In the competition for the new Trial Grounds, it was usually the Celestials from various factions who engaged in fierce magical combat to seize control. For a sect like No Moon Court, with its numerous peak elders and other Celestials who weren’t elders, it shouldn’t have fallen to disciples like them, whose cultivation had barely broken through the second bottleneck, to take the lead. Upon closer thought, the whole situation seemed rather peculiar.
Moreover, they weren’t allowed to speak of it—not even to their fellow disciples—giving it the air of a secret operation.
Li Fei scanned the group again but didn’t see Lei Xiuyuan among the departing disciples. Was he not going? She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. All the other disciples heading to compete for the Trial Grounds were adults in their twenties, leaving her, a sixteen-year-old girl, feeling distinctly out of place.
Preoccupied, she left Literature Ancient Peak, her afternoon cultivation unfocused. At dinner, she hurried to Shining Light Peak, searching for Lei Xiuyuan, but after a long while with no success, she settled for a brief chat with Su Wan before returning.
The next morning, Li Fei left two letters—one for Zhao Min Shijie and another for Lei Xiuyuan. She didn’t know how long the journey to compete for the Trial Grounds would take, and if it involved actual magical combat, there might even be life-threatening dangers. She weighed her words carefully, filling thick sheets of paper, yet still feeling like she hadn’t said enough.
This wouldn’t do. Li Fei crumpled them all up and started over, this time simply stating that she was leaving for a trial and omitting all unnecessary words.
After sealing the letters and placing them on the small table in the central hall, weighed down by an oil lamp, she forced herself to gather her spirits and flew on a cloud toward Literature Ancient Peak.
The dozen or so disciples from the previous day had all arrived, and Elder Dongyang was already there. The disciples were a mix of nervousness and excitement. Having trained for over a decade, they had only ever sparred with fellow disciples in Immortal Techniques—none had experienced real magical combat. The thought of facing various battles ahead left them trembling with fear one moment and daydreaming about their heroic exploits the next.
"Little girl," Elder Dongyang called out, stepping forward on his gourd with a smile. "What’s this? Scared stiff?"
Li Fei quickly shook her head. "This disciple is just a little nervous..."
Dongyang Zhenren sighed softly. "Disciples of the Central Land Immortal Sects excel at slaying demons and exorcising evil, but when it comes to magical combat against others, they fall short. The cultivation world is, after all, a place of constant struggle. Our outdated customs here are due for a change."
His words seemed to carry deeper meaning, and Li Fei was still pondering them when a sudden gust of wind roared behind her. Two figures landed swiftly before the hall. The first had silver-white whiskers and an otherworldly air—it was Guangwei Zhenren. Behind him stood a disciple, strikingly handsome—none other than Lei Xiuyuan, who had been missing the entire day before.
The sight of him instantly lifted Li Fei’s spirits. With the elders present, she didn’t dare approach, so she could only stare. Sensing her gaze, Lei Xiuyuan turned slightly, meeting her eyes with a faint smile.
With everyone assembled, Dongyang Zhenren spoke. "Fifteen disciples of No Moon Court are setting out today. Let us hope that fifteen return."
His words sent a chill through the disciples, leaving them frozen in place.
Guangwei Zhenren couldn’t help laughing. "Dongyang, you old rascal, always so mischievous."
Dongyang Zhenren chuckled heartily and took to the skies first, the disciples hastily following. In the blink of an eye, they had flown beyond the gates of No Moon Court.Li Fei had just taken flight when she spotted Lei Xiuyuan hovering not far ahead, waiting for her. She hastily grabbed his sleeve, unaware of the faintly petulant tone in her voice: "I couldn't find you at all yesterday."
Lei Xiuyuan smiled slightly: "Mm. I'm about to break through the third bottleneck and can become a direct disciple. Master had many instructions."
A direct disciple?! Li Fei nearly jumped. He was advancing too quickly! No wonder—with such a monstrous genius around, it was no surprise the elders showed little interest in her unusual constitution. Everyone was too busy watching him!
Staring at him, Li Fei didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. She recalled his words from that day—her own peculiarities would soon be overshadowed by him. Was he pushing himself so hard... for her sake?
She clutched his sleeve, speechless for a long moment, until Lei Xiuyuan suddenly added: "This trial will likely involve magical combat. That should be interesting."
Li Fei sighed. "The elders said it might cost lives."
Lei Xiuyuan couldn't help laughing. "You believe everything the elders say? Even if lives are lost in combat, it won't be ours. No Immortal Sect would be foolish enough to sacrifice young disciples—it's a loss no sect could bear. The secrecy around this suggests they don't want other sects outside to know, which means the participating sects must be few. I've also heard about the Academy's recent movements, combined with the elders' evasiveness. My guess is this is an intentional meeting between the Mountain and Ocean Sects, neither willing to reveal their full strength yet, so they're sending elite disciples to test each other. We might even see Baili Gelin this time."
See Ge Lin?! Li Fei gasped. "If we really run into her, are we supposed to fight her?"
After five years apart, their reunion wouldn't be a gathering but a duel? How absurd! She suddenly remembered the elder mentioning "comradeship" yesterday—could he have meant Ge Lin? The six friends from the Academy had agreed to reunite in Lu Gongzhen next August, yet before that day arrived, they'd have to fight Ge Lin first?
"Perfect chance to witness the Ocean Sect's style."
