In the blink of an eye, another two weeks had passed.
Chen Yan had gradually adapted to life on Kongyuan Mountain.
For him, there was actually no difference between being on Kongyuan Mountain or in the outer court.
The only changes were that his residence had become considerably larger, and his robe sleeves now featured gilded cloud crane patterns, nothing more.
The Enforcement Hall disciples hadn't come to cause trouble for Chen Yan.
After all, Song Wencheng was a Spirit Connection Realm cultivator who needed to maintain some dignity.
Taking action against a mere junior like Chen Yan who was only in the Body Forging Realm would be too disgraceful.
Oh, wait, that's not right.
Chen Yan's current cultivation had reached the Qi Circulation Realm.
Kongyuan Mountain, Merit Hall.
An old man wearing a bluish-brown daoist robe stood behind the counter, filling out sect mission completion forms with a brush in his hand.
"Respected elder."
A handsome young man stood before the counter, clasping his hands in salute toward the old man behind it.
"New face?"
The old man only glanced at the young man briefly before continuing to write the forms.
Unlike the outer court with its large numbers, Kongyuan Mountain had only about a thousand cultivators in total.
Among daily practitioners, only disciples between Qi Circulation Realm and Qi Sea Realm needed regular interaction with the Merit Hall.
Currently, there were approximately four hundred outer court disciples with cultivation levels between Qi Circulation Realm and Qi Sea Realm.
The old man behind the counter was a manager disciple in the Merit Hall, with late-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivation.
The old man had served in this Merit Hall for over one hundred seventy years, and could be said to recognize almost every disciple on Kongyuan Mountain above Qi Circulation Realm from this generation.
"Yes, this junior recently ascended from the outer court to Kongyuan Mountain."
The young man replied.
"Achieving Martial Spring Realm at your age in the outer court can be considered quite promising."
The old man praised.
"No, this junior is not at Martial Spring Realm, but Qi Circulation Realm."
"Hmm?"
This surprised the old man. How could an outer court disciple at Qi Circulation Realm ascend to the inner sect?
"This junior is named Chen Yan, and hopes for your guidance."
"Oh, Chen Yan."
Upon hearing this name, the old man suddenly understood.
On Kongyuan Mountain, no one was unfamiliar with this name.
Of course, definitely not in a positive sense.
It had been fifteen years since the previous Kongyuan Mountain Chief Disciple stepped down.
During these fifteen years, the position of Kongyuan Mountain Chief Disciple had remained vacant.
Because Kongyuan Mountain never had someone like Qingchan Peak's Chu Xiyao, or Yuanhua Mountain's Li Haowen—someone who could look down upon all disciples of their generation on the mountain.
But in recent years, the call to establish a Chief Disciple to represent Kongyuan Mountain had grown increasingly louder.
Qi Yadong was one of the candidates for Chief Disciple.
Song Wencheng had also been pushing this process forward all along.
Until Qi Yadong was killed by a single punch from Chen Yan.
The news that Qi Yadong had been killed by a single punch from Lin Qifeng's personal disciple during the outer court competition quickly spread throughout Kongyuan Mountain.
Of course, the scandal of Lin Qifeng colluding with Chen Yan to cheat in the outer court competition spread along with it.
This was the biggest farce to occur on Kongyuan Mountain, or even in the entire Kongshan Sect, in recent years.
Initially, most discussions focused only on Lin Qifeng colluding with Chen Yan to cheat, but later gradually developed toward conspiracy theories.
For example, Qi Yadong's death wasn't accidental, but rather because someone within the peak didn't want him to become Kongyuan Mountain's Chief Disciple, so they used Lin Qifeng and his disciple to eliminate him.
Of course, these matters were only discussed behind closed doors—it was best to keep them to oneself when facing the parties involved.
After all, without any personal grudges, those who weren't troublemakers had no need to backstab others.
"For newcomers, you need to undergo a cultivation level test first."
The old man said, then pushed a round gray-black stone on the counter toward Chen Yan.
"Place your hand on it."
The old man instructed.
Chen Yan nodded, then followed the old man's instructions.
Actually, he felt somewhat nervous inside, because this was Chen Yan's first time using an instrument to test his cultivation level.
The Hidden Immortal Art could deceive the eyes of any powerful immortal cultivator, but could it deceive instruments?
As Chen Yan placed his hand on the instrument, his palm unconsciously began to sweat.
"Early stage Qi Circulation Realm, you can take on some basic sect missions."
The old man said.
Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed there were no problems.
During his recent cultivation practice, Chen Yan discovered that the Hidden Immortal Art's effect wasn't merely about concealing cultivation level.
It was also a mental cultivation method.
When circulating true energy with the Hidden Immortal Art, the energy flowed much more smoothly through his meridians than when using the Kongshan Art.
Moreover, the growth rate of true energy within his body was accelerating faster and faster.
Chen Yan was certain that compared to the Kongshan Art, the Hidden Immortal Art was definitely a higher-level mental cultivation method.
"Basic sect missions include escort duties, miscellaneous tasks, and hunting low-level demonic creatures. Which type of mission are you more inclined toward?"
The old man asked.
"Are there any sect missions in Taiyun City?"
Chen Yan inquired.
"Taiyun City?"
"Yes, this junior has heard that Taiyun City is an important western frontier city of Qingque Kingdom, the largest city, so I've developed an interest and would like to visit while completing sect missions."
Chen Yan said with clasped hands.
"Cities of mortal dynasties are quite boring."
The old man said:
"Have you heard of immortal cities?"
"I haven't heard of them."
"I've only heard rumors—they say beyond the northern seas of Chenping Continent, there is a solitary island that was the place where Immortal Venerable Fusheng fell seventy thousand years ago.
"After Immortal Venerable Fusheng fell, his dao resonance merged with that solitary island, and since then, newborns on that island are born at Martial Spring Realm."
Born at Martial Spring Realm?
Chen Yan couldn't help but widen his eyes:
"Wait, seven thousand years ago, didn't Su Hongzhen also in the Fallen Sword Mountain Range..."
"Because Su Hongzhen didn't take that final step, though it was precisely because he touched the threshold that he was severely injured by heavenly tribulation and fell. But Immortal Venerable Fusheng was a true immortal who dominated Chenping Continent for tens of thousands of years. Until his death, he remained the number one immortal path practitioner on Chenping Continent—no, he still is even after death!"
The old man said this.
"How did such a great power fall then?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Because of dao resonance erosion."
The old man sighed:
"Theoretically, immortal cultivators can achieve longevity equal to heaven and earth after reaching Immortal Ascension Realm, but they still cannot escape the law of dao resonance erosion. As dao resonance erodes, even an immortal venerable's supreme cultivation will crumble apart, eventually dissipating between heaven and earth."
This was the first time Chen Yan had heard of such things.
"After Immortal Venerable Fusheng fell, Fusheng City was born on that solitary island. Fusheng City is isolated from the world, and according to legends, the number of upper three realm cultivators in Fusheng City isn't less than the combined total of the five great sects on Chenping Continent!"
The old man said this:
"And in recent years, there have been persistent rumors that the secret of why no one on Chenping Continent has ascended to immortality since Su Hongzhen... is also related to Fusheng City."