“Oh, Sect Leader Li, you’re too courteous,” Zhang Guangyou said with a smile.
Gai Xingkong smiled as well.
The two loved wine. Whenever they were free, they’d like to have some drinks.
“It’s only natural. Actually, most of the wine was prepared by Li Mu. I merely contacted some of my old friends to ask for some treasured wine,” Li Hao said in a very courteous manner.
From Li Mu’s previous introduction, he knew that the man enjoying wine there was Zhang Hanyang’s father, Zhang Guangyou.
His grandfather, Zhang Mu, his mother, Rong Jiali, his three disciples, and his subordinates were also there. Based on their conversation, they didn’t belong to the same force.
Li Hao observed for moments. Still, he couldn’t figure out how powerful they were on earth. He actually found them unfathomable.
Mysterious things would often hold people in awe.
Li Hao felt the same. He couldn’t see through the other party, so he became even more curious. He also wanted to know what kind of strength Yue Wuwei had and if he was really a God Transformation Realm master.
“Is Zhang Hanyang merely in the Yuan Ying Realm?”
No matter what, they were Li Mu’s distinguished friends, so Li Hao didn’t overthink this and decided to do his best to entertain them.
But he still had some clues.
He could tell Zhang Hanyang was very rich and had a huge number of crystal stones. He had bought so many Thunder Kings. Also, Zhang Hanyang cared about his daughter, wife, and family dearly. He came to the Sea Dragon Star Area mainly to let his daughter have fun. Not only could he perform the Highest Clouds Sketch, but he also knew how to cast the Dragon Shadow.
For the talented disciples in the Cloud Shadow Sky, if they could learn these two secret skills of the Cloud Shadow Sky, it would do them great good and massively increase their fundamental strength.
“Who exactly is he?
“Which senior in the Cloud Shadow Sky does he know?
“He’s surnamed Zhang… But I haven’t heard of any elder with that surname.”
Li Hao had many questions on his mind, but now was not the time to ask questions.
They flew all the way through the clouds. The golden sunlight shone through the gaps of the clouds.
The rays of light were of all shapes and sizes. At a glance, they were like a myriad of light columns that sprinkled into the human world.
If one did not witness it with one’s own eyes, one would hardly imagine such beautiful scenery.
Looking downward, they found that the mountains and rivers looked similar to the Roland Star. The area covered by greenery extended afar. Spirit beasts could be seen everywhere.
“There are very few technological facilities in the Cloud Shadow Sky, so you won’t see many high-rise buildings. Most of the buildings are retro-style, just like those in authentic cultivation sects,” Li Mu said, “In the Sea Dragon Star Area, the Cloud Shadow Sky is the largest cultivation sect.”
While speaking, Li Mu showed a proud look on his face.
This was the pride that the seniors of the sect brought him.
As the saying goes, the descendants who plant the trees enjoy the coolness.
Of course, Li Hao had contributed greatly to the current scale and success of the Cloud Shadow Sky. Otherwise, this sect might have fallen apart in the river of time.
However, in Zhang Han’s eyes, this place was quite interesting.
The Cloud Shadow Sky was the first sect that he had stepped foot into.
Many things had happened in this sect. He had had many grievances here. But he had also received much more kindness and love here.
Generally speaking, Zhang Han found this place endearing to him. If it weren’t for the Cloud Shadow Sky, he would have taken many unnecessary detours while cultivating on his own.
What a rookie who just arrived in the Cultivation World needed was exactly the guidance of such an orthodox cultivation sect.
“It’s been a thousand years since I last came here.
“Where those old friends of mine are now?”
Zhang Han’s eyes flickered at the highest peak a short distance away.
In his memory, that peak used to be a very large mountain, just like the Heavenly Knights Sect. It was sort of in the shape of a mushroom. However, after so many years, it had become a desolate and precarious peak.
“Mengmeng, fly toward the front left for another five minutes and we’ll arrive at our destination. We’re going to the largest palace over there,” Li Mu pointed ahead and said.
“Oh, got it. Woodenhead, fly that way,” Mengmeng ordered.
Woodenhead was the name Mengmeng gave to her aircraft intelligence system.
Mengmeng also had the highest authority over this aircraft. Zhang Han and the Zi Yan were the only two who had secondary authority.