There was unmistakable anticipation in Lei Xiuyuan's eyes. Typical of a pure Metal Spirit Root—the mention of combat excited him. Li Fei shook her head inwardly. She had no desire to fight Ge Lin; she only wanted to see how Ge Lin was now, whether she still hid her true feelings behind that perpetually carefree smile.
The flight lasted three or four days, an astonishing distance that gradually took them away from the Central Land, veering closer to the Eastern Sea. Were they heading to the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly? If so, Lei Xiuyuan's guess was spot-on—they'd almost certainly meet Baili Gelin.
On the fifth day, the two elders suddenly descended. This time, they didn't land on a mountain for rest but in a bustling town.
The local customs here differed greatly from the Central Land. Houses had intricate carvings on walls and roofs, vibrant and dazzling in varied colors. The shops lining the streets sold bizarre wares—bone plates, bronze masks, all sorts of unheard-of items whose purposes were utterly mysterious.The attire and even the facial features of the pedestrians on the street were vastly different from those in the Central Land. Almost everyone had dark skin, thick eyebrows, and high noses, and their stature was taller than the average Central Plains folk. The women’s clothing either exposed their shoulders or arms, and both men and women wore belts of dazzling, multicolored hues that trailed long behind them, fluttering in the wind.
Even more astonishing, some passersby rode not horses or donkeys but beasts like tigers and leopards, parading through the streets without drawing any surprise. These beastly mounts were extremely docile, not even letting out a single roar.
The disciples of No Moon Court were utterly astounded, never expecting to arrive in a town after five days of flying. Since joining No Moon Court, they had devoted themselves to cultivation daily, almost entirely cut off from the outside world’s bustle. Now, suddenly confronted with it again, it felt like a lifetime ago. Moreover, the many extraordinary sights here were overwhelming. Fortunately, most of the disciples on this trip were in their twenties or thirties, composed enough to maintain a semblance of calm despite their wide-eyed fascination. Most kept their gazes fixed ahead.
Li Fei, being younger, couldn’t help but look back every few steps. Though she had traveled extensively with her Master in the past and seen much, those memories from childhood had grown hazy over the years. This place, near the Eastern Sea, was vastly different from the Central Land. She glanced left and right, utterly engrossed.
Suddenly, the disciples ahead cried out in shock. Li Fei quickly turned and saw Elders Dongyang and Guangwei stopping before an enormous building. The structure towered over a dozen stories high, each floor’s tiles a different color. Though vibrant, the effect was somewhat ostentatious.
Perched on the eaves were many bizarre Demon Beasts, including two Bi Fang birds wreathed in blue flames, leisurely surveying their surroundings from the upturned corners of the roof.
Even more startling, two Tiger Demons sat guard at the building’s entrance. Even seated, they were taller than a person, their paws resting on flames, with fleshy wings sprouting from their ribs—a terrifying sight. Yet, despite the bustling street and the crowd of onlookers, the two Tiger Demons remained motionless and composed, like dutiful guard dogs.
The disciples, suddenly faced with so many Demon Beasts in the marketplace, could no longer contain their excitement and burst into animated discussion.
Seeing their astonishment, Guangwei Zhenren frowned and scolded, “The world is vast, and there are countless things you’ve never seen! Don’t act like frogs at the bottom of a well! Outside, you represent the face of No Moon Court—quiet down! Come inside!”
The disciples immediately suppressed their shock and cautiously filed past the two Tiger Demons into the building. Seeing that the beasts showed no reaction, their courage grew.
“Xiu Yuan, should we come out and explore later if we have time?” Li Fei, finding the place delightfully peculiar, couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.
After calling twice with no response, she turned in surprise, only to find Lei Xiuyuan squatting before a small stall outside the building, examining its wares.
Despite his usual air of nonchalance, he was actually quite childish at heart—and bold enough to wander off alone. Smiling, Li Fei sidled up to him and asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”The stall was filled entirely with masks, some made of bronze, others of wood, with intricate, lifelike features that were quite different from those in the Central Land. The expressions on the masks' faces were extremely fierce—furrowed brows, gaping mouths, brimming with murderous intent—giving off an eerie and unsettling vibe.
"...What kind of masks are these?" Li Fei couldn't help but pick up a bronze mask to examine. How could anyone wear such a ferocious mask? Was it meant to scare people?
Lei Xiuyuan paused for a moment before replying softly, "I don’t know. They look very strange."
The stall owner, noticing the clean and handsome young pair, smiled and said, "You two aren’t locals, are you? These are the faces of various wrathful deities."
He then picked up several other masks, each depicting a terrifying figure. "Asuras, fierce ghosts, Yaksas, Rakshasas—all wrathful deities from legends across different regions."
Just as Li Fei was about to speak, sudden exclamations erupted not far away. Someone cried out in shock, "A Tiger Demon! Someone actually uses a Tiger Demon as a guard here!"
The two looked up and saw that in front of the grand building from earlier, over a dozen new disciples had arrived, both male and female, all dressed in white robes. The style of their attire was quite different from the Moonless Court disciple uniforms—their robes were trimmed with gold, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.
The startled disciples were quickly reprimanded by an elder who appeared to be a senior: "Every action you take represents Star Rectitude Hall! Who allowed you to make such a commotion?!"
Star Rectitude Hall?! Li Fei abruptly stood up.
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