Six days had quietly passed since the mysterious Golden Gate appeared above Lan Mao City.
During these six days...
The dazzling golden radiance illuminating the entire city had never weakened.
Whether it was dawn...
Midday...
Or the middle of the night...
The enormous golden gate remained suspended high above the heavens, like an ancient divine relic that had descended from another era.
It neither opened...
Nor did it disappear.
It simply floated there in complete silence.
Yet...
That very silence made the entire cultivation world restless.
No one knew when it would open.
No one knew what secrets were hidden behind it.
But everyone understood one thing...
Whatever was inside that gate...
Would certainly shake the entire continent.
...
Within only six days...
The news of the Ancient Yin-Yang City's reappearance had spread across countless kingdoms, sects, and clans.
Communication talismans burned continuously.
Messenger beasts crossed mountains day and night.
Flying artifacts travelled between cities without stopping.
Every powerful force had received the same news.
"The Ancient Yin-Yang City has reappeared."
...
Lan Mao City had completely lost the peaceful atmosphere it once possessed.
The streets were now packed with cultivators from every direction.
Some had travelled for thousands of kilometers on horseback.
Others rode ordinary flying artifacts.
Spirit carriages pulled by fierce demonic beasts entered the city one after another.
Every inn was completely full.
Restaurants remained crowded from morning until midnight.
Even wealthy merchants quickly built temporary residences outside the city to earn spirit stones from the endless stream of visitors.
Outside the city walls...
Hundreds of temporary camps stretched across the surrounding plains.
Every conversation...
Every discussion...
Every rumor...
Was about only one thing.
The Ancient Golden Gate.
...
Naturally...
As the rulers of Lan Mao City...
The Jiang Family had become the busiest force.
Hundreds of Jiang Family disciples continuously patrolled every street.
Their duty was no longer ordinary security.
Instead...
They had to prevent conflicts between cultivators from different regions.
After all...
People who came here represented powerful clans and sects.
A single fight could easily destroy half a street.
Even those with arrogant personalities restrained themselves.
No matter how powerful they were outside...
Inside Lan Mao City...
They still had to respect the Jiang Family's authority.
...
Around the Ancient Golden Gate...
The Jiang Family had already established several heavily guarded zones.
Only invited experts were allowed to approach.
Formation Masters carefully studied the countless ancient runes carved into the gate.
Artifact Refining Grandmasters examined the strange locking mechanism.
Ancient historians searched through forgotten records brought from their sects.
Alchemy Grandmasters attempted to identify the mysterious ancient aura surrounding the gate.
Every day...
Someone announced a new theory.
Every day...
That theory was proven wrong.
After six full days...
No one had managed to discover how the gate could be opened.
The Golden Gate remained as mysterious as ever.
...
Late that afternoon...
A deep humming sound suddenly echoed across the sky.
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
Above the clouds...
A colossal spirit airship slowly emerged.
Its body had been forged from ancient Spirit Ironwood.
Countless silver runes glowed across its surface.
Cloud-shaped formations continuously gathered beneath the ship, allowing it to float silently through the heavens.
At the highest mast...
A massive blue banner fluttered proudly.
Upon it...
Clouds embroidered with silver thread formed the symbol of one of the continent's great sects.
Someone gasped.
"The Azure Cloud Sect!"
"The Azure Cloud Sect has arrived!"
In an instant...
Countless cultivators rushed toward the city gate.
Even many elders stood up.
Very few people had ever witnessed one of the Four Great Sects arrive in person.
The spirit airship slowly descended outside Lan Mao City.
It landed so steadily that not even a cloud of dust was raised.
A wooden staircase extended from the ship.
Under everyone's watchful eyes...
More than a hundred disciples wearing sky-blue robes walked down in perfect order.
Their footsteps were synchronized.
Their expressions remained calm.
Every movement reflected the discipline of a first-rate sect.
Behind them...
Several elders followed.
Each elder possessed an extraordinary aura.
Although none deliberately released their cultivation...
The invisible pressure surrounding them made ordinary cultivators instinctively lower their voices.
Then...
Another figure slowly stepped onto the staircase.
He appeared to be around twenty years old.
He wore elegant azure robes embroidered with white clouds.
A jade sword hung quietly at his waist.
His face was handsome and refined, carrying a calm smile that neither appeared arrogant nor overly humble.
The moment he appeared...
Even the surrounding Azure Cloud disciples unconsciously slowed their pace by half a step behind him.
Someone in the crowd immediately recognized him.
"That's..."
"Young Master Mo Chenyu!"
"The future Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect!"
"I heard he entered the Spirit Core Realm before the age of twenty!"
"No wonder the Sect Master sent him personally."
Whispers spread throughout the crowd.
Mo Chenyu simply looked toward the Golden Gate hanging above the heavens.
Even his usually calm eyes revealed a trace of surprise.
"So..."
"So this is the Ancient Yin-Yang Gate..."
...
At that moment...
Jiang Family Grand Elder personally walked forward to welcome them.
"Hahaha!"
"Young Master Mo, Elder Xu."
"Welcome to Lan Mao City."
An elderly man beside Mo Chenyu smiled faintly before cupping his fists.
"Grand Elder Jiang."
"Our Sect Master originally wished to visit personally."
"However..."
"Since no one knows what restrictions this Ancient Domain may have..."
"He decided to let the younger generation gain experience instead."
As he spoke...
He glanced toward Mo Chenyu.
"Our Young Master shall represent the Azure Cloud Sect during this expedition."
Grand Elder Jiang nodded with satisfaction.
"A wise decision."
"If this truly is an inheritance left behind from the Ancient Era..."
"Then perhaps it is indeed an opportunity prepared for the younger generation."
The two elders exchanged a few more words.
Soon...
Under the guidance of the Jiang Family...
The Azure Cloud Sect disciples headed toward the area specially prepared for them.
With a gentle wave of Elder Xu's sleeve...
Several storage rings flashed.
Whoosh!
Dozens of exquisite wooden buildings appeared from thin air.
Within moments...
A temporary sect residence had been established.
Formation flags rose around the camp.
Protective barriers activated.
Spirit lamps lit one after another.
Even though it was only a temporary camp...
Its elegance rivaled many noble family estates.
The surrounding cultivators could only stare in amazement.
"So this..."
"...is the foundation of a Great Sect."
Standing at the entrance of the camp...
Mo Chenyu looked once more toward the ancient Golden Gate.
His gaze lingered there quietly.
He had a feeling...
This journey to Lan Mao City...
Would become one of the most important turning points of his life .