Chapter 1, Section 1: The Immortal Mountain Opens
On Qingfeng Mountain, one luxury car after another drove along the mountain road toward Qingfengpai.
On the edge of the cliff, the crew of "Dawn" saw them from afar, turned around and began to talk in hushed tones.
"Doesn't the lead car have 'Cultivation Alliance' written on it? What are they doing at Qingfeng Sect? What happened at Qingfeng Sect?"
"I heard from my cousin who has spiritual roots a while ago that there is a secret realm near Qingfeng Sect, I think it's called Xuanling Immortal Mountain, which is about to open."
"Haha, I bet after it opens, it will be like other secret realms, not only desolate and devoid of any spiritual energy, but it will also disappear in an instant, right?"
"I remember reading a news article about cultivation. There was a secret realm where the soil was even less fertile than the outside, let alone the spiritual energy."
"The people in the Cultivation Alliance are also pitiful. They haven't realized that spiritual energy is now depleted. Their dream of cultivating to become immortals should have ended long ago."
The group got so engrossed in their conversation that they slowed down their work.
Sitting behind the monitor, Assistant Director Luo looked away and gave his assistant a wink.
The assistant quickly stood up, clapped his hands, and shouted, "What are you all standing there for! Get moving, it'll start raining soon and we can get to work!"
The people who had been huddled together talking quickly grabbed their things and returned to their seats.
Deputy Director Luo nodded, looked around, then frowned and called out, "Li Chang'an! Where's Li Chang'an!"
"Hey! They're here!"
As a clear voice rang out, a young man in his early twenties rushed over, wiped the sweat from his brow, and flashed a bright smile: "Director, I'm here. What's up?"
The young man was handsome, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, and his smile was incredibly infectious.
Assistant Director Luo looked the young man up and down and said with a smile, "There's a scene later where the male lead falls off a cliff. He's afraid of heights, so you can stand in for him."
It's not that being afraid of heights is inconvenient; the real issue is that the male lead hasn't arrived yet.
Li Chang'an touched his temple with a troubled expression: "But director, my build isn't like his. How about we find a stand-in..."
Assistant Director Luo waved his hand: "He had an upset stomach, otherwise I wouldn't have contacted you. In the final cut, it will only be a one or two-second shot, and it will be a rain scene, so the audience won't notice."
Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an felt immediately relieved: "Okay, thank you, director."
He was just a minor supporting actor with limited screen time, and filming had just wrapped up today. In any case, he wouldn't be the one to be a stunt double.
But Li Chang'an knew that this was Assistant Director Luo looking out for him.
For some reason, he owed 25 million in debt. He struggled in the entertainment industry for five years, doing all sorts of odd jobs besides acting, working his butt off, and only managed to pay off 1.5 million.
If he does more stunt work, he can earn more wages, bringing him one step closer to paying off his debts.
Li Chang'an was quite happy.
The weather was hot and humid, and it started to rain soon after.
This scene depicts the male lead, after a period of disappointment, hiking with some acquaintances. While enjoying the view alone in the rain, he is pushed off a cliff.
Li Chang'an changed into the male lead's jacket, put on the wire equipment, and stood on the edge of the cliff.
He glanced down and saw a cliff about fifty meters high. There was a small platform two meters from the edge of the cliff, where the film crew had set up a simple foam mat. Even if there was an accident, if someone fell, they would probably land on the foam mat.
The safety measures appear to be quite adequate.
Li Chang'an rubbed his weak legs and took a deep breath.
He didn't know whether the male lead actor was afraid of heights.
But he really is a little afraid of heights.
But the thought of spending a few hundred more dollars made me barely manage to overcome it.
As the script supervisor gave the final approval, Li Chang'an, with his back to the camera, took a deep breath.
Behind him, the actor playing the villain quietly approached and suddenly shoved him.
When Li Chang'an fell in surprise, the staff tried their best to hold onto the wire.
However, the unexpected happened in that instant.
The safety harness, which had undergone several inspections, suddenly snapped. For some unknown reason, the location where Li Chang'an fell was different from what the staff had predicted.
"Li Chang'an!!"
Li Chang'an watched helplessly as he brushed past the foam mat, seeing the bewildered and terrified looks in the staff's eyes, and uncontrollably plummeted towards the bottom of the cliff.
His mind went blank.
He thought it would be safe, and that he could get paid and leave as soon as the filming was finished.
Although he has indeed been unlucky since childhood, how could he encounter such bad luck?
Falling from a 50-meter-high cliff, it's impossible to survive.
Now, which deity or immortal should he worship in order to have any chance of survival?
...
The back mountain of Qingfeng Sect.
The Cultivation Alliance's car stopped on the side of the mountain road, and a group of people got out and looked at a clear pool.
