East Jia State.
At the highest point of the Wuxi Sect, the Wu Xi Great Emperor sat in the main seat, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. His divine consciousness kept twitching, feeling that something unusual was happening today.
Today was the day Little Guang entered the Ten Thousand Mountains. However, the Ten Thousand Mountains were not particularly dangerous. Many talented individuals would go there to train, and most of them would make significant gains, often breaking through their cultivation levels. Even if they were injured, it would only be minor.
There had been a detailed record kept by cultivators, showing that in the past thousand years in East Jia State, less than one percent of those who entered the Ten Thousand Mountains had died.
Most of these deaths were due to the same cause: venturing too deep into the Ten Thousand Mountains and provoking the hidden ferocious beasts. This kind of behavior was essentially suicidal and couldn't be considered truly dangerous.
Another cause of death was conflicts between cultivators.
The Wu Xi Great Emperor pondered for a moment. In terms of cultivation and combat power, Little Guang was one of the top six talents in East Jia State, and with himself, a Great Emperor, as a backer, it was unlikely that Little Guang would fall victim to such disputes.
So, what could the meaning of his twitching divine consciousness be?
It might not necessarily be something dangerous; it could involve other matters, but nothing was clear yet. The only thing that could be inferred was related to the Ten Thousand Mountains.
This made the Wu Xi Great Emperor think of another matter concerning the Ten Thousand Mountains. In the early days after the ban on the Ten Thousand Mountains was lifted, he and several other Great Emperors had studied it together, discovering several characteristics of the Ten Thousand Mountains.
The first characteristic was the prohibition of high-level cultivators from entering. These high-level cultivators included those at the Great Saint level and above. However, to maintain the stability of the Ten Thousand Mountains, the restriction was extended to exclude even those below the Semi-Saint level.
The second characteristic was the opposite of the first: the Ten Thousand Mountains welcomed low-level cultivators. The lower the cultivation level, the more welcome they were. Once inside, low-level cultivators would receive protection, and most would break through their cultivation levels and emerge stronger.
The third characteristic was a conclusion drawn by several Great Emperors. They believed that the Ten Thousand Mountains seemed to have its own will, not under the control of the Immortal Realm. It was more like a vast and bountiful small world, which is why it welcomed low-level cultivators.
Some small worlds functioned this way, nurturing cultivators to strengthen the world itself.
When considering the rumors about the Ten Thousand Mountains when it first formed, it was speculated that it might be one of the legacies left by a supreme being.
That's why the Great Emperors wanted their disciples to enter the Ten Thousand Mountains. If one of them could obtain the supreme being's legacy, it would be a huge gain.
The Wu Xi Great Emperor also harbored such thoughts. If Little Guang could obtain the legacy, his future path of cultivation would be secured at the Great Emperor level, and he might even reach the third or fourth level of Great Emperor.
Thinking of this, the Wu Xi Great Emperor couldn't help but recall the Great Death Realm. The senior who presided over the Great Death Realm was likely a Fifth Level Great Emperor, one of the most powerful beings below the highest tier.
It had been a long time since he last visited that senior. He hadn't dared to disturb him, especially since Xu Zhen hadn't broken through yet, fearing it might anger the senior.
"Little Guang must have entered the Ten Thousand Mountains by now," the Wu Xi Great Emperor murmured softly, stepping down from his seat and gazing at the distant Ten Thousand Mountains. He hoped that Little Guang's journey would be filled with nothing but good fortune.
Inside the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Cultivators had already begun to vie for opportunities, with familiar cultivators quickly forming alliances to gain the upper hand.
Even the top talents had to band together, forming groups to resist the most promising candidates for Great Emperor status within the Ten Thousand Mountains.
The top six talents of East Jia State, however, acted independently, each representing their own sects and quickly establishing their territories within the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Little Guang was an exception. She wasn't the leader of the Wuxi Sect; she was only responsible for herself, with other talents from the Wuxi Sect taking care of the rest.
The competition for opportunities reached a fever pitch in the first year, with battles raging fiercely. Various strategies were employed, all aimed at achieving their goals by any means necessary.
The Ten Thousand Mountains were indeed rich in opportunities, with countless treasures and rare herbs. However, with so many cultivators, the resources were stretched thin, and the treasures in the outer regions weren't necessarily the best.
As a result, some talented cultivators began to push deeper into the Ten Thousand Mountains, claiming they aimed to conquer the entire area.
By now, they had almost fully explored the outer regions and were on the verge of entering the inner regions.
As they ventured deeper, the treasures they discovered became increasingly valuable, with some even finding ingredients for high-grade Dao Pills.
This fueled the cultivators' enthusiasm to an unprecedented level. Led by five of the top six talents of East Jia State, they declared their intention to claim the title of rulers of the Ten Thousand Mountains. A group of cultivators below the Heaven Mending Realm were filled with fervor.
"So tired, whew," Little Guang exhaled, just having escaped the pursuit of a Sea Inversing Realm beast. She quickly took a moment to rest.
Her sparse eyebrows suddenly twitched as she turned to look behind her, her forehead creasing as she pointed into the forest and asked, "Who's the bastard back there?"
"Little Guang, you're still so funny," a light chuckle rang out. The figure of a man in black with a straw hat appeared faintly in the void, gradually solidifying.
"What's your deal? You just love scaring people, huh?" Little Guang's sparse eyebrows furrowed tightly, her arms crossed over her chest, clearly displeased.
The man in black shook his head and straightforwardly stated his purpose.
"I came to find you because I want to form an alliance with you. We're both among the top six talents, both at the ninth level of the Sea Inversing Realm. If we join forces, we'll be the first to break through to the Heaven Mending Realm. Then, all the great opportunities in the Ten Thousand Mountains will still be ours!"
Little Guang's eyebrows furrowed so tightly they almost knotted together. After a moment of thought, she shook her head and waved her hands.
"No way, no way. My master told me not to play with you guys. He said you'd trick me."
"Trick you? Come on, even though the Wu Xi Great Emperor is very powerful, you can't just listen to everything he says. You're already a ninth-level Sea Inversing Realm cultivator!"
"No, my master said you're not good people." Little Guang shook her head resolutely.
The black-clad man shrugged in defeat. "Well, that's too bad. I'll just have to find someone else to form an alliance with. Don't cry when you're left behind in the Heaven Mending Realm."
"Cry?" Little Guang frowned, waving her plump little fist angrily. "I'll give you two punches!"
Seeing that an alliance was out of the question, the black-clad man didn't want to waste any more time. He vanished in a flash.
The mission to conquer the Ten Thousand Mountains was urgent. He needed to quickly find other top talents to form an alliance and seize the greatest opportunities.
This journey to the Ten Thousand Mountains might very well be the trial that would set the top six talents apart. He had to use this chance to rise to the forefront among them.
By the same winter.
The top talents of the Ten Thousand Mountains gathered together, preparing to break through the outer regions and enter the true inner sanctum of the Ten Thousand Mountains.
On the same day.
A Heaven Mending Realm great beast in the inner regions coldly watched the assembled talents, waiting for them to come to him.