◇ 【122】 "Five factions and two schools"
Han Lin and the others had already left the city.
Han Lin practiced the Wood Spirit Art, the same as Luo Qingyou; Li Ruicheng practiced the Earth Escape Art, the same as Xi Cong; Zhang Muheng practiced the Silver Wave Art, the same as Gu Yinyin; and Tian Yunzhi also practiced the Silver Wave Art. Everyone's progress was similar, all in the middle stage of Kaiguang. Despite this, there were differences in their levels of stability. Relatively speaking, Li Ruicheng and Tian Yunzhi were more advanced.
The reason why they practiced almost the same techniques was because these techniques were the best ones that Gu Juan had picked out from the space. Moreover, he didn't want to come up with too many different techniques, otherwise, once they were noticed by someone with ulterior motives, the consequences would be predictable.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang discussed it and decided to treat the operation on December 21 as the first experience for Xi Cong and the others. On the one hand, it might give them an opportunity for actual combat; on the other hand, it would also allow them to see with their own eyes the life in the world of cultivation.
Before that day arrived, none of the nine of them relaxed their cultivation. Gu Juan and Xi Lang, possessing a spatial cheat, advanced their cultivation to a higher level. Gu Juan entered the early stages of Spiritual Silence, while Xi Lang reached the middle stages of Golden Core.
Xi Cong and others have all made progress.
As December 21st drew closer, Gu Juan and Xi Lang came up with a way to keep the people of Ping'an County out of harm's way. They sneaked into the Sichuan Earthquake Monitoring Center for three consecutive days and tampered with the earthquake monitors, finally attracting the attention of the staff.
Seeing the staff member hurriedly pick up the phone to report to his superiors, the two felt relieved and left quietly.
But what the two never expected was that until they arrived in Ping'an County on December 18, the relevant departments still had not taken any measures. At this point, the two could only take things one step at a time.
Xi Cong, Luo Qingyou, Gu Yinyin and the other seven people also arrived in Ping'an County at this time, and left separately from Gu Juan and Xi Lang.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang used the identities of Cheng Feng and Po Lang, and would not reunite with Xi Cong and his group unless absolutely necessary. Xi Cong and his group were also unaware that Gu Juan and Xi Lang had changed their identities.
Ping'an County is mountainous and relatively remote, making it underdeveloped. However, this very fact makes for stunning scenery. The Red Rock Valley between Pingshan and Anshan is particularly breathtaking, offering breathtaking scenery. In recent years, the area has seen a surge in tourists, with even winter failing to deter them.
But Lu Dafu, owner of the Xikelai Hotel in the county town, noticed that this year's number of tourists was several times greater than in previous years. He was usually lucky if half of his 20 rooms were occupied during this month, but now only two were left empty. And he didn't know if he was overthinking it, but he felt that the guests were a little strange, not like ordinary people.
When he woke up early in the morning, he discovered that it had snowed heavily the previous night and it hadn't stopped yet, leaving everything covered in white. The snowflakes, like catkins, drifted down, obscuring the sky and the earth, making visibility half as low as usual.
Remembering that the store was running low on rice, Lu Dafu walked to his three-wheeled motorcycle and prepared to go to the mall two miles away to buy some. At this time, he saw two men walking towards him from a distance.
The two men walked side by side. They were young, handsome, and had extraordinary temperaments. In the heavy snow, they were only wearing a sweater and a mid-length coat. Although they were wearing scarves, the coats were open.
Lu Dafu felt cold for them, but strangely, both of them had rosy complexions and did not flinch at all, as if they were strolling in the spring.
Seeing the two men walking straight towards him, Lu Dafu hurried forward and greeted them with a smile, "Gentlemen, are you staying at the hotel?"
Gu Juan nodded, "Is there any room left?"
"Yes, yes, please come in."
Gu Juan walked in and sensed the presence of many cultivators in the store, but remained calm.
Xi Lang handed his ID card to Lu Dafu, "One room."
This ID card is naturally "breaking the waves".
Gu Juan asked, "Is there anything to eat?"
"Of course, our breakfast is very rich—"
Gu Juan interrupted Lu Dafu's introduction and pointed to the dining table in the hall, "Isn't there a hot pot table over there? Let's eat hot pot." It would be a wasted trip to Sichuan if you don't eat Sichuan hot pot.
Lu Dafu was stunned. "Eating hot pot in the morning?"
"No?" Gu Juan asked back.
"Of course, please take a moment." Lu Dafu secretly scolded himself for being nosy. It was enough to make money, why ask so many questions.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang sat down at the table.
Gu Juan put away the talisman that concealed his cultivation level, and the aura of the early stage of Lingji immediately leaked out.
Xi Lang guessed his intention and rubbed the back of his neck indulgently.
"Wu Suiyu said there are over 8,000 cultivators in the world, and almost all of them are here. It seems this treasure is truly alluring," Gu Juan said. They had been secretly sensing the surrounding atmosphere all along the way, and there were at least 5,000 to 6,000 cultivators in Ping'an County. With three days until the 21st, more cultivators were sure to arrive.