The pool wasn't large; at its deepest point, it only reached up to an adult man's knees, and the water was crystal clear.
Above the pool, a "door" made of golden runes floats, with the words "Mysterious Spirit" faintly visible on it.
"Mysterious Spirit Immortal Mountain..."
A man in his thirties got out of the lead car. He looked at the door, frowned, and looked somewhat serious.
One of the men who had been waiting by the pool stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Lord Yuheng, is there something amiss?"
"Oh, it's nothing." The man called Yuheng came back to his senses and looked at the other person with a gentle smile: "The Qingfeng Sect has guarded Xuanling Immortal Mountain for generations. It must be hard work."
The man smiled and said, "The Qingfeng Sect will never forget the orders of the Boundless God. There's no question of whether it's hard or not."
Yuheng stepped forward and patted the man on the shoulder: "Regardless, it is precisely because of the protection of the Qingfeng Sect that Xuanling Immortal Mountain has been spared from the invasion of demons and evil spirits for the past six thousand years. Now that the immortal mountain is opening, if..."
He paused for a moment.
The person from the Qingfeng Sect understood his meaning.
Xuanling Immortal Mountain may not be as they wish.
Yuheng sighed. Although he wasn't sure, he continued, "The Seven Stars of the Alliance have promised that the spiritual items that can be obtained from the Immortal Mountain will be divided into three parts and given to the Qingfeng Sect."
30%!
The man's pupils trembled, and he quickly bowed deeply again, saying, "This... then thank you very much, Seven Star Lords!"
Behind the two, a group of cultivators who had come with the Cultivation Alliance were also somewhat shocked.
"Thirty percent... The Seven Stars of the Alliance really think highly of this down-on-his-luck Qingfeng Sect."
"The Xuanling Immortal Mountain, this blessed land, was created by the Boundless God Venerable. Six thousand years ago, the Boundless God Venerable personally entrusted it to the Qingfeng Sect for protection. As a result, the successive mountain masters of the Qingfeng Sect have been forbidden from entering the mortal world for six thousand years. Over these years, the Qingfeng Sect has certainly put in a lot of hard work, hasn't it?"
"That being said, everyone knows what those previously opened secret realms were like. This Xuanling Immortal Mountain is probably the same; the spiritual treasures inside are likely negligible. How much can we possibly get?"
"Enough! With the spiritual energy depleted, we cultivators who have barely reached the Foundation Establishment stage will either die or be seriously injured if we enter the secret realm! The Seven Stars of the Alliance are willing to protect our lives, so how the resources in the secret realm are distributed is naturally up to them!"
The sound of hushed conversations could be heard constantly.
Yuheng stood with his hands behind his back, as if he hadn't heard.
He looked at the "gate" of Xuanling Immortal Mountain with a solemn yet hopeful gaze.
The conversation behind them gradually faded away, and they, too, looked towards the "door" with hope.
Dark clouds gathered, and rain began to fall.
On the "gate" of Xuanling Immortal Mountain, golden runes circulated rapidly, and a burst of golden light shone brightly. The gate slowly revealed a seven-colored light!
"Wow!"
The crowd gasped in surprise.
Yuheng clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it.
He coughed lightly, suppressing his excitement: "Everyone, please follow me into the secret realm."
"Yes!" the crowd echoed excitedly.
Yuheng didn't think much of it and stepped onto the surface of the clear pool.
His heart raced, and he nervously stepped through the door.
Xuanling Immortal Mountain, I hope you won't let us down.
＊
The seven-colored light was somewhat dazzling. Even Yuheng, who was at the Golden Core stage, closed his eyes tightly and raised his hand to shield himself when he stepped in.
As the light gradually dimmed, Yuheng nervously opened her eyes—
Before me lay a bamboo forest. Unlike the continuous rain outside the secret realm, the secret realm was bathed in sunshine, and occasionally, the clear chirping of birds could be heard coming from the bamboo forest.
A gentle breeze blew by, and sunlight streamed down through the bamboo leaves. Yuheng looked up and felt inexplicably at ease.
He stretched out his hand, and Ling Tian felt a surge of abundant spiritual energy. Nourished by this energy, his wood spirit root became exceptionally active.
Yuheng's hands trembled slightly.
The group that followed him then stepped into the secret realm.
"This...this kind of spiritual energy!"
"This land! These bamboos!"
"This! The Xuanling Immortal Mountain is full of spiritual energy! It's not barren at all!"
"That's great! That's great!"
The crowd cheered continuously.
They have experienced countless disappointments.
