Unlike Pingyang City, Mushan Temple was far from populated areas.
Lu Zhaozhao spent a whole day, and by the time she arrived at the foot of Mushan Mountain, it was already the next morning.
Even though she had read about Mushan Nunnery beforehand, she was still uneasy because the place was so eerie.
The book describes how, one night, a loud noise was heard in the distance, followed by the sound of boulders rolling down the mountain. The commotion shook the entire cultivation world. All the sects sent people to investigate, and Wenyuan Academy was the first to arrive. They discovered the Mushan Nunnery that had suddenly appeared on Mushan Mountain, surrounded by numerous restrictions.
The leader of the group tried to force his way in, but the barrier was so strong that even those at the Nascent Soul stage couldn't break it. Just as they were about to send a message to their sect elders, a junior disciple who had just established his foundation lost his footing and fell inside. Only then did everyone realize that the barrier was divided into different levels.
After some experimentation, it was concluded that only those with cultivation levels below the Nascent Soul stage could enter the restricted area. Subsequently, each sect sent disciples to investigate.
However, the book once said that no one above the Nascent Soul stage was allowed to enter Mushan Nunnery, but the gatekeeper inside the nunnery was a real Nascent Soul stage cultivator, which prevented the various sects from advancing. Coincidentally, there was a riot in the Western Region, and the capable people from each sect were either guarding their sects or going to the Western Region to investigate, so the matter of Mushan Nunnery was temporarily put on hold.
It wasn't until after the Golden Palace Banquet, when the barrier was unstable, that the top ten talents of the year formed a small team, suppressed their cultivation levels, and were sent to the nunnery. Most of those who ranked in the top ten of the Golden Palace Banquet were at the Nascent Soul stage, which allowed them to break through the gatekeepers and enter the nunnery to investigate.
However, the protective barriers within the temple remained in place, so once the barrier stabilized, these ten individuals were expelled from Mushan Temple. Despite only staying for a month, their extraordinary experiences within the temple led to rapid advancements in their cultivation levels. One of them even broke through from the late Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage just three days after leaving the temple. It's important to understand that advancing beyond a cultivation level is extremely difficult, requiring both diligent practice and exceptional opportunity; some even remain stuck at a single level for their entire lives. Afterwards, Mushan Temple became renowned, serving as a training ground for younger generations from various sects. However, to ensure the barrier's stability, only ten people could enter each year.
In the book, Lu Zhaozhao was once stuck in the Golden Core stage and could not break through. She wanted to enter Mushan Nunnery to seek opportunities, but the spot for that year was taken by the female protagonist Nian Zhi. Nian Zhi even formed her Golden Core in one fell swoop after leaving the nunnery, which made Lu Zhaozhao furious.
Therefore, she came to Mushan Nunnery at this moment, hoping to seize more opportunities before the female lead appears. If, as written in the book, the logic of this world will revolve around the male and female leads after they meet, it will be difficult for her to find any opportunities for training if her cultivation level is not significantly different from the female lead's by then.
"Phew, we're almost there." Lu Zhaozhao breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the mountaintop in the distance.
Many sects had already arrived at Mushan by now, so they had to walk up the mountain to avoid triggering the restrictions. This might not be a big problem for people who had been cultivating for years, but Lu Zhaozhao was, after all, a useless college student who had to find someone to run the 800-meter race for her at the end of every semester. This was quite a challenge for her.
Fortunately, I'm in good physical condition and don't feel sore or weak after walking for so long.
Although Mushan is far from the capital, its scenery is first-rate. At dawn, with the sea of clouds swirling around, the rugged, dark green mountains and lush greenery appear even more vibrant.
Not far away, the plaque of Mushan Temple came into view. Three-person-high stone pillars supported the gilded plaque, obscuring the words "Mushan Temple" written on it; it could easily be mistaken for a palace.
To make it easier to travel, Lu Zhaozhao changed her clothes after descending the mountain. Everyone present was wearing clothes with the symbols of their respective sects, while she was just wearing an ordinary white shirt, which made her stand out even more.
A man dressed in yellow robes stepped forward; "Who are you? Judging from your coarse linen clothes, you must be a rogue cultivator. Can't you tell that everyone here is from a prestigious sect? Why don't you leave at once!"
A female cultivator dressed in similar attire tugged at his sleeve and said, "Senior brother, you should at least ask this young lady which sect she belongs to..."
"How could that be!" the man raised his voice. "Look at how arrogant they are. This man is dressed so simply, he doesn't even have a sword." The man finished speaking and gave them a disdainful look.
Lu Zhaozhao understood. This person was probably from a small sect. Although there was no distinction between noble and lowly in the cultivation world, members of large sects were inevitably more talented and skilled, and it was common for them to seize opportunities and suppress others. Small sects, on the other hand, rarely dared to resist when bullied, and could only exert pressure on the helpless rogue cultivators. The strong prey on the weak, and the weak are naturally bullied. This is an unwritten rule in most places where people live.
Looks like I've been made a punching bag. Lu Zhaozhao was both amused and exasperated.
However, not wanting to cause any trouble, she simply asked the female cultivator who had spoken up for her earlier, "This fairy, may I ask if the people from the Qinghui Sect have arrived yet?"
The female cultivator nodded, but before she could speak, the male cultivator interrupted her: "Qinghui Sect? Why are you asking this? Do you mean to say you are a disciple of Qinghui Sect?"
What if I really am?
The man seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and sneered, "Qinghui Sect doesn't have many female cultivators. You don't mean to say you're Lu Zhaozhao, the disciple of the Qinghui Sect Leader, do you?"
"Yes, I am Lu Zhaozhao," Lu Zhaozhao replied calmly.
"Pfft—" The man laughed even more mockingly.
Lu Zhaozhao was a little confused, wondering if she looked funny, and why this person was laughing so silly.
The female cultivator beside her couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up to remind him, "Fellow Daoist, you should refrain from speaking recklessly. The sect leader of Qinghui Sect, Yunxian, is also here, and he has a female cultivator with him. She must be Senior Sister Lu. Fellow Daoist, you should hurry down the mountain."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaozhao was shocked. Why was the male lead here? This doesn't match the book at all! And the female cultivator beside him—could she be the female lead?
Now Lu Zhaozhao couldn't care less about the male cultivator's obstruction and wanted to see clearly right away.
Seeing that Lu Zhaozhao was ignoring him, the male cultivator thought to himself, "I can't afford to offend such a powerful sect, yet this rogue cultivator dares to be so arrogant."
Ignoring the female cultivators around him who tried to stop him, he drew his sword and pointed it at Lu Zhaozhao.
Lu Zhaozhao's mind was in turmoil at this moment, and she did not want to get entangled with him. She immediately summoned Niye, and before the sword was even drawn, the male cultivator had already fallen to the ground.
The female cultivator was shocked and rushed to check on him. Lu Zhaozhao said to her, "He's fine. He'll wake up after half a cup of tea."
The female cultivator quickly replied, "Thank you for your mercy, fairy."
Lu Zhaozhao had already left. As she walked, she took out an outer robe from her Qiankun bag. The blue and white robe was embroidered with the unique Taoist patterns of Emperor Huizong of Qing. She draped it loosely over her shoulders, and the mountain wind blew her hair down, revealing her somewhat unsettled eyes.
"Is she really one of Emperor Huizong's people?" the female cultivator murmured, remaining alone in place.
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