Even her Grandpa and Great-Grandpa had not been given the privilege to control the aircraft.
The Blue Butterfly could only be controlled by three people.
Thus, the family of three could control this aircraft. This also embodied the pure family affection they share. Mengmeng liked this very much.
After flying for five minutes, they saw blocks of buildings.
The houses and palaces were all in ancient style.
The sect was located on a large mountain, which was not very high.
According to Li Mu, this was the place where inner-door disciples lived. Although the Cloud Shadow Sky had countless disciples, the number of inner-door disciples was relatively small. They only made up one percent of the total disciples.
The Inner-door Entrance Exam was held once every five years.
Only those who passed the test could come to the inner door to cultivate.
The aircraft was flying at a low altitude. On the way, several training fields could be seen.
There were many fighting rings on the field. They also saw people battling.
Weapons whizzed everywhere. The battles were very fierce.
From the looks of it, the disciples participating in the battles were at least at the Elixir Realm Middle-Stage.
To be an inner-door disciple in the Cloud Shadow Sky, one should be in the Elixir Realm or above.
This was undoubtedly a blow for Liu Qingfeng and the others. Halfway through the flight, they saw nearly a thousand inner-door disciples.
One could imagine how large the sect was. On Earth, Elixir Realm cultivators were already very strong. In comparison, the starting point here was much higher.
Some excellent disciples could reach the Elixir Realm Last-Stage and the Elixir Realm Peak-Stage. People like Li Mu, who had made it to the Yuan Ying Realm Early-Stage, were sort of freaking talented.
“They’re all battling! I wanna fight, too.”
Ah Hu stared at a ring where a battle was going on and said, “When I have time, I’ll find some people to spar with. I’ve been at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage for a long time. After the battle in the King’s Domain, I feel that I’ll advance to the Peak Stage soon.”
“You’re so slow.” Mu Xue mercilessly criticized, “When I have time, I’ll break through to the Elixir Real Peak-Stage.”
Ah Hu fell silent.
“I won’t argue with you. I know I can’t win.”
Mu Xue was often harsh to others, except for her master and her master’s family. She liked to rail against others. Everyone was used to it and didn’t dare to answer back.
After undergoing the war in the King’s Domain, Mu Xue was on better terms with Zhao Feng, Elder Meng, Xu Yong, and the other great fighters.
“Sure. You can spar with our disciples as long as you are interested.”
Li Hao chuckled and said, “I’m also very interested in sparring matches. I’ve heard long ago from that my son that you people are so strong among those in the same realm that you’re practically invincible. I happen to have many talented disciples. Later, you can spar with them.”
“If you can’t even win a round, won’t it make you look bad?” Jiang Yanlan suddenly asked.
“That won’t happen.” Li Hao shook his head slightly.
In fact, Jiang Yanlan’s words indicated that she believed her side would win even before the match started. That was a little arrogant.
But Li Hao didn’t mind. He had heard from Li Mu that those following Zhang Hanyang’s leadership all had his casual demeanor. They were free and unrestrained. That was all due to Zhang Hanyang’s influence.
“It’s morning at this time. If you want to spar with others, you can also do it in the afternoon. Tomorrow is the Inner-door Entrance Exam that takes place once every five years. We might be a bit busy then. We go to have a look every time the exam is held,” Mrs. Li thought for a moment and said.
“Is the Inner-door Entrance Exam fun to watch?” Mengmeng inquired.
Mrs. Li didn’t know why the exam had anything to do with fun, so she replied, “Er… it’s okay.”
“Well, we can also go and have a look. Anyway, we have time to kill.” Mengmeng laughed. A trace of cunning flashed across her eyes.
At this moment, she was wondering if she could blend into the examinees and take the exam to see if she could pass.
During the half a year in school, she didn’t slack off at all. She still cultivated every day. Now, the diameter of the fireballs she conjured could reach more than one meter. Her big fireballs were very powerful. Her Fire Whip could be 30 meters long and even move nimbly in the air.
“Humph, I’m an Innateness Realm expert now. I can also take the exam.”
A trace of pride surfaced in Mengmeng’s big clear eyes.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Zhang Han felt rather speechless.
