Chapter 553: Gathering of Powerhouses
"Senior Brother Nie, North Jade Mountain has opened, let's set off."
Elder Huang gazed at the distant North Jade Mountain and spoke slowly.
Nie Xiuyuan took a sip of wine and said unhurriedly, "No rush, let's first see which experts have come to North Jade Mountain this time."
The disciples of the Institute of Inquiry present couldn't help but look at this relatively unknown Nie Shishu with new respect. At the same time, they grew curious about his true strength.
As North Jade Mountain opened, cultivators from various forces gathered at the entrance.
But no cultivator rushed in first.
North Jade Mountain was indeed an immortal mountain, but it was also fraught with dangers. Being the first to enter wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Moreover, with so many major forces present, whoever entered first would become a target.
Soon, a Buddhist chant came from the sky, and everyone looked toward the direction of the sound. They saw a golden light floating from the west.
Everyone looked at the golden light and began to discuss animatedly.
"Buddhist golden light, these are cultivators from the Great Thunder Sound Temple. I wonder who is leading the Great Thunder Sound Temple this time?"
As the golden light drew closer, a palpable pressure descended from the sky.
Many cultivators showed reverent expressions in the face of this pressure, clasping their hands together.
"Look, it's the Great Thunder Sound Temple's Bodhisattva Jinchan."
"I didn't expect the Great Thunder Sound Temple to be led by Bodhisattva Jinchan this time. Could it be that they intend to compete with the Northern Abyss Sacred Dynasty here?"
Nie Xiuyuan, Wang Baole, and others subconsciously looked toward the Great Thunder Sound Temple's group. A young man riding a white elephant, sitting on a lotus throne, and exuding a sacred aura with every movement attracted their attention.
"Senior Brother, what do you know about this Buddha Son Jinchan?" Wang Baole asked curiously.
Nie Xiuyuan said slowly, "He is of the same generation as me. It is said that he grew up in a Buddhist temple since childhood and was born with a Buddha Heart. He is also the youngest Buddha Son in the history of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, having entered the Half Saint Realm in just over a hundred years.
He originally had the opportunity to directly enter the Buddha Kingdom of the Great Thunder Sound Temple to cultivate, but he planned to travel the mortal world to save sentient beings, which is why he remained as a Buddha Son in the Great Thunder Sound Temple."
Wang Baole remarked upon hearing this, "This monk has some substance."
As they spoke, the Great Thunder Sound Temple's group had already arrived above the immortal mountain.
Before the Great Thunder Sound Temple's group could enter North Jade Mountain, a rumbling sound of wheels came from the east.
Everyone present subconsciously looked toward the rumbling sound, only to see the sky filled with dark clouds.
As the dark clouds drew closer, everyone realized that the clouds were actually an unstoppable army.
This army was dressed in black dragon-patterned armor, and their banners were also embroidered with a black dragon.
Before they even approached, the terrifying killing intent and malevolent aura they exuded were enough to make one's blood run cold.
"The Black Dragon Army!"
"This is the personal army of the Northern Abyss Sacred Dynasty's Crown Prince—the Black Dragon Army!"
"With the appearance of the Black Dragon Army, the Northern Abyss Crown Prince must also be present. This is going to be interesting."
As everyone marveled, they also turned their gazes toward the direction where the Institute of Inquiry people were.
Those present naturally wouldn't forget the clash between the Institute of Inquiry and the Northern Abyss Sacred Dynasty a few days ago.
Path Union Cultivators are the backbone of any force. The Institute of Inquiry had killed a Path Union Cultivator from the Northern Abyss Sacred Dynasty, so it was unlikely that the Northern Abyss Sacred Dynasty would let this matter rest easily.
With the appearance of the Black Dragon Army, a solemn killing atmosphere also filled the air.
"Halt!"
A loud voice came from within the Black Dragon Army, and the army stopped uniformly in the sky.
The solemn killing atmosphere caused many cultivators present to hold their breath, watching the every move of the Wendao Academy's cultivators.
Just when everyone thought the Northern Abyss Crown Prince was going to cause trouble for the Wendao Academy, a pleasant immortal music drifted over from the distance.
The moment the immortal music sounded, the nervousness, unease, and anticipation in the hearts of countless cultivators vanished without a trace.
At this moment, countless people were enchanted by the immortal music.
As the immortal music drew closer, a rain of flower petals also began to fall from the sky.
Some old, well-traveled cultivators saw the scene before them and murmured, "The fairies of the Heart-Severance Palace have arrived."
Many people who heard this instantly sobered up, their faces breaking into excited expressions.
Even though the disciples of the Heart-Severance Palace must forget their feelings to walk the path of the heartless Dao, before doing so, they would choose a Dao companion to sever their emotions with.
It should be known that the female cultivators of the Heart-Severance Palace were each as beautiful as celestial beings, and they possessed abundant resources. If one was favored by them, they could save thirty years of struggle.
Wang Baole subconsciously looked up toward the Heart-Severance Palace's direction. He saw countless female cultivators standing on colorful clouds, guarding a chariot pulled by a Qing Luan.
Each of these female cultivators wore a veil on their face, making it impossible to see their features clearly.
But the temperament they exuded was utterly enchanting.
"A Qing Luan Chariot, this means the Saintess of the Heart-Severance Palace has come in person," Nie Xiuyuan said slowly as he saw this.
Wang Baole said, "Senior Brother, do you know the origins of the Saintess of the Heart-Severance Palace?"
Nie Xiuyuan shook his head, "The Saintess of the Heart-Severance Palace of this generation is extremely mysterious. No one knows her true appearance, nor when she severed her emotions. Sixty years ago, when I was drinking with someone, I happened to hear her name mentioned. It was Leng Qingqiu. At that time, she was already a Half Saint."
Hiss... The disciples of the Wendao Academy around them subconsciously gasped upon hearing this.
Wang Baole, however, just shrugged his shoulders, "It seems this gathering of forces won't be so boring after all."
Nie Xiuyuan said with a smile, "Indeed. I wonder if there are any other experts?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a gentle voice came from the Great Thunder Sound Temple's group. "Patron Long, Patron Leng, this humble monk greets you."
"Master, Crown Prince Long, greetings." A clear, ethereal voice came from within the Qing Luan Chariot.
Just this one voice alone caused countless people to let their imaginations run wild, their minds beginning to fantasize about what kind of beauty could produce such a voice.
"Greetings to you two, fellow Daoists." The Northern Abyss Crown Prince's voice was very calm, and he then said, "This Crown Prince sees that most people have arrived. We should now enter this immortal mountain to explore."
The Buddha Son Jinchan said, "This humble monk was just thinking the same."
"Agreed." Leng Qingqiu did not object either.
"I wonder which of you two fellow Daoists will enter first?" The Northern Abyss Crown Prince had no intention of fighting for the spot to enter first.
The Buddha Son said with a smile, "This place is the border of our two factions, so we can both be considered half-hosts. How about we let the female patrons of the Heart-Severance Palace enter first?"
The Northern Abyss Crown Prince said, "Agreed."
Hearing this, Leng Qingqiu did not refuse either, "Since you two fellow Daoists have already spoken, it would be impolite for Qingqiu to decline. Let's move out!"
As her words fell, the Heart-Severance Palace's group was the first to enter North Jade Mountain.
Everyone stared at the entrance, wanting to determine if there was any danger inside...
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