◇ 【135】 Four Holy Places of Monks
Xi Lang said doubtfully, "According to what you said, the monks today have reached the point where they can't even afford to eat their next meal."
Shang Liuyun chuckled, "More or less. But strictly speaking, that's not the case. Most places on Earth are indeed lacking in spiritual energy, but there are a few exceptions." He looked at Gu Juan and Xi Lang with a knowing look and winked. Gu Juan and Xi Lang's cultivation was too advanced, and they had never appeared in public before. He suspected they were connected to these four places.
Gu Juan was puzzled, but remained calm. He took Xi Lang and Shang Liuyun to sit at a stone table nearby, took out three cups of spiritual tea from his storage bag, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
The monks nearby all looked over, greedily absorbing the little spiritual energy that was emanating, and were extremely envious of the three people over there.
Gu Juan asked, "Which places?"
"Such a rich spiritual energy." Shang Liuyun couldn't wait to drink a sip of tea, and said with some pride, "I knew you had something good in your hands."
Xi Lang glanced at him and asked, "Can't drinking tea stop you talking?"
Shang Liuyun muttered to himself, how can I answer your questions if the road is really blocked? But he didn't dare to speak to Xi Lang like this. His expression became serious and he said meaningfully: "Those are the four holy places of the cultivators - Shenlong Flying Mountain, Black Demon Sea, Earth Core Xue and Shenyin Island." As he spoke, he observed the expressions of Gu Juan and Xi Lang.
Gu Juan's eyes flickered with interest. His memory was astonishing, and he was quite well-read, but he had never heard of any of the four places Shang Liuyun mentioned.
Xi Lang refilled his tea and seemed to be lost in thought.
Shang Liuyun took a big gulp of the spiritual tea, as if he was afraid that he would never be able to drink it again.
Gu Juan found it funny and took out a bag of tea and pushed it in front of him.
"This..." Shang Liuyun's eyes lit up, and he wanted to accept it but felt a little embarrassed.
Gu Juan smiled faintly and said, "Just accept it if I give it to you."
Shang Liuyun thought to himself that since he was so generous, he must have a lot of good tea. With that in mind, he put the tea away, thanked him, and continued.
"Have you never heard of Shenlong Flying Mountain, the Black Demon Sea, the Earth Core Xue, and the Hidden God Island? Actually, it's not just you; most cultivators are unaware of their existence. Ordinary people have no way of knowing, because even satellites can't detect their existence. To ordinary people, they simply don't exist. I still listen to what my master said. Let's talk about Shenlong Flying Mountain first. Shenlong Flying Mountain is in Asia, right in our country of China. Judging by its location on the map, it's somewhere near Beihu Province. It has one main peak and five secondary peaks. Seen from above, it resembles a five-clawed golden dragon. The mountain is home to countless natural treasures, but it's also filled with dangers.
The last time anyone successfully entered Shenlong Feishan Mountain was over two hundred years ago. Because one of the group was skilled in formations, over forty people entered the mountain that time. Among them was the master of a close friend of my master, the Six-Shan Immortal. While they did encounter countless spiritual artifacts and treasures, they also encountered numerous dangers and were utterly devastated. In the end, almost all of them perished. The only two survivors, one of them being the Six-Shan Immortal, died with only a breath left. He only managed to hand over his notes to his disciples before he expired.
The other was a demon cultivator from the Demon Sect, Venerable Tianxuan. He was incredibly lucky, having encountered something fortuitous in the mountains, but soon after leaving, after only a year of seclusion, he ascended to the Immortal Realm. He was also the only senior cultivator in nearly five hundred years to have successfully ascended. Ever since Venerable Tianxuan's ascension, cultivators have flocked to Shennong Flying Mountain. Sadly, no one who has entered Shenlong Flying Mountain has emerged alive since then. Yet, even so, there are still those who regularly organize expeditions to Shenlong Flying Mountain, like the flu, with outbreaks occurring at regular intervals. Shang Liuyun lamented.
He took a quick sip of tea and said, "Oh, by the way, I heard that the Xuanyuan family has been making some moves recently. If I'm right, they will be heading to Shenlong Feishan soon."
Gu Juan and Xi Lang exchanged a glance. They wondered who Shang Liuyun was and how he could be so well-informed.
"Why do you think so?" Xi Lang asked.
Shang Liuyun puffed out his chest and analyzed confidently, "The Xuanyuan family wasn't as low-key as they are now before. About twenty years ago, I don't know what happened, but they started to keep a low profile. Even when they participated in activities in the cultivation world, they performed mediocrely, as if they were hiding their strength. A few days ago, I accidentally discovered some of their actions, so I made this guess. Of course, this is just my personal guess and cannot be accurate."
Gu Juan asked with interest, "What is the Black Demon Sea?"
