Peak of the Ninth Immortal Mountain

Peak of the Ninth Immortal Mountain . . .

Qin Wentian wasn't content with stopping at the second-level mountain. He persisted in ascending, determined to overcome the formless barrier trying to obstruct his progress.

In this crucial moment, Qin Wentian's perception underwent a transformation, becoming a projection of himself among the immortal mountains. He ascended peak by peak into the air, surrounded by various projection forms of participants. Qin Wentian keenly sensed the presence of others who shared his goal.

Clearly, he wasn't the only one aiming for greater heights. Those who halted at the first-level mountains represented the weakest group. They had started their ascent much later than the others.

The formless restrictive energy layer buzzed as Qin Wentian's projection broke through it. He beheld the third-level immortal mountains, and with his consent, his projection could land there, materializing his original body.

Buzzing sounds echoed as other projections closed in, and some participants chose to manifest their physical forms. Qin Wentian was not alone in this endeavor. When the connecting pillars of light descended throughout the Royal Sacred Region, those who had prepared well, including external visitors, promptly rushed in. They understood the significance of becoming a disciple under a supreme existence and were determined to seize this opportunity.

Even if they didn't secure a spot in the Eastern Sage Great Emperor's tutelage, they aimed to leave a lasting impression on other influential figures attending the banquet.

Qin Wentian relentlessly ascended the fourth-level immortal mountain, followed by the fifth, sixth, and beyond.

On the level where the immortal palace floated, the experts observed the events below.

Beneath them lay nine mountains, each towering higher than the last, with increasing distances between them.

This trial evaluated participants' affinity and perception strength—qualities fundamental to a remarkable martial cultivator. While the Royal Sacred Region rarely emphasized this aspect, the immortal realms placed great importance on one's foundation. Without a strong foundation, what hope could one have for cultivation?

Impressed, an expert at the banquet remarked, "Not bad. Someone has reached the sixth peak. With such perception strength, they should be able to break into the 6th astral heavenly layer and stabilize there."

Another expert chimed in, "Indeed, not bad at all. More are attempting to reach higher levels. There will undoubtedly be individuals who ascend the seventh mountain peak, and even the eighth isn't impossible. For this disciple recruitment event, numerous talented geniuses from the immortal realms have specifically come to this particle world. Maybe, I'll find a disciple I fancy here." This man, clad in intimidating armor, emanated a destructive aura. His eyes, currently brimming with amusement, were terrifying. He was Deepflame, an immortal king under the Eastern Sage Great Emperor, bearing the title Flame King. His might surpassed others on his tier, and he commanded a regiment of troops. Deepflame had fought in wars for the Eastern Sage Great Emperor against rival supreme existences, and his hands were stained with unknown quantities of blood.

"Flame King, are you planning to recruit a disciple too? I assume you'll toss the poor fellow into your army for rigorous training, won't you?" An elegantly dressed scholar in white chuckled. Despite his youthful appearance, he radiated a clean and tidy aura, deceiving those who didn't know him into thinking he was a novice cultivator just beginning his journey. In reality, this refined and scholarly-looking man, Bai Wuya, had cultivated for over 8,000 years, an astonishingly short period given his cultivation level.

Bai Wuya was an immortal king-tier character with extraordinary might. Despite his relatively brief cultivation period, he had already earned a fearsome reputation. An ancient immortal king once attempted to seize his treasures but was obliterated in a single strike. This encounter established Bai Wuya's fame and prestige. In another story, he killed a descendant of an immortal emperor a thousand years after achieving the immortal king level. His justification was the despicable nature of the descendant, and his actions infuriated the immortal emperor, leading to the dispatch of thirteen immortal king-tier experts to capture Bai Wuya. Astonishingly, he defeated all of them, solidifying his reputation and drawing the attention of another supreme existence on the level of an immortal emperor, who intervened on his behalf. Only then did the vengeful immortal emperor cease his pursuit.

While many feared Deepflame, Bai Wuya's audacity was such that he dared to slay a descendant of an immortal emperor who had been acting tyrannically. In contrast to an immortal king like Deepflame, Bai Wuya harbored no fear.

"Hmph, since His Majesty is recruiting a disciple, I naturally have to show my support. Bai Wuya, how about we each choose a participant to mentor and see whose disciple achieves greater heights in the future?" Deepflame spoke to Bai Wuya with a confrontational air, exuding a chilling and intimidating aura.

To immortal king-tier characters, they had already attained the status of supreme existences. However, in the immortal realms, only those from particle worlds referred to immortal kings as supreme existences. To others in the immortal realms, only immortal emperors were considered the true rulers. Immortal emperors held the power to govern everything beneath the heavens.

