บท 34: Origin Soul Realm Clan Lord
The Heavenly Path Sect elders who came along on this trip were all experienced veterans, all possessing cultivations at or above the 3rd Layer Qi Temple Realm. This was not their first time visiting the number one group in the Greenwood Mountain Range, so they were not surprised by the scene before their eyes.
But the disciples were shocked into silence by Yuso Mountain's grandeur.
As the most powerful group in the mountain range, the Yuso Clan occupied the largest and most prosperous mountain, which was central amongst the nine mountains.
Each of the nine organisations occupied a huge mountain, dwarfing the ordinary mountains found in the mortal world, but Yuso Mountain was in a class of its own. It protruded 18 miles into the sky, twice the height of Heavenly Path Mountain! It was also more than twice as wide as Heavenly Path Mountain, stretching out for over two hundred miles from end to end!
But more important than a mountain's size, were the Spiritual Veins within its earth. Spiritual Veins caused the Spiritual Energy in the atmosphere above ground to increase, and this Spiritual Energy was crucial for cultivation.
Even at the foot of Yuso Mountain, the Spiritual Energy density was comparable to Heavenly Path Mountain's inner sect region. And this was only the outer clan region, filled with the Yuso Clan's mortals and weaker cultivators.
A clan was fundamentally different than a sect, both in terms of its structure and its operation. Their ranks were entirely comprised of clansmen, so even the outer clan members wouldn't be ignored and would live fairly prosperous lives. As for the mortals in the surrounding villages, they were the servants for the clan, producing food, lumber and so on. These mortals would never be given the chance to cultivate, but neither would the children be kidnapped from their villages, like in the mortal villages within the domain of a sect.
"Guests from the Heavenly Path Sect and Thunder Sword School, greetings. I am Elder Wu, please follow me towards your quarters."
Everyone's attention was drawn towards a soft and gentle voice which carried towards them in the wind. The slender Yuso Clansman with delicate facial features donned a green robe and smiled at them amicably.
"Tch, to greet us with a mere Early Spirit Core Realm elder, the Yuso Clan is as arrogant as ever." Great Elder Yayli muttered under her breath. The disciples also frowned in discontent, but the green robed man remained unperturbed, ignoring her entirely.
The Yuso Clan Lord didn't even deem them worthy to meet with him! This was too overbearing!
Only Yaan's expression remained unchanged as he listened to Rui speak.
"Of course an Origin Soul Realm cultivator wouldn't bother themselves with a group lead by a Spirit Core Realm cultivator. It's already good that they haven't waged war against the Heavenly Path Sect. The Yuso Clan is clearly at a much higher level."
Yaan couldn't help but agree. He glanced across at his teacher and the sect lord, noting that they didn't seem to mind this treatment. He guessed that they also understood the difference in power between the two groups.
Their carriages were led up the mountain as the Yuso Clan Elder stood on a flying spear a few feet ahead of them. He vaguely acted as a tour guide, casually explaining some of the surrounding features of the clan. The outer clan was nothing much in the eyes of Yaan and the others, but their expressions changed after passing through a giant stone arch way, entering the lands of the inner clan.
This inner clan was just as impressive as the most lavish areas at the peak of Heavenly Path Mountain! Not only that, but it covered such a large area!
They continued to follow behind the Yuso Clan Elder, eventually ascending above the lowest clouds and reaching the higher region on the mountain.
After reaching the core clan, the Heavenly Path Sect disciples realised just how outmatched they were compared to the grand Yuso Clan. The Spiritual Energy density in the core of the Yuso Clan was just as good, if not better, than the unique caves around the peak of Heavenly Path Mountain, which were used by some elders and prodigal disciples to enhance the speed of their cultivation!
Even the grass here glowed with a luminescent green light and released a refreshing scent. It was clearly well kept, and upon inspecting this grass closely, Yaan realised that every blade of grass was cut to the exact same level! The flowers were arranged in an aesthetic manner, whilst the buildings were all impressive feats of architecture, displaying the majesty of the many temples and palaces.
The disciples in the core clan even rode around on flying cranes, Rank 2 beasts!
Yaan felt like he was seeing a whole new world. His eyes were constantly widening as he took in the serene landscape.
Taking a single glance at the disciples was enough to inform Yaan that arrogance was engrained deep into their bones. They believed that the surrounding organisations were below them, especially the sects and schools. Towards the Heavenly Path Sect disciples, they only spared them a quick cold glance before moving on and ignoring them. Many of the Heavenly Path Sect disciples had never been treated with such disregard, causing them to feel enraged. However, they restrained themselves, but only because their elders had sternly warned them that they absolutely could not cause any trouble in this place.
Despite their arrogance, the Yuso Clansmen still showed courtesy towards the Heavenly Path Sect's Spirit Core Realm great elders. No matter what, the Spirit Core Realm was a venerated level in the eyes of these disciples. In the end, a person's own power was still more important than anything else.
