Translator: CinderTL
But all this was trivial to Xu Sanyan, thanks to his panel.
With a Heart Thought, the panel materialized before his eyes. Glancing at the "Mystical Arts" section, where the Soaring Void Wind-Riding Technique had appeared, Xu Sanyan's lips curled into a smile.
Upgrade!
His Vitality rapidly dissipated, the original eight hundred-plus points dwindling to mere dozens. Xu Sanyan closed his eyes, silently sensing the wind spirits of the world.
A gentle breeze swept past, as if countless tiny beasts were racing within it. With a touch of his will, the path of these miniature creatures shifted, converging beneath his feet.
Liu Tang frowned, his gaze darting around. He sensed something, yet saw nothing.
At that moment, Xu Sanyan, still seated, slowly levitated along with the wooden chair beneath him. Liu Tang finally saw it, but he couldn't understand. Why would someone suddenly start floating?
Xiang Tan turned to exchange a bewildered glance with Chu Yuan. Neither had any idea what Xu Sanyan was doing.
"Huu..."
A refreshing breeze brushed past. Xu Sanyan opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.
This is fun.
Is this what flying feels like?
He glanced at the chair floating beneath him, feeling a slight dissatisfaction. Who flies while sitting on a chair?
What if he replaced it with a lotus flower?
A lotus throne!
Or perhaps a longsword?
Sword-riding flight?
You could travel without bringing anything, soaring through the air with an air of superiority.
Xu Sanyan was quite pleased with this. It was both stylish and saved him the trouble of walking.
The panel showed that his Soaring Void Wind-Riding Technique had reached Peak Stage. This low-altitude flight didn't consume much Spiritual Power. As he flew, his Spiritual Power naturally replenished, making the consumption almost negligible.
Of course, if he exerted himself, the consumption would be rapid.
Xu Sanyan drifted down, ignoring the curious gazes of the crowd and offering no explanation. As the Holy Son, he held the highest status in the arena—why would he need to explain himself to anyone?
"Daoist Ji Yin wins!"
The match below had concluded. Xu Sanyan finally turned his attention to the scene, where an old man in a black-and-white Daoist robe stood with a large banner, pinning his opponent beneath his foot. A cruel smile played on his lips.
If the sect had allowed killing, Xu Sanyan had no doubt the old Daoist would have killed his opponent.
Good, that's the kind of ruthlessness I like...
Xu Sanyan nodded approvingly. This man had caught his eye. If his future performance proved satisfactory, he might consider cultivating him.
He wasn't afraid of disloyal subordinates; he feared those who lacked competence.
What good was loyalty? As long as he could keep them under his thumb, they would be more loyal than anyone.
In his view, competence was paramount. What use was loyalty without skill?
"Will it consume more grain?"
Xu Sanyan's interest had waned. He didn't watch the rest of the competition. His figure rose with the wind and drifted away into the distance, with Xiang Tan and the others following close behind.
Seeing him leave, Liu Tang turned to Song Wuqiu and said, "I'll trouble Elder Song to watch over things here. I'll take my leave first."
"Of course, Elder Liu. Take your time."
Liu Tang followed Xu Sanyan directly into the courtyard.
Xu Sanyan leaned back in his chair, pondering his next steps. Seeing Liu Tang approach, he asked, "What is it?"
"Have you heard of the Holy Son of the Hundred Saints Secret Realm?"
"The Hundred Saints Secret Realm..." Xu Sanyan pondered for a moment, then shook his head lightly. "What about it?"
Liu Tang explained, "The Hundred Saints Secret Realm opens once every fifty years. Yesterday, by chance, I calculated that it will reopen in just one month."
"Tell me more," Xu Sanyan said, his interest piqued.
Liu Tang paused briefly, organizing his thoughts. "The Hundred Saints Secret Realm, as the name suggests, was jointly created by a hundred sages. It's a marvel of creation, a realm of boundless wonder."
Xu Sanyan looked skeptical. "A hundred sages? Where did they even find so many sages?"
What is a sage?
Those in the eighth realm can be called sages!
They are also known as Heaven Defyings.
Heaven Defying is the realm-based term, while sage is the respectful title used among cultivators.
The Path of Cultivation begins with mortals and progresses through Qi Refinement, Inner Qi, celestial being, Foundation Establishment, Dao Seeking, Soul Refinement, Void Harmony, Heaven Defying, and finally, Immortality.
There are nine realms in total, with the eighth realm being the threshold for sagehood. As far as Xu Sanyan knew, there were only a dozen or so sages in the Central Region today. Where could a hundred sages have possibly come from?
The Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect publicly acknowledged only one sage—the Sect Leader. However, Xu Sanyan suspected that the old man guarding the Holy Scripture in the cave might also be a sage.
Among the Five Great Sects of the Central Region, only the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple openly boasted two sages. The other sects each had only one.
Additionally, the patriarchs of major clans like the Lu Clan and the Wei Clan were also sages.
Whether there were more hidden sages remained unknown, but publicly, there were only a dozen or so.
So where did these hundred sages come from?
Liu Tang explained, "The Hundred Saints Secret Realm dates back as far as thirty thousand years ago. The cultivation world back then was different from today's. You could think of it as the 'Nine-Rank Official Selection System.'"
"What do you mean?"
"According to ancient texts, sects are ranked from ninth-rank, the lowest, to first-rank, the highest. Take me, for example. If I wanted to enter cultivation without any background, I'd have to start at a ninth-rank sect. There are a total of 1,172 of them across the world."
"That many?" Xu Sanyan was stunned. "Is this a sect or a kindergarten?"
Liu Tang continued, "Each year, you participate in assessments to evaluate your cultivation level, techniques, and mystical arts. Passing allows you to join an eighth-rank sect, of which there are 931."
"The process continues like this. As your cultivation level increases, you can gradually join higher-ranked sects, much like climbing the ranks in government."
"Finally, if you possess exceptional talent, you might be able to join the sole first-rank sect, the Yaotian Holy Sect."
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly, understanding the system.
Under this system, the Yaotian Holy Sect held ultimate authority over the entire world. How could such a sect ever be destroyed?
"Back then, the cultivation world was teeming with geniuses, including hundreds of sages and even higher-level immortals!"
"The Hundred Saints Secret Realm was forged by the Yaotian Holy Sect, with over a hundred sages led by immortals. Its purpose was to hone the skills of the sect's disciples," the elder explained.
"At that time, the world was under their control, and there had been no major conflicts for a long time. Fearing that their disciples' combat skills would grow lax, the Hundred Saints Secret Realm was created."
This is the origin of the Hundred Saints Secret Realm.
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Where is this secret realm located now?"
"In the Mist Sea."
Xu Sanyan pondered for a moment. He had read about the Mist Sea in books. It lay east of the Central Region.
That vast expanse of ocean was perpetually shrouded in mist, dotted with countless islands of varying sizes. It was home to countless demons and ghosts, making it nearly impossible for ordinary cultivators to approach.
Yet such a place was also the most likely to produce rare treasures, attracting reckless cultivators to explore it. Even those willing to risk their lives dared only venture to the edges of the Mist Sea, none daring to venture deep within.
"How can we possibly enter such a place?"
"We must wait for the secret realm to open once every fifty years. When it does, the mist will be drawn in, and the demons and ghosts hidden within will retreat beneath the waves, allowing us to enter."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. It was a complex, interlocking system, but it all seemed quite logical.
(End of the Chapter)
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