Xi Lang said, "No matter what treasure it is, we must grab it."
"Of course," Gu Juan said confidently. Regardless of whether they could snatch it or not, this was a great opportunity for them to enter the world of cultivation.
Perhaps because there were few customers eating in the morning, the waiter quickly brought out the hot pot and placed various side dishes one by one.
When the soup in the pot boils, the whole hall is filled with spicy and rich aroma.
A fiery red figure appeared on the stairs, and a young man walked over lazily, yawning.
Gu Juan's eyes flashed, and he felt his heart beating.
The young man also noticed Gu Juan and Xi Lang. They were the only two in the hall, so it was hard not to notice them. He couldn't tell their cultivation levels, so after a second of hesitation, he walked over and politely greeted them.
"Good morning, two seniors!"
Gu Juan nodded, noticing his eyes drifting towards the hot pot, she found it a little funny and thought, "Are you interested in eating together?"
The young man sat down generously, "Thank you, senior. My name is Shang Liuyun."
"I ride the wind and he breaks the waves." Gu Juan was also very straightforward.
"You two seniors are here for that too, right?" Shang Liuyun winked and made a knowing expression.
Gu Juan didn't deny it. "We're in the secular world now, so there's no need to call us 'senior'. We're both new to this world, and we don't know much about this world. Could you give us an introduction? For example, what forces exist in this world, and what's the highest level of cultivation?"
"As for these things, just ask me." Shang Liuyun looked around and saw no one around, then spoke freely. "This world has a total of over 8,000 people. While the number may seem small, the forces involved are quite complex. There are over 30 or 40 large and small factions, including sects and aristocratic families. However, the larger or more famous ones are the 'Five Sects and Two Families': the Qianshan Sect, the Wentian Sect, the Xiaoyao Sect, the Momen Sect, the Mengshan Sect, the Xuanyuan Family, and the Huang Family. Aside from the Momen Sect, which is a demonic cultivator, the others are all immortal cultivators. As for the highest-level cultivators, how can we say that? Almost all of the 'Five Sects and Two Families' have elders who stay away from the sects year-round, remaining in charge. It's said that their cultivation is quite high. Last year, when I attended a cultivator exchange meeting, I heard that the ancestor of the Momen Sect had already entered the Nascent Soul stage. I wonder if that's true. If so, the Momen Sect's power will leapfrog that of the other sects, which is truly worrying!"
Gu Juan and Xi Lang exchanged a glance. According to Shang Liuyun, the Nascent Soul stage was the highest among the more than 8,000 cultivators. This wasn't good news for them.
"I wonder how old that senior is?" Gu Juan asked.
Shang Liuyun said, "I heard it's over four hundred years old. But as you all know, age means nothing to us."
Xi Lang asked, "What sect are you from?"
"I'm from the Tongshan sect, a small sect. Not worth mentioning." Shang Liuyun smiled shyly and asked tentatively, "May I ask who the two seniors are..."
"We?" Gu Juan thought for a moment, "We are independent cultivators."
"A casual cultivator?" Shang Liuyun looked surprised.
Gu Juan was a little surprised. "What? Is there a problem?"
Shang Liuyun shook his head, "No. I can't tell the two seniors' cultivation levels, but it's obvious that both of them are higher than me, at least in the middle stage of Heart Movement. The forces of independent cultivators are weak, and it's not easy to cultivate to the middle stage of Heart Movement. I admire you!"
Gu Juan remained silent for a while. It suddenly occurred to him that he and the old man should establish a sect, even if it was just a fabricated one. That way, they would have a name to call their own when they went out into the world. Otherwise, as Shang Liuyun had said, reaching this point as a casual cultivator would indeed be a bit conspicuous.
Xi Lang patted his shoulder and said gently, "Afeng, I can see that Liuyun is an open-minded person. It's okay to tell him our origins."
Gu Juan looked at him with appreciation. The old man was really quick to react.
"Actually, we are from the Tongde Sect, a small sect with only ten people in total, so I am embarrassed to mention it." He included the Tongde Immortal Emperor in the list.
Shang Liuyun was stunned, but without any doubt, he smiled and said, "Ten people... is a bit few. But generally speaking, the strength of a sect has little to do with the number of its members."
He was a man who couldn't keep secrets, and he took the initiative to say, "Whatever treasure this time, the hope for us small sects is not great. We'll be lucky to have the opportunity to gain some experience. I wonder if the elders of the big sects will take action. It will definitely be a lively scene then."
Gu Juan nodded in agreement.
As they talked, guests from upstairs began to come down for breakfast. More and more people filled the hall, their eyes scanning each other inquiringly.
These people basically formed groups of seven or eight. In comparison, Gu Juan's table of only three people stood out.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang were being stared at while also staring at others. Most of the people were at the Bigu Stage or Heartbeat Stage, so their overall strength was not very high.
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