The Thunder Sword School and Heavenly Path Sect members went their separate ways as they were led to their respective accommodations. The Heavenly Path Sect members were presented with a palace that had been specially designated for their visit. This palace was plenty large enough for everyone to stay in comfortably, and it was positioned quite far away from the other groups, in order to prevent any potential conflicts.
This was a fighting tournament, but they wanted to keep the fighting within the tournament.
When Yaan closed the door to his room, Rui immediately emerged from the stone ring. She didn't show any interest towards the lavish palace itself, but instead stared down at the flooring. Yaan could tell that she was looking directly through the ground, into the depths of the mountain.
"As I expected, there's a Spirit Heart in the centre of this mountain." She frowned ever so slightly as she said this. Confused, Yaan couldn't help but question her.
"Spirit Heart? What's that, is it something dangerous?"
"The Spirit Heart itself isn't dangerous, in fact, it's an extremely valuable treasure. Now I understand why a Peak Rank 5 beast has been exerting so much effort to invade this mountain range…"
Rui went on to explain that a Spirit Heart was the core of a network of Spirit Veins. Even though this was only a smaller Spirit Heart, it was still enough to drive a Peak Rank 5 beast crazy with desire. If that beast could consume this Spirit Heart, it might even have the opportunity to grow further!
"A Peak Rank 5 beast will stop at nothing to obtain this. This war won't end until one side is completely decimated."
"But wasn't that always going to be the case?" Yaan asked uncertainly.
"No." Rui shook her head firmly. "Typically in a war of this scale, the attackers will withdraw if their losses become too extreme. But for a Spirit Heart, a Peak Rank 5 beast would even risk its own life…it will stop at nothing, even if every single beast under its command dies, it will continued to fight."
Yaan realised the problem now. Each of the nine organisations across the Northern mountain range were focussed on defending their own mountain, holding onto the hope that the beasts would eventually pull back and give up. If they actually went out and fought the Rank 5 beasts, they would almost certainly be massacred. Only the Origin Soul Realm powerhouses could potentially put up a fight, but even for them, success was not guaranteed…and against the Peak Rank 5 beast, their defeat was almost a certainty…
Now, Yaan knew that the beasts wouldn't give up on this war, no matter the price. Simply defending might not be enough…
"Surely the Yuso Clan understand this?" Yaan suddenly asked, furrowing his brows as he faced Rui seriously.
"Indeed. I'm afraid that the competition this time has an ulterior motive behind it…" Rui left Yaan with these ominous words before returning to the ring. Yaan pestered her for answers, but she refused to explain any further.
In the end, Yaan could only sigh and give up.
He took a quick look around the palace chambers. It was quite luxurious, unlike any other living quarters he had seen before. Unlike the simple temples in the sect, this palace room was large and lavish. There was even an excessively massive bed on one side of the room, secluded behind scarlet felt curtains which draped down over the sides.
Despite the high quality bed linen, Yaan found sleeping on something so soft to be uncomfortable, after all, he was accustomed to much more conservative conditions. This type of excessive luxury wasn't really for him, but it wasn't a big deal since they wouldn't be staying here for long.
The competition was to commence three days later. Yaan didn't leave the palace during this period. He had no interest in getting himself wrapped up in some altercation with the arrogant geniuses from the other organisations. It was common for these highly talented youths to be quite full of themselves, they had short tempers and towering prides. Basically, Yaan didn't want to deal with them.
The day of the competition soon arrived. Everyone was led up the mountain, towards the stage that was built long ago for the sole purpose of holding the inter-sect tournaments. The square arena was made from a strange yet durable grey stone, spanning out 200 feet in length and width.
There were nine seating areas, one for each organisation. Yaan and the others from the Heavenly Path Sect took their seats on the polished wooden benches. Every now and then, elders and disciples from the other seating areas would glare at them coldly. Sometimes, those looks were filled with hatred and malice…
Out of the nine organisations, the Heavenly Path Sect was only allied with the Thunder Sword School and the Bo Clan. The Thunder Sword School was the weakest of the nine groups, whilst the Bo Clan was the weakest of the four clans, but that still put them in fourth place overall. The Swift Sword School, Fire Dragon Sect and Yuso Clan were all enemies of the Heavenly Path Sect, whilst their relationship with the other organisations remained neutral.
Every one of the groups in this Northern mountain range was caught up in similar arrangements, with allies, enemies and neutral relationships. For this reason, tensions became quite high as the seating area continued to fill up.
Yaan didn't care much about all of this. He didn't feel any hatred towards his sect's enemies, nor did he feel anything positive towards their allies.
The Heavenly Path Sect held a complicated place in Yaan's heart. On one hand, he despised this sect, which had raised and protected the man responsible for his family's demise. On the other hand, his teacher was a proud member of the sect, and no matter what Rui said, he had always treated Yaan well.
Yaan didn't lament on this matter for long, instead taking the time to observe the other seating areas. He didn't care about the relationships between the groups on a personal level, but learning about the power structure across the Northern border might be useful.