Shang Liuyun said, "The Black Demon Sea is in Europe, and I don't know much about it. I only know it's a truly black ocean, its waters black year-round. Its depths also hold countless treasures, and a host of strange and ferocious monsters live there, making it a dangerous zone. Geocentric Xue is in America, and it's said to lead all the way to a location close to the center of the Earth, hence the name 'Geocentric Xue.' Hidden God Island is the most unique of the four sacred sites. It's a drifting island, constantly drifting in the four oceans, appearing and disappearing. It's relatively the least dangerous, but because it's difficult to find, cultivators are helpless. Ever since Hidden God Island first appeared over a thousand years ago, countless cultivators have studied it, attempting to discover the patterns that cause its appearance and disappearance. I heard someone actually figured it out, but unfortunately, they haven't published their findings. There's only a rumor that the Hidden God Island will reappear in two or three years. Who knows if it's true or not?"
Gu Juan glanced at the bustling square and said to Shang Liuyun, "Even you've noticed the Xuanyuan family's actions. Wouldn't the other major sects have noticed as well? If that's the case, I'm afraid the cultivation world will soon be bustling."
Shang Liuyun nodded, then suddenly started as he thought of something. He looked at Xi Lang, who looked calm, and then at Gu Juan, who looked composed, and said incredulously, "Are you also interested in Shenlong Feishan?"
Xi Lang looked at Gu Juan with a smile, which obviously meant that Gu Juan would have the final say in everything.
Gu Juan smiled slightly, "I do have this idea, but I still need to think it over carefully."
Shang Liuyun was shocked, and after a while he said, "I think you should be more cautious."
Gu Juan nodded and saw a group of people coming out of the hall from a distance. He stood up and said, "Let's go and take a look."
The people who walked out of the hall were the leaders and elders of the five sects and two families.
The monks quickly packed up their stalls, and soon the square was clear again. The monks returned to their respective sects. The crowd was so dense that Gu Juan and Xi Lang quickly became separated from Shang Liuyun. Since there were so many people, they didn't bother looking for him, and simply followed the flow of people to the side. After a while, the various sects and schools took their positions, and the vast square was filled with orderly formations. The scattered cultivators were scattered about, but overall, it didn't seem to matter.
Three round platforms, each one man tall, suddenly rose in the middle of the square. Simultaneously, thousands of neatly arranged round stone benches emerged from the ground, perfectly sized for the monks to sit on. This design was quite user-friendly.
At this time, the major leaders on the steps had also taken their seats.
Gu Juan saw Shang Liuyun looking around in the crowd, pulled Xi Lang over, and patted Shang Liuyun on the shoulder. Shang Liuyun knew a lot and could serve as their encyclopedia for the time being.
"I was looking for you." Shang Liuyun said happily, and then took the initiative to explain, "The auction will be held first, and after the auction, there will be a competition between the various factions."
"What are you auctioning?" Gu Juan asked casually. He thought there wouldn't be anything good at the auction.
Shang Liuyun said, "We have elixirs, treasures, medicinal herbs, etc., and they are usually of good quality. Anyone can auction their items. If you have something you want to auction, you can also register."
Gu Juan shook his head. He and Xi Lang had nothing missing.
Soon, the auction began. As expected, the items were of good quality. Almost every sect had one or two valuable items up for auction. Shang Liuyun explained that this was a long-standing tradition. Officially, the purpose was to foster closer ties between the various sects.
There wasn't much to say about the auction, which ended after about two hours.
After a ten-minute break, Yao Qingyu, the new leader of the Demon Sect, announced the start of the competition between the major sects. Yao Qingyu looked 70% like Yao Qingxue, but her temperament was a bit more aggressive than Yao Qingxue's. A dark glint flashed in her eyes from time to time, and she looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.
In such competitions, all major sects offered prizes, so many cultivators were very enthusiastic. Competitions took place simultaneously on three stages, each with its own unique level of cultivation. Cultivators of the same level competed on the same stage, and cultivators of lower levels could challenge those of higher levels.
Gu Juan watched the competition between two Qigong-stage monks on the ring indifferently. Xi Lang fed him a piece of snack he made himself from time to time. The two of them looked very relaxed.
Gu Juan asked Shang Liuyun, "Are you participating?"
Shang Liuyun nodded excitedly, "I'll participate. I've taken a fancy to the prize for the winner of the middle stage of Heartbeat." He was at the early stage of Heartbeat, so he could give it a try to challenge the middle stage of Heartbeat.
Gu Juan inspected the row of prizes on the table. "That umbrella?"
"Yes, it is a weapon called the Yin-Yang Umbrella. The umbrella surface can provide protection, and the interior can fire 9981 hidden arrows." Shang Liuyun introduced.
"Sounds good. Keep going." Gu Juan encouraged.
At this time, a young woman walked over quickly with a sullen face.
"Junior brother, why are you still here?"
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