The highest peak of Huashan was now in a mess.
The peak that was in the clouds had been shortened by more than a thousand meters while the entire mountain had a horrible-looking crack.
Back at the foot of the mountain, everyone looked in the direction of Donghua Sacred Sect in silence. As the breeze ran across their skin, it brought hair-raising chillness.
âSpace was cast aside without any worldly care to gather the Spiritual Energy. It was a way to avoid the Age of Dharma Decline!â
Nie Wuya gravely continued his speech. âAccording to the legend, the experts from the Immortal Sects sensed the diminishing Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth. For the development of Immortal Sects, they used the Immortal Treasure, Nine Cauldrons, to set aside a space. This space that was guarded by Nine Cauldrons, gathering all the Spiritual Energy, has turned into the legendary Immortal Realm. I guess Sect Leader and the rest have entered the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds!â
âThe so-called Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds are separate lands of peace that are isolated by the arrays?â asked the old man beside Nie Wuya in a murmur.
âEach of the Nine Cauldrons sets aside a world, and Nine Cauldrons set aside nine worlds in total. That is to say, there are nine independent Immortal Realms within and around our country!â
Nie Wuya nodded his head slowly.
âCanât the people from the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds come out? Or canât we enter into the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds?â a Dan Realm expert from a Sacred Clan could not help but ask.
âI donât know. I really have no idea.â Nie Wuya shook his head in bitterness.
âThe Nine Cauldrons guard nine separate worlds that are namely Xuanyuan, Ji, Huang, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Xia, and Yong Chang. As the Nine Cauldrons gather Spiritual Energy, the cultivation speed within the world is faster by four to five times as compared to the outside world. Within Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds, there are many experts, including those in the Immortal Realm. Access to these worlds has been closed since three hundred years ago. It was impossible to enter the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds. That also marked extreme difficulties for people to come out as well. Unless you have the Immortal Treasure, along with Immortal prowess, you will not be able to walk out of Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds!â [1]
âHowever, the Nine Cauldrons have been suppressing the Spiritual Qi for over a thousand years. When there is insufficient energy for the Nine Cauldrons to gather, there will be a day when the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds will emerge once again!â
Suddenly, a graceful yet haughty voice was heard, stunning everyone. All of them looked to the source of it.
A girl beside the Guild Leader of Sacred Followers Guild lifted her chin as she spoke with pride. She seemed to be flaunting her knowledge.
âHehe, my disciple knows everything from astronomy to geography!â the Guild Leader of Sacred Followers Guild explained to everyone with a smile.
âWhat does a kid know?â
An Inborn Expert of Donghua Sacred Sect pouted in disbelief.
âWho is the kid here? Who said I donât know anything? This world over here at Huashan is called Yong Chang. There are three Immortal Sects in it which are called Yong Chang Immortal Sect, Immortal Slaying Sect, and Da Hong Immortal Sect. Hmph, shut your mouth if you donât know anything!â
Upon hearing someone challenging her, the lass was so furious that she growled at that Inborn Expert.
âYou lass...â
âDong Wen, shut up!â
Before that Inborn Expert could finish his sentence, he was cut off by Nie Wuyaâs cold bellow. This caught him by surprise as he quickly kept his mouth shut and looked over.
He saw that Nie Wuya had disbelief in his eyes, staring at that little girl with glistening eyes. âYong Chang, Immortal Slaying, and Da Hong were not fictitious sects made up by the ancient people?â
âOf course not! Not even Penglai Immortal Island. Thatâs the place guarded by Yu Cauldron. You bunch of ignorant fellows, what do you know?â [2]
The little girl did not give any face to Nie Wuya as she spoke with contempt in his face.
However, Nie Wuyaâs emotions were stirred up, and he did not mind her rudeness. He murmured, âLittle did I expect what Sect Leader told me to all be true! Itâs real!â
âImmortal Sect, there are Immortal Sects in this world. What do the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds look like?â
Some of them mumbled as they craned their necks to look up at the sky above Huashan. There lay a hidden world known as Yong Chang!
âCould the immortals who can ride on swords and kill someone from a thousand miles away, driving on a cloud and somersaulting a thousand miles...could they really exist?â
Some of the people were looking forward to it.
âLittle girl, do you think our Sect Leader has a chance of coming out from the Yong Chang World?â asked Nie Wuya with a solemn expression after taking a deep breath.
âIf he was not killed by that swordsman, I guess he should have a chance of coming out!â
The little girl was not very sure, so she casually mentioned it. âAfter all, he has already advanced to the Budding Realm and is considered to be an expert in Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds. But it is uncertain when he will come out. Maybe a few years or even more than that. It should be soon!â
âIs that so?â
Nie Wuya and all the people from Donghua Sacred Sect felt relieved. The group from Diabolism also wiped the sweat away from their foreheads.
âLooks like the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds are not as scary as one imagined. There are supreme experts everywhere!â
âSect Leader Nie Wushuang, Emperor Qi, Dragon King, and the middle-aged swordsman already possess daunting powers. If they are not considered experts in that world, that would be too scary.â
âSomeone above the Budding Realm is known to be an Immortal. That means to say, there are Immortals and Immortal Sects in these worlds. Perhaps the Inborn Experts are everywhere, and Dan Realm Experts make up the highest number of people there.â
âThat would be too crazy. Nine Cauldrons refer to nine worlds. I wonder what kind of worlds they are, and what kind of encounter Sect Leader Nie Wushuang will be met with.â
Everyone was discussing fervently as the Nine Cauldronsâ Worlds opened a new horizon for them.
âNine Cauldronsâ Worlds are too far from us!â
Nie Wuya and the rest of the experts looked blankly at the sky above Huashan.
âLetâs postpone the battle between the orthodox sects and Diabolism. From now on, we will not cross each otherâs paths. If you dare to provoke us, it will be the time when a bloodbath arises in Underworld!â
Nie Wuya paused for a few minutes as he called out while looking in the direction of Devil Corpse Palace.
âFine. Diabolism will not attack anyone from the alliance of the orthodox sects within the next five years unless you guys attack us first. That goes without saying...â
An expert from Devil Corpse Palace pondered as he nodded while looking at all the experts of Diabolism.
Now they had a pact for five years.
âGreat!â
At the same time, all the experts from the alliance of the orthodox sects and Diabolism looked toward Dragon Sect.
The reason for the peace between orthodox sects and Diabolism was because of the uncertain factor, Dragon Sect.
Now, the three forces were restraining one another.
âThe day our Dragon King returns will be the day Dragon Sect fights the Underworld!â
Mo Qinglong lifted his head and spoke to them in a flat voice.
Phew!
Upon hearing Mo Qinglong, Donghua Sacred Sect and Diabolism heaved a sigh of relief.
Itâs a good thing for you guys, Dragon Sect, to stop finding our troubles.
Regardless of the alliance of the orthodox sects or Diabolism, they were all wonderstruck by Dragon Sect.
The two swordsmen with Charging Sword and Return Sword had killed the former second expert in the Underworld within split seconds.
None from the Underworld could take on such formidable swordsmanship.
From then on, since Nie Wushuang, Emperor Qi, Dragon King, and the middle-aged swordsman entered the Yong Chang World through the crack in the air, the Underworld split into three forces pinned against each other.
Endnotes
[1] These worldsâ names are either the last names or names of ancient legendary Chinese Emperors
[2] According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Penglai Immortal Island is one of the five legendary islands in the ocean where the immortals live in Chinese mythology