Bing Xin speaking to... someone.

Someone who looked unmistakably like a Kappa.

Short, round body.

Wide amphibian eyes.


A bowl-like depression on its head filled with shimmering water.

Webbed hands.

Fishy smell.

But at the same time...

An aura that screamed: "I am Superior!"

Bing Xin turned to the group.

"From here, Ke-jii will take over. Follow his instructions."

Then she walked toward her private room.

But before leaving, she sent Yu Xuan a mental transmission.

’Meet me after your grouping is done.’

Yu Xuan nodded.

Then he turned back toward the Kappa.

Ke-jii tapped his webbed hands together, each movement producing a soft splish-splish from his feet.

Despite his ridiculous appearance, the pressure rolling off him was suffocating.

"Hm. You all look quite eager for this little vacation," Ke-jii spoke, his voice deep and strangely oily (???).

"Well then, let’s finish the boring parts quickly."

Before anyone could react.

WOOOSH—

A divine sense swept over everyone like a tidal wave, and in the next moment, the crowd was split neatly into groups of nine.

Yu Xuan glanced around and noticed Shangguan Yan in his group.

He breathed a small sigh of relief.

At least he wouldn’t be alone.

He had already noticed that several Discipline Committee disciples were subtly avoiding him — after all, Yu Xuan didn’t belong to their Committee.

But that was normal.

In the cultivation world, strength determined connections, and perception would naturally change once ability was shown.

Ke-jii waved his hand.

"Those of you already in groups, get acquainted. Then head to the points listed on the sheets."

Sheets of paper flew through the air like guided talismans, each landing precisely in front of a designated disciple.

In Yu Xuan’s group, it drifted into the hands of a chubby disciple with two long antennae sprouting adorably from his forehead.

Ke-jii continued, "Whoever holds the paper is the group leader. Lead properly. I will not tolerate sloppy behavior from the members of my Discipline Committee."

"YES, SENIOR!" the group leaders said in unison.

Yu Xuan turned toward his group just as the chubby, antenna bearing disciple spoke warmly.

"How about we get to know each other over food?"

Before anyone could agree, Yu Xuan raised a hand.

"Brother, I have an urgent matter. I’ll join you in ten minutes."

And then, he vanished.

Not blurred.

Not flashed.

Just Vanished.

Everyone froze.

"Wh-what technique was that?" the chubby disciple whispered, slightly stunned.

After a moment he shook himself and clapped his hands.

"A-alright... let’s talk over food first."

The others nodded, still slightly rattled by Yu Xuan’s sudden disappearance.

After all, they are geniuses too.

And, if even they cannot sense Yu Xuan move, it simply meant that despite his beautiful or rather handsome appearance he was quite formidable.