Chapter 2167: Losing All Advantages
Lin Feng raised his head and looked at the sky. A warm light was illuminating the platforms and surrounding the crowd. Gradually, many gigantic stone pillars appeared before them, looking like illusions.
Finally, the people on the platforms could see everyone.
Above them, a vast layer of Qi was floating. Some ancient buildings appeared. Many people looked at them, as if they were waiting for them.
“What’s that?” The fighters were curious. Where were they? Was this the inner part of Godly Clouds City?
“Welcome to Fortune City!” said someone. People’s hearts started pounding.
Lin Feng was astonished. Fortune City. He knew Fortune City! In the small world, back then, he was extremely weak, but he had been to Fortune City, it was in the central part of Ba Huang!
However, at that moment, was he in Fortune City again?
He saw an old man descended from the sky slowly. When Lin Feng saw him, he frowned, his eyes suddenly filled with sharp lights. He was staring at the old man, who he was fated to meet again.
The Diviner!
His cultivation level is still enigmatic and unfathomable. But he looks more real to me now, thought Lin Feng. His heart was drumming in his chest. The Diviner was here! In the central part of the Continent of the Nine Clouds, he could once again see the Diviner. What was the Fortune City he had seen in the small world? And was it the real Diviner there?
Maybe that Fortune City and the Diviner didn’t exist for real? Maybe they were just shadows?
The Diviner looked at the crowd, smiled gently, and spoke, “This time, Fortune City is in charge of the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds. First, let’s talk about the meeting.
“All the geniuses of the Continent of the Nine Clouds have gathered to come to Godly Clouds City. The Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds takes places every hundred years, but the powerful groups of Godly Clouds City hold their tongues. They don’t reveal the secrets of the event. Some of you are here to participate, some of you are here to watch. When you leave, don’t tell anyone about what happened here. People outside can see what’s going on here, but they don’t know where we are.”
“I understand!” everybody agreed. They understood that the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds was the biggest battle stage of the Continent of the Nine Clouds. For the participants, it might be the beginning of a new life!
“As usual, during the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds, many people will die. Even if you are geniuses, you may die here. Therefore, if you want to leave now, you can. Nobody forces you to stay. This is the last time I ask: does anyone want to leave?” the Diviner asked solemnly.
Nobody replied. They had done so much to get here. How could they flee? Even if it was dangerous, they had to fight!
When the Diviner saw that nobody replied, he smiled warmly. “In the end, a hundred people will be selected. Those people will be allowed to come and go from the inner part of Godly Clouds City as they wish. Of course, in the future, they will know where the inner part of Godly Clouds City really is, and what it is.”
People were startled again. They understood that the inner part of Godly Clouds City wasn’t something simple. Maybe the inner part of Godly Clouds City was the real center of the Continent of the Nine Clouds, and was the place where the Shrines were?
Lin Feng and many other people thought about that. They saw no trace of the Shrines around them. However, in the Continent of the Nine Clouds, there were many legends about the Shrines. Maybe in the inner part of Godly Clouds City, they would finally discover the truth!
Only a hundred people would be selected and would have the opportunity to go to the center of the world. Every hundred years, a hundred people, an average of a mere one person a year…
“The first fifty people will have the opportunity to become part of Fortune City; in other words, a Shrine’s disciple. Of course, since we’re in charge of the event this year, you’ll have the opportunity to become a disciple of the Fortune Shrine.
“The first ten cultivators will have the opportunity to become core disciples,” continued the Diviner.
That made everybody’s heart twitch. If they ended up in the top ten, they’d become direct disciples in a Shrine. Usually, when they heard about a Shrine’s disciples, they heard of ordinary disciples. Ordinary disciples had to display great abilities to become core disciples!
“Of course, the top three cultivators will receive even more. You’ll receive the gifts after the end of the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds,” the Diviner smiled. “Besides, I’d like to remind you that the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds doesn’t only consist of battles. We will first test your abilities, intent, understanding of cultivation, and so on. Therefore, cultivators from wealthy and powerful clans won’t have the advantage. The exam is extremely fair. Are you all ready?” the Diviner asked calmly.
People’s eyes twinkled. They weren’t just going to battle? People who had received a lot from their clans looked frustrated. The rules were against them?!
Lights descended from the sky, and the people saw a rotating fortress in front of them. A fake world appeared.
“The Fortune Wheel is activated. People who will participate in the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds, get onto the flight of stairs and sit on the pillars,” ordered the Diviner patiently. The participants raised their heads and looked at the pillars before climbing up and stepping atop them.
“Now, the Meeting of the Continent of the Nine Clouds is going to start. Go into the fortress. Once inside, fate seeds will turn into life, and you’ll all be the same: your physical strength, your soul strength, your cultivation level, you will all have the exact same level. Everything will depend on your fate. To exist inside, you’ll need to obtain new powers, I will not help you. You will only be able to rely on yourselves. All you will be able to take will depend on your most basic body, your awakened spirit, your temper, and your intent. Are you ready now?” the Diviner went on.
Everyone looked solemn and respectful. They sat down on the pillars, wondering what was awaiting them. Nobody could be sure…
Lin Feng’s eyes twinkled before slowly closing them. Some people were going to be famous, some others were going to fall. Some people had incredible spells, others had incredible Great Imperial Weapons, but in the fortress, nothing mattered. They had no advantage in there. They were all the same!
That was extremely fair! Everybody agreed with it.
———–
Fortune lights appeared and surrounded the pillars. Lin Feng had the sensation his life was being taken away. He trembled and realized he had landed on the ground. He glanced around, and found he was in another world.
I can’t control my body anymore. What a strange strength!, he thought, somewhat surprised. He stretched out his hands; it wasn’t his body, his body was probably still on the pillar. What he controlled there was his life!
“My strength…” Lin Feng flexed his hands and realized that he was extremely weak. Everybody was the same. They had gone back to the source of cultivation. As the Diviner had said, what they could take depended on their awakened spirit, temper, talent, and intent. They had nothing else!
“Tian Qi layer!” murmured Lin Feng. He realized he had the strength of the Tian Qi layer. He was extremely weak. Why the Tian Qi layer, though? Lin Feng guessed that in the great world, they considered the Tian Qi layer the starting point of the Huang Qi layer. It was when cultivators understood human and earth fusion, they could fly, they started understanding the strength of the earth and sky, their pure Qi became real, and their spirit started taking real shapes.
From the top of the Huang Qi layer down to the Tian Qi layer, I’m not used to it, thought Lin Feng with a smile. However, he was convinced that real geniuses could start all over from the beginning and rise. That’s what the Diviner wanted to see, how they would rise again!