“Mengmeng is indeed in the Innateness Realm. But… she has just reached this level.
“Those participating in the Inner-door Entrance Exam are all in the Elixir Realm or above. Can Mengmeng be able to defeat any of them?
“Yes, she can!”
The corners of Zhang Han’s mouth curled up.
Cheating was where he shone.
“Eh?”
Seeing Mengmeng’s expression and Zhang Han’s smile, Zi Yan didn’t know what to say. She touched her forehead to show that she was lost for words.
But others could tell what was going on from the family’s expressions.
After the aircraft arrived at the main palace and parked in the designated area, they went through the hall to the viewing platform on the side of the hall.
From here, one could overlook the thousands of mountains and ravines. It was a spectacular view.
A faint mist was drifting above the grounds. Birds and winged beasts were gliding at a low altitude. Occasionally, spirit beasts’ chirps could be heard.
Enjoying the beautiful scenery while eating delicious food was a wonderful experience.
“They’ve prepared so many yummy dishes for us!”
Looking at the endless array of food, Chen Chuan licked his lips. Still, he did not forget his manners. He said, “Sister Mengmeng, have as many as you want.”
He was on Team Mengmeng indeed.
Seeing this, Nina couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She found Chen Chuan quite interesting.
“This is the Mountain Foot Wine.”
“It has a faint fragrance that leaves a rich aftertaste. Please have a cup of this first.”
“I’ve prepared three kinds of wine today. This is the first one.”
“This cup is the second type. It has a sweet fragrance.”
“The third kind is called Brightmoon Wine. It is not easy to get hold of. It tastes bitter first, then fragrant. It’s kind of like one’s life, where there is no sweet without sweat. It makes you think about the vicissitudes of life. If you don’t have enough experience in wine tasting, then you won’t be able to have that feeling. My son, Li Mu, said that you’re all heroes and heroines who love wine. Of course, I must bring out the Brightmoon Wine that I’ve treasured for a long time to entertain you. However, you may get drunk. It can make you have the tipsy feeling I mentioned.”
While entertaining them, Li Hao mainly focused on pleasing Zhang Guangyou.
However, when Li Hao introduced them to the wine, Zhang Guangyou drank up the Brightmoon Wine in one gulp.
But Li Hao’s words already came out. As Zhang Guangyou didn’t pay attention to his introduction, he felt slightly embarrassed.
“Hahaha, that’s great. You drink wine in big gulps. That shows men’s macho.”
Li Hao let out a hearty laugh and drained a jar of the Brightmoon Wine in one go as well.
His heart ached a little. He only had two jars of the Brightmoon Wine. If Zhang Guangyou and the others drank like this… he doubted if there would be any wine left.
The meal went on from morning to noon.
It was mainly because Zhang Guangyou, Deep Flame, Zhang Mu, Lei Tiannan, Gai Xingkong, and the others became a little drunk after having so much wine with Li Hao. Under the influence of alcohol, they rolled up their sleeves and began to brag about their own success with Li Hao.
Mrs. Li watched them in a daze.
She suddenly felt like she was surrounded by a group of barbarians!
Mengmeng, of course, wouldn’t just sit there and watch others have fun. After the meal, Li Mu gave her a tour of the inner door of the Cloud Shadow Sky.
When many passing disciples and protectors saw Li Mu, they greeted, “Hello, Young Master Li.”
Some called him Older Martial Brother Li, but most of those people were female disciples.
At the sight of Mengmeng, many people stopped in their tracks to take more glances at her.
A person who was close to Li Mu even clicked his tongue and said, “Oh, Young Master Li, where did you kidnap such a cute little girl?”
“Hiss!”
Li Mu gasped in horror and glared at him. “Don’t talk nonsense! She is Princess Mengmeng, Senior Zhang Hanyang’s daughter.”
“Pfft…”
Now, Zhang Hanyang’s name was well known in the Sea Dragon Star Area. Although many people had never seen him, all the big events that had happened in the Sea Dragon Star Area recently were centered on Zhang Hanyang. His name was mentioned in many discussions. As time went by, more and more people learned about him.
After making a tour of the inner door, Mengmeng gained some understanding of cultivation sects.
When they returned to the viewing platform, the others were still drinking.
