Another day quietly passed.
Although nine days had already gone by since the appearance of the Ancient Golden Gate...
Nothing had changed.
The enormous golden gate still floated high above Lan Mao City's sky.
Its ancient aura remained as profound as ever.
The dragon carved above the gate silently overlooked the world below.
The two crimson eyes embedded within its head remained tightly shut.
The serpent-shaped handles on both sides of the gate had not moved even once.
Yet...
Nobody dared leave.
Everyone firmly believed...
The day this gate opened...
Would shake the entire cultivation world.
By now...
Lan Mao City had become the center of the entire continent.
Every inn was full.
Every restaurant was crowded.
Temporary marketplaces had appeared throughout the city.
Spirit herbs...
Ancient treasures...
Weapons...
Formation materials...
Everything related to cultivation was being sold openly.
Merchants laughed until they couldn't close their mouths.
Even ordinary citizens earned more Spirit Stones within these few days than they normally would in several years.
Meanwhile...
The Jiang Family remained responsible for maintaining order.
Thousands of disciples guarded every important street.
Every visitor entering the city had to register their identity.
Although many powerful cultivators felt dissatisfied...
No one dared create trouble.
Because everyone knew...
This was still Jiang Family territory.
Early that afternoon...
A calm and scholarly aura suddenly spread through the eastern gate.
Unlike the previous sects...
No spirit beasts roared.
No flying swords streaked across the sky.
Instead...
A gigantic white spirit ship slowly floated toward the city.
Ancient books surrounded the ship like stars revolving around the moon.
Countless brushes made from Spirit Jade hovered in the air.
Whenever the wind blew...
Ancient scriptures could faintly be heard.
Someone in the crowd immediately widened his eyes.
"The Heavenly Wisdom Academy!"
"They've actually arrived!"
Soon...
Dozens of scholars wearing white robes slowly stepped down.
Some held bamboo scrolls.
Others carried thick ancient books.
Not one of them carried a weapon.
Yet...
Nobody dared underestimate them.
Rumor had it...
The strongest scholars could kill enemies with a single sentence.
Their words themselves became Heaven's Laws.
Leading them...
Was a young man around twenty-one years old.
His name was...
Wen Zixuan.
The future Head Scholar of the Heavenly Wisdom Academy.
His appearance was gentle.
His smile was warm.
Anyone seeing him for the first time would believe he was merely an ordinary scholar.
Only true experts could sense...
The terrifying spiritual pressure hidden beneath that calm smile.
Before the crowd recovered...
Another unusual scene appeared.
Thousands of colorful butterflies suddenly filled the sky.
Flower petals drifted through the air.
At the center...
A beautiful crystal airship slowly descended.
Paintings decorated every corner of the vessel.
Mountains...
Rivers...
Dragons...
Phoenixes...
Each painting looked so lifelike that people almost believed they would fly out of the scrolls.
"The Spirit Painting Pavilion!"
Someone exclaimed excitedly.
Soon...
Elegant disciples carrying enormous painting scrolls stepped onto the ground.
Walking in front...
Was a beautiful young woman.
She wore pale blue robes.
An ancient painting brush rested quietly behind her back.
Her name...
Shen Ruyan.
The Young Pavilion Mistress of the Spirit Painting Pavilion.
Rumor said...
Her paintings could imprison enemies.
Or even create living spirit beasts from nothing.
As everyone's attention remained on the Painting Pavilion...
The sound of Buddhist bells suddenly echoed throughout heaven.
Dong...
Dong...
Dong...
Golden light spread across the clouds.
A magnificent lotus-shaped spirit ship slowly descended.
Hundreds of monks sat cross-legged upon its deck.
Their peaceful chanting calmed countless restless hearts.
"The Sacred Buddhist Temple!"
"The Holy Monks have arrived!"
Walking at the front...
Was a young monk with a peaceful smile.
Despite his young appearance...
His eyes contained extraordinary wisdom.
His Dharma name was...
Mingkong.
The Buddha Child of the Sacred Buddhist Temple.
Many cultivators instinctively bowed their heads.
Even those with violent tempers suddenly felt calm after hearing the Buddhist chants.
Not long afterward...
Beautiful music floated across the city.
The melody was soft.
Elegant.
Almost dreamlike.
Many people unknowingly closed their eyes.
A magnificent flying pavilion decorated with jade instruments slowly descended.
Dozens of beautiful female disciples stood upon it.
Each carried a different instrument.
Some held guqins.
Some carried jade flutes.
Others held ancient zithers.
"The Divine Music Pavilion!"
People couldn't help looking toward the sky.
Walking gracefully at the front...
Was a breathtaking young woman.
She smiled gently while carrying a snow-white guqin.
Her name...
Qin Yuexin.
The Young Mistress of the Divine Music Pavilion.
Legend claimed...
Her music could heal allies...
Trap enemies inside illusions...
Or destroy souls without spilling a single drop of blood.
Before the excitement settled...
Heavy footsteps suddenly shook the earth.
Boom...
Boom...
Boom...
Everyone turned around.
A group of enormous humanoid puppets slowly entered through the western gate.
Each puppet stood nearly five meters tall.
Their metallic bodies reflected dazzling sunlight.
Behind them walked dozens of disciples wearing dark gray robes.
"The Heavenly Puppet Hall!"
"The Puppet Masters are here!"
Walking calmly among the giant puppets...
Was a young man with sharp eyes.
His fingers constantly moved as though controlling invisible threads.
His name...
Gongshu Tian.
The Young Hall Master of the Heavenly Puppet Hall.
Rumor had it...
He could command hundreds of puppets simultaneously.
One person...
One army.
Soon after...
Several Formation Flags flew across the sky by themselves.
Without anyone touching them...
They formed countless mysterious symbols above the city.
A simple but elegant spirit ship quietly descended beneath the floating formations.
"The Heavenly Formation Palace..."
"The greatest Array Masters have arrived."
Leading the group...
Was a calm young woman named Ji Xuan.
Unlike the others...
She rarely spoke.
Her eyes continuously observed the surrounding spiritual veins.
As if...
Every mountain and every stone had become part of an enormous formation inside her mind.
Finally...
A luxurious golden spirit ship appeared from the southern horizon.
It was even larger than many sect headquarters.
Its exterior glittered with countless Spirit Crystals.
Golden banners fluttered proudly.
People gasped in surprise.
"The Heavenly Merchant Alliance!"
"They actually came too?"
Unlike cultivation sects...
The Merchant Alliance pursued wealth.
Yet...
No one dared underestimate them.
Because cultivation required resources.
And resources required money.
Their influence extended across almost every kingdom and empire.
Within only half an hour after arriving...
Their disciples had already begun constructing a temporary auction hall outside the city.
Many cultivators immediately rushed toward it.
Everyone knew...
Whenever the Heavenly Merchant Alliance appeared...
Rare treasures would soon be sold.
As evening gradually descended...
Lan Mao City had become brighter than ever before.
Spirit ships filled the sky.
Temporary camps surrounded the city walls.
Countless geniuses from different paths of cultivation had gathered in one place.
Some quietly cultivated.
Some exchanged information.
Some challenged each other to friendly duels.
Yet...
No matter how lively the city became...
Whenever people raised their heads...
Their eyes would always return to the same place.
The Ancient Golden Gate...
Still floated silently beneath the heavens.
Waiting patiently...
For the day it would finally reveal the secrets of the legendary Yin-Yang City .