Since the catastrophe six thousand years ago, the spiritual energy in the Cangxuan Realm has become increasingly scarce. Now, under the condition of scarce spiritual energy, very few people awaken their spiritual roots. Being able to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage means that one has officially embarked on the path of cultivation and is already considered an outstanding individual.
As for those who have been able to cultivate to the Golden Core stage, there have only been seven Alliance Stars in the past two hundred years!
For six thousand years, these cultivators have been able to place their hopes for cultivation on those secret realms.
But just before today, those secret realms and blessed lands had either vanished or shattered. Some of these secret realms even turned into desolation the moment they opened.
Xuanling Immortal Mountain, the last blessed land in the Cangxuan Realm—and their last hope!
And now, this blessed land has not disappointed them; the spiritual energy here is many times richer than outside!
"Very good!"
Some people, with tears in their eyes, looked at the bamboo around them and couldn't help but step forward, wanting to absorb its spiritual energy.
They had never seen anything good before, and the spiritual energy emanating from this bamboo stalk made them drool.
However, just as the man's hand touched a bamboo stalk, Yuheng's expression changed slightly.
In an instant, the bamboo, which was originally as green as jade, lost its luster, slowly turning from emerald green to withered yellow. A gust of wind rose in the bamboo forest, and countless bamboo leaves were swept down, turning yellow and withered as soon as they hit the ground.
"What happened?"
"The spiritual energy isn't as concentrated as it was before!"
"Spiritual energy is dissipating!"
The man withdrew his hand in terror: "What's going on?! I...I didn't do anything!"
Yuheng knew, of course, that he hadn't done anything.
He stared wide-eyed at the changes in the bamboo forest.
The once vibrant bamboo forest has withered away.
The intense spiritual energy they had just sensed was like a dream.
"Boom—boom—"
The sky darkened, a fierce wind arose, and thunder roared.
The familiar scene reappeared before their eyes, and the cultivators were all filled with terror.
They all still remember.
Those opened secret realms and blessed lands were destroyed under such changes and disappeared from the Cangxuan Realm.
Yuheng was the first to come to his senses.
"Run!"
When the secret realm is destroyed and disappears, those who were inside it will also perish and die!
Yuheng's voice brought some people back to their senses, and they hurriedly ran back, only to find that the light at the entrance had dimmed.
If we don't leave now, it will really be too late!
Yuheng gritted his teeth, raised his hand and made a hand seal. Countless vines stretched out from behind him, binding the cultivators who had not yet come to their senses, intending to throw them directly out of this soon-to-be-destroyed blessed land.
However, the change happened in the blink of an eye.
The light at the entrance flickered and became dazzling again.
The terrifying thunder stopped, sunlight appeared in the dark sky, and even the withered bamboo forest turned green again.
However, the lost spiritual energy was not recovered.
What's going on? Was what happened just now a hallucination?
The monks stopped in their tracks, gazing at the sky in bewilderment.
Yuheng put away the vines and looked around at the scenery, also looking bewildered.
Immediately, his ears twitched, and he quickly teleported away from where he stood.
The instant his figure disappeared, a jet-black flying sword swiftly swept past from the depths of the bamboo forest.
A row of bamboo stalks snapped silently and cleanly after the deep, resonant sound of a sword striking the ground.
If Yuheng had been even a step slower, it would have been his head that had been severed!
Everyone was shocked and looked around in fear.
"Who?!" Yuheng stood in front of the crowd, took out a jade pendant-shaped magic artifact and held it in front of him, a jade-white barrier enveloping everyone.
The black sword swayed and floated back, hovering horizontally in front of everyone.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, a black figure slowly descended, its long boots edged with silver auspicious clouds gently stepping onto the sword.
He was dressed in black, and his long black hair was tied up high with a silver crown.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Could the person who appeared on Xuanling Immortal Mountain be the Boundless God Venerable?
But wasn't the Boundless God already...?
Before anyone could figure out the answer, a terrifying pressure emanated from that person!
The jade pendant used to set up the barrier shattered instantly, and the group of people who were only at the Foundation Establishment stage were already prostrate on the ground. Yu Heng gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and slowly bent his knees and knelt down.
"Who are you, sir?" he asked with difficulty.
The man in black looked down at the crowd and slowly spoke, his voice cold: "The dead are not worthy to know my name."
dead?
Yuheng frowned, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
Indeed, this senior clearly held back; otherwise, they would have been crushed by that terrifying pressure long ago, instead of lying here intact, kneeling here!
Yuheng lowered his head, his tone becoming respectful: "Thank you, senior."
He had almost exhausted all his strength just by saying those two sentences.
The man in black glanced at him, and in the next instant, all the oppressive aura vanished.
"Hah—" The crowd gasped for breath as if they had survived a disaster, changing from a prone position to a kneeling one, staring in horror at the man in black.
Yuheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, put away the jade pendant fragment, stood up, and bowed deeply to the man in black.
“Senior, we are cultivators from the Cangxuan Realm. We have come to Xuanling Immortal Mountain only to seek cultivation opportunities and have no intention of disturbing you…”
Before he could finish speaking, the man in black coldly said, "The Xuanling Immortal Mountain already has a master; your opportunity is not among them."
Owner?
Yuheng pursed his lips and said respectfully, "Senior, we know that Xuanling Immortal Mountain was created by the God of Boundless Space, but the God of Boundless Space has already perished..."
Then Xuanling Immortal Mountain should be in a state of being unclaimed.
The man in black had a cold look in his eyes.
Yuheng knelt down. "I'm sorry, senior. It's just that the spiritual energy in the Cangxuan Realm is scarce. Whether it's the secret realms that originated from heaven and earth or the blessed lands left behind by the immortal venerables, they have all been destroyed and disappeared. The Xuanling Immortal Mountain of the Divine Venerable... is our last hope."
The crowd knelt even lower, anxiously awaiting the man in black's reply.
After a long silence, the man in black said, "The Xuanling Immortal Mountain should have been destroyed and disappeared just now."
Yuheng recalled the apocalyptic scene he had just witnessed.
Indeed, that was a sign of the impending destruction of the secret realm.
"However, Xuanling Immortal Mountain has regained its owner and has been preserved."
After speaking, the man in black landed on the ground from the sword and turned to look into the depths of the bamboo forest.
Over there, in a place unseen by the crowd, golden runes still flowed.
"Re-establish a master?" Yuheng murmured.
He had only ever heard of spiritual artifacts recognizing their owners, but he had never heard of any blessed land or grotto-heaven that could do so.
The cultivators looked at each other.
Could this just be an excuse from the man in black?
There are quite a few people who share this idea.
Someone raised their head unwillingly: "Senior said that if there is an owner, then there is one. So who is that person? Could we please see them?!"
The breeze blowing through the bamboo grove seemed to have grown stronger.
The man in black looked into the depths of the bamboo forest and said coldly, "They've arrived."
The crowd looked around in confusion.
They're here? Who's here?
The next second, a figure fell from the sky!
"Aaaaaah—!!!"
The screams stopped abruptly.
Two meters above the ground, the black sword steadily caught the man, preventing him from falling to his death.
The man in black said coldly, "Him."
The person on the sword—Li Chang'an—slowly raised his head and looked at Yu Heng and his group.
He stared blankly at the people kneeling before him, raised his hand, and waved in greeting: "Uh, you... hello?"
Can anyone tell him where he came from?!
A note from the author:
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My column has a no-romance pre-order, "My Cat Farms and Opens a Hotel to Support Me," and I'm begging you all to add it to your favorites! [Please][Please]
1. Xu Huai'an was diagnosed with a terminal illness in his twenties, and despite spending all his savings, his condition did not improve.
On the day he was feeling utterly disheartened, his own cat kicked him to the ground, and he heard an electronic voice:
[Ding—You have successfully linked to the "Top 1 Hotel" system. You've been given a free plot of fertile land. Please manage it diligently, cultivate it, and strive to become the Top 1 Hotel, healing the hearts of your guests!]
Half-dead Xu Huai'an: Cough cough cough... Who will manage it? Who will farm it? Me?
Xu Bubai, the little black cat crouching to the side: Meow
What can the pet owner accomplish like this? Why not let it do it!
2.
The cat's owner is dying, and the cat is determined to hold the family together.
It heard the system's voice and pushed its owner to farm together, bringing back delicious vegetables and meat to its hometown.
He opened a rare and exotic shop in his hometown, specializing in reselling and exchanging vegetables and meat with his friends back home for rare and exotic treasures.
as well as……
A mermaid with healing powers, taken home to cure her pet owner's illness, and to let hotel guests hear a wonderful concert.
The Dreamy Jellyfish, with its calming properties, can be brought home as a toy for pet owners who can't sleep, and also to give hotel guests a good night's sleep.
These clever little elves can be taken home to make clothes for their owners, dress up hotel guests in gorgeous outfits for balls, and even buy the most unique handicrafts.
Cats are so useful!
3.
Xu Huai'an discovered several magical creatures in the hotel, and the little black cat said they were its friends.
At first, Xu Huai'an didn't take it seriously, but after a while, he found that new and returning customers were increasing! The hotel's business was getting better and better!
The system's task was completed, and the hotel was even rated as "Top 1 Most Desired Hotel to Stay In!"
Xu Huai'an belatedly realized what was happening as he watched the increasing number of magical creatures and little black cats.
Oh no, it seems he's being kept by his cat.
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