Seeing this, Mengmeng curled her lips and said, “Grandpa, your face is already red. Why are you still having more drinks?”
“Burp. Well, I’m done.” Zhang Guangyou laughed. “I haven’t had such a good drink in a long time. Thank you for your hospitality, Sect Leader Li.”
“Brother Zhang, you don’t need to be so polite.” Li Hao shook his head repeatedly.
He had already given up the idea of having any wine left after the meal.
Not to mention the Brightmoon Wine, even the first two kinds of twine they had tasted before had been drained.
Li Hao was deeply astonished by their speed of drinking.
“They are all drunkards!”
“Your residences are ready. Why don’t I bring you over to rest now?” Li Hao took the initiative to ask when he saw that everyone had had enough to drink.
“That can wait. Don’t these kids want to spar with others? Let’s go and watch them battle,” Zhang Guangyou said.
He also wanted to see what awesome battles between the youngsters of Mount New Moon and the disciples of the largest orthodox cultivation sect in the Sea Dragon Star Area would be staged.
“Okay.”
Li Hao thought for a moment, then said, “Li Mu, go tell all the chief disciples of different halls to gather at the training field in the back.”
“Yes.”
Li Mu nodded and left. Just 10 minutes later, all the arrangements had been made.
The group crossed the hall and came to the training field at the back. There were five rings, which were equipped with all kinds of enchanted boundaries. These fighting rings were specially built for Yuan Ying Realm cultivators.
More than 50 chief disciples soon gathered together, who all seemed to be in their twenties or thirties. They are very young. Most of them are at the Elixir Realm Last-Stage. A few were at the Elixir Realm Peak-Stage.
The Cloud Shadow Sky had more than 600 chief disciples, 100 elders, and 100 Hall Masters. Every elder’s direct disciples were chief disciples.
Li Mu summoned them in a hurry. Now the number of disciples was big enough, he told them to wait there.
In addition to them, there are more than a dozen elders standing aside.
Many people on the scene had also heard about the arrival of Zhang Hanyang and his group.
They were also very interested in the sparring match between the two parties.
“They’re coming!”
The chief disciples were in groups of three or five. When they saw Zhang Han and others coming, they immediately perked up.
It was said that one’s reputation followed one like his shadow.
Zhang Hanyang and his group were quite capable. They had also gained a lot of public praise after that trial on the Lost Continent.
“Good afternoon, Sect Leader.”
Several elders and disciples present greeted them.
“Good afternoon.”
Li Hao nodded. “Then let’s begin. There are no rules about the match. But this is just a sparring match. Everyone, you should stop before you hurt your opponent. I don’t want us to get angry with each other because of this.”
Cultivators were born to battle. Sparring was a common occurrence. But sometimes, a sparring match could also turn into a life-and-death battle.
A friendly sparring match could promote the relationship. Therefore, Li Hao made that remark to remind the chief disciples on the scene.
“Master, can I take the first round?”
Mu Xue winked at Zhang Han.
Her cultivation was close to the Elixir Realm Peak-Stage, so she thought that none of those people could defeat her.
Although it was just a friendly sparring match, she’d feel good if her side won the first round.
“Go ahead.”
Zhang Han nodded slightly.
“Hee-hee, watch me.”
Dressed in black, Mu Xue leaped onto the ring. She cast her eyes over the chief disciples of the other party and said, “Who’s going to fight me?”
Mu Xue’s plump front attracted a lot of people’s attention who subconsciously looked her way. But they quickly looked away.
Two men hesitated but did not move.
The two of them were relatively powerful. They decided to watch several rounds before they went up to battle.
“I’ll fight you.”
At last, a young Elixir Realm Last-Stage disciple in a cyan robe with shoulder-length hair stepped onto the fighting ring. He cupped his hands to Mu Xue and said, “I’m Hao Ran, the chief disciple of Enchanting Hall. Please enlighten me.”
“I am…” Mu Xue’s expression changed abruptly and she said, “Let’s start. You can get to know my name only if you beat me.”
“Okay.”
Without further ado, a long, black cudgel suddenly appeared in his right hand.
“It’s a third-tier weapon?”
Mu Xue looked a little torn. “I don’t seem to have brought a third-tier spirit weapon with me. Never mind.”