He immediately noticed the differences between the clans and the rest. Not only did the clan disciples possess higher average strength, but their leaders exuded a presence beyond any of the sect lords or school heads. Within their gentle, otherworldly auras, there seemed to be a restrained, terrifying danger…
As the final three members arrived and took their positions in the elevated Yuso Clan seating area, everyone's attention was drawn towards them.
"Rui, those three and the other clan leaders…"
"Origin Soul Realm cultivators. Each of the clans is led by an Early Origin Soul Realm cultivator, but this Yuso Clan actually has two elders at the Early Origin Soul Realm and one at the Mid Origin Soul realm."
The Heavenly Path Sect elders all wore solemn countenances when facing these Origin Soul Realm cultivators. The Origin Soul Realm was too far beyond them, it was not something they could hope to contend against. Facing those powerful old monsters caused the Heavenly Path Sect's great elders to feel a sense of dread.
Before those esteemed cultivators in the Origin Soul Realm, Spirit Core Realm powerhouses were like helpless children.
As two of the Yuso Clan's Origin Soul Realm powerhouses took their seats above their other clansmen clansmen, the Yuso Clan Lord flew forwards slowly, until he was hovering a few feet above the arena.
The old clan lord showed no change in expression, even though all eye were on him. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the entire Greenwood Mountain Range's focus was on him right now, but even so, he did not feel pressured…instead, those watching him were the ones who felt their breath becoming heavy!
"Welcome, everyone. I thank you all for visiting my Yuso Clan to engage in a little tournament between the new generation during this trying time."
The old man spoke in a gentle tone as his white beard swayed in the wind and his words resonated with the air. The surrounding cultivators all felt a strange sense of peace when they listened to his words, as if his voice contained a soothing attribute which helped to calm their hearts, drawing them into a daze…
However, some of the more powerful individuals present quickly snapped out of this trance. Their faces paled and they wore looks of horror when they came to their senses. This was especially true for the Spirit Core Realm elders, they all trembled in fright when they realised just how easily they had been drawn into the old man's illusion!
A few moments after the elders came to their senses, they turned towards their disciples to check on them. They could only sigh when they saw the reverent and engrossed expressions on the youngsters' faces.
This was the power of an Origin Soul Realm powerhouse! Even their words could affect the mood and mental state of lower realm cultivators. Only the more powerful and wisened cultivators like the Heavenly Path Sect Lord and Yaan's teacher were able to resist.
When Great Elder Wan turned to face his disicple, he was shocked to find that Yaan had reacted differently compared to the others. He was frowning deeply, as if he was feeling pained by something. Yaan noticed his teacher's gaze and slowly turned towards him.
"Teacher, what is this? My mind feels hazy, is this a spell?"
Yaan felt shocked at heart, even though he knew they were strong, he had never expected that Origin Soul Realm cultivators would be so terrifying! He was almost brought into a trance just like everyone else, but something within him seemed to convert this feeling of serenity into a powerful warning. This warning stimulated Yaan's blood, causing him to feel extremely guarded and alert.
Great Elder Wan relaxed slightly and smiled at Yaan in admiration, then shook his head with a chuckle. He glanced around and waved his hand, causing a faint ripple to brush across the disciples, bringing them to their senses.
The disciples all showed expressions of confusion, not understanding what had happened. When their elders explained it to them, they shuddered in fright, not daring to relax in front of the Yuso Clan Lord any longer.
This was no spell, it was simply a display of an Origin Soul Realm cultivator's dao comprehension.
Dao encompassed all things, but because of this, it was difficult to explain it in simple terms.
Starting from the breakthrough to the Spirit Core Realm, a cultivator needed to comprehend dao in order to progress further along their path. An Origin Soul Realm cultivator was able to affect their surroundings and the minds of others just by speaking; this was also due to their dao comprehension. Whilst some Spirit Core Realm cultivators could also create this fluctuation in the atmosphere, their ability to do so was usually far more limited.
That said, a cultivator's dao comprehension could be far beyond their realm, but their realm proved that they possessed a certain minimum level of understanding towards dao.
But…what was dao, exactly?
Some would say that dao was the world's natural laws. Some would say that dao was the will of heaven itself. Some would say that dao was the nature of one's own heart.
Perhaps all of these answers were correct. Dao encompassed all things, so in reality, there was no wrong answer to the question, 'what is dao?'
Even so, this question was one that cultivators could spend their entire lives trying to answer. Everyone found their own answers, no two people would come to the same conclusion. Dao could only be sought for oneself, by oneself, meaning that in this world, all beings possessed their own unique dao.
To lower realm cultivators, cultivation was about power, position and glory. To older, more experienced cultivators, cultivation was the pursuit of truth…and the pursuit of oneself.
Of course, the desire for power was always a big motivating factor for those who followed the path of cultivation. No matter the path, no matter the environment, power was the only absolute in this world.
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