Immortal kings and immortal emperors were separated by a small boundary. Yet, for beings at their level, each step of progress was as challenging as a mortal's attempt to become immortal. Progressing even a single step was harder than scaling the heavens. Unless they possessed truly exceptional talents or innate advantages, like special physiques such as the rumored Princess Qing'er's immortal king physique, reaching the immortal king tier was the least they could achieve. To countless individuals, the immortal king tier was an unreachable pinnacle. However, for these individuals, it was merely a starting point, and reaching it was just a matter of time. Their potential was truly awe-inspiring.

"I, Bai Wuya, have no interest in recruiting disciples, but I'm open to a competition of our judgment," Bai Wuya calmly replied, drawing laughter from those at the banquet. "Alright, since we're all here to honor His Majesty, let's not make it too dull. We can play together and compare our judgments. Look, in such a short time, someone has already ascended to the seventh peak. Truly outstanding. Those who reach the seventh peak have perceptions capable of entering the peak of the sixth heavenly layer. His Majesty's words have attracted numerous geniuses to this remote particle world."

"The eighth peak! As expected, even more exceptional talents have emerged. For their original bodies to materialize on the eighth peak indicates their perceptions can reach the 7th heavenly layer of the nine astral rivers!"

"Why is that surprising? The majority of these individuals are Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants, many of whom are at the upper limits of the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels. Such individuals have no excuse for not reaching the sixth peak. We're talking about personal disciples under His Majesty, and it's only natural for them to be able to condense a fifth astral soul from the 7th heavenly layer when entering the Celestial Phenomenon level," Deepflame stated emotionlessly, his eyes flickering with reverence for his Great Emperor.

Amidst the smiles that adorned the faces of the gathered crowd, there lingered an unspoken skepticism. Even in the exalted realm of immortality, the vast majority of Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants struggled to condense their fifth astral souls beyond the 6th heavenly layer. Although breaking through to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm enhanced their affinity and perception, ascending from the 6th to the 7th heavenly layer, while under the oppressive restraint of the restrictive force, was no small feat. While the Eastern Sage Great Emperor had undoubtedly nurtured some exceptionally gifted young talents, they remained a scarce minority.

As for those who could reach the ninth peak, they had to maintain a stable perception projection on the 7th heavenly layer for a significant period, enabling them to traverse it freely. The likelihood of encountering such an individual among the current participants remained uncertain.

In the midst of this, Qin Wentian's perception soared to the eighth mountain peak. Here, most of the participants had their perception projections crushed under the overwhelming astral pressure.

"It seems that there are others whose original bodies have appeared on this mountain, besides me. They too possess remarkable affinity. I must continue my ascent to demonstrate my exceptional qualities," Qin Wentian resolved, pushing onward. This opportunity was a gift from Qing'er, and he was determined to seize it.

Moreover, he harbored another motivation for entering the tutelage of a supreme existence: to shorten the distance between him and Qing'er. After all, Qing'er was the princess of an immortal empire.

Qin Wentian and his fellow participants continued their upward journey, accompanied by the pursuit of other perception projections. Some, aware of their limits and fearful of their projections shattering under the astral pressure, chose to materialize here. Within a few hours, five individuals stood atop the eighth mountain peak, prompting surprised exclamations from the experts attending the banquet. It had only been a matter of hours, and already five had reached the eighth peak, with the possibility of more joining them later.

Then, on the highest peak, the ninth immortal mountain, a solitary figure emerged. His arrival caused a profound disturbance in the astral energy. With piercing black eyes and an icy demeanor, he surveyed the eight mountains below, his expression devoid of satisfaction, as if everything had gone precisely as planned. This figure was undoubtedly the one meant to stand at the pinnacle.

"There's someone who ascended to the ninth peak," remarked the onlookers, their eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"This young talent is exceptional. Not yet a hundred years old, and already at the eighth-level of Celestial Phenomenon. Given his remarkable affinity, while we can't confirm the layer of his fifth astral soul, it's highly likely to be violet-gold. His potential is outstanding, and he stands a good chance of entering the immortal foundation level," Deepflame observed, his gaze shifting to the other experts. He was the first to reach the ninth peak, a testament to his extraordinary affinity and perception.

"More participants have reached the eighth mountain peak," someone noted.

"This is becoming quite interesting. It would be perfect if their performance could compel His Majesty to make an appearance."

Within the Royal Sacred Region, spectators could clearly witness the events unfolding in the immortal palace, including those on the nine-level mountains. The participants were truly impressive, particularly the one who stood at the zenith, reigning supreme as though the world revolved around them.

A sudden surge of energy emanated from Qin Wentian. After relentless attempts, he finally shattered the restrictive layer. His perception locked onto the ninth immortal mountain, his body materializing there in a blaze of resplendent golden light. Qin Wentian vanished from the Royal Sacred Region, reappearing atop the ninth mountain peak, radiating an intense astral energy fluctuation.