“I have one.”
Zhang Mu instantly fetched out a third-tier sword and hurled it up to Mu Xue.
“Thank you, Elder Zhang.”
Mu Xue thanked him in a sweet voice. Yet, the instant she held the hilt of her sword, her aura became erratic.
“She’s an expert!”
Hao Ran’s eyes narrowed a little. Just from this aura alone, he could sense that the other party had mastered profound moving techniques.
It just so happened that he excelled at that, too.
“Cloud Step!”
“Swoosh!”
Hao Ran moved rapidly.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Mu Xue’s figure suddenly turned into three shadows. Each of the shadows moved at a faster speed on the field and made different moves. The moving techniques they employed were extremely brilliant.
“Bravo!” Li Hao thought to himself.
In terms of moving techniques alone, Mu Xue was stronger than Hao Ran.
“Clink!”
The first crisp sound of weapons clashing rang out.
The silver blade flashed. The cudgel moved so fast that it looked like a blur. The two weapons began to fight for supremacy.
“Clang, clink, clang…”
Endless sounds of rapid collusion were heard.
“Oh, I’m dizzy.”
Chen Chuan shook his head. His eyes weren’t quick enough to follow their movements, so he could only hear the noises of their fight.
“They’re so fast.” Mengmeng had just reached the Innateness Realm and had not stabilized her cultivation. She didn’t know how to use her soul sense, so she was also confused.
Zhang Han caressed Mengmeng’s head and said with a smile, “With the help of the soul sense, you can see how they fight. Your soul sense is not like your eyes. It won’t be blurred. It can help you feel the battle by tracking its traces. You just start to develop the soul sense. It’s already amazing that you can capture some traces of their movements.”
“Well, I thought I could see them clearly,” Mengmeng said, pouting.
“It’s simple. Now you can see them clearly.”
Zhang Han raised his right hand.
“Whoosh!”
A circular mark appeared above the ring. Mu Xue and Hao Ran, who were on the ring, suddenly slowed down several times.
Their movements could now be captured by naked eyes. The two had also noticed this. Though it felt very awkward, it didn’t hinder their fight.
Now the audience could see their movements, they found the battle considerably more interesting.
“He could perform this kind of magic seal…” The corner of Li Hao’s mouth trembled as he exclaimed, “How amazing!”
“Clink, clank.”
After Mu Xue made the last two moves, her sword suddenly appeared right in front of Hao Ran’s chest.
“You’ve lost.”
Then, Mu Xue casually raised her sword and threw it out of the ring. The sword zoomed back into Zhang Mu’s hand.
“I lost.”
Hao Ran sighed, turned away, and got off the ring.
The Cloud Shadow Sky had lost the first battle.
The looks of the chief disciples turned grave.
They didn’t expect the other party to be so powerful.
They were all the most talented disciples of the Cloud Shadow Sky.
A powerful sect like the Cloud Shadow Sky represented the top battle force of the Sea Dragon Star Area.
One of their chief disciples had been defeated by a disciple of the other side.
They more or less could not accept this result.
“I’ll fight in the second round.”
A relatively strong chief disciple jumped onto the stage.
“My turn now!”
Chen Changqing leaped onto the ring without hesitation.
He looked cool and casual as always.
The opponent unsheathed his sword, but Chen Changqing didn’t use any weapon.
He activated the cultivation method, the all eight drought demonic dragon. Coupled with several moves, he won the battle without effort.
“Wow, Daddy, you’re amazing!” Chen Chuan applauded enthusiastically.
“Thanks for letting me win.”
Chen Changqing cupped his hands to this opponent, spun around, and jumped out of the ring.
“His moves…”
Li Hao knit his brows slightly. His gaze revealed a hint of seriousness.
“I’ve sensed an extraordinary aura.
“This Cultivation Method is indeed superb. The moves are clever. Our defeat is justified.
“Mu Xue, who was the first to fight, is also impressive. The intendment shown in her sword moves is profound. Her moves are also highly changeful.
“Where did they learn those skills?
“That really puzzles me.
“If each of them is this strong, then their fundamental strength would be even more formidable than that of our Cloud Shadow Sky.
“Yet, only those who have reached a certain level can sense the significance of the fundamental strength.”
