343: Chapter 343 The Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals Opens!

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly opened, the entire Divine Flame Mountain had changed.

When Su Changge pushed open his door, the first thing he saw was the light in the sky.

Hundreds of immortal lights streaked across the horizon from all directions, trailing long plumes of flame like a grand meteor shower.

But these "meteors" weren't falling; they were flying upward.

Their destination was the summit of Divine Flame Mountain.

At the core of each immortal light was a Flying Boat, a Dharma Sword, or a Spirit Beast.

They carried either a single Cultivator or a group of them.

Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Body Integration... Spiritual Pressures of various Realms intertwined and collided in the sky, forming a chaotic yet majestic aura.

Su Changge stood at the doorway, looking up at the sky filled with immortal light.

[This scene... is a bit like the Spring Festival travel rush.]

The atmosphere in the Traveling Palace had also changed.

The Disciples of the Taixuan Sect had risen early, changed into their most formal Sect robes, and were lined up neatly in the courtyard.

Zhao Tian wore a suit of black armor and stood at the front of the line with a serious expression.

Ye Qingyao walked out from the side hall.

Su Changge took a glance.

Today's Ye Qingyao was different from any other day during the past two days.

Her moon-white Sect Master robe had been replaced by an ice-blue immortal dress. The Sect crest of the Taixuan Sect was embroidered on the dress with silver thread, shimmering with a cold luster in the morning light. Her hair was styled higher than usual, secured by a completely transparent Ice Soul Hairpin. A blue spirit pearl the size of a grain of rice hung from the tip of the hairpin, swaying slightly with her steps.

She wore very light makeup.

The ends of her eyebrows were slightly upturned, giving her a sharper look than usual.

Her lip color was pale pink, like peach blossoms that had just bloomed in spring.

Her entire persona had shifted from "cold and gentle" to "majestic and dignified."

The aura of a Mahayana Stage Sect Master was in full effect.

Ye Qingyao walked up to Su Changge and bowed slightly.

“Revered Master, the entry ceremony for the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly is about to begin. I have confirmed with the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall that our position is in the first row—the VIP seats.”

Su Changge gave a simple “Mhm.”

[First row. VIP seats. The center of attention. Everyone will be looking at me.]

[The pressure is so high.]

Ye Qingyao looked at Su Changge.

“Revered Master... are you still wearing the white robe today?”

Su Changge looked down at himself.

A white robe. Plain white. Without any decorations.

Compared to the exquisite and magnificent ice-blue immortal dress Ye Qingyao was wearing, his outfit made him look like—

An extra.

Su Changge patted away non-existent dust from his robe.

“Let’s go.”

Ye Qingyao said nothing more.

She knew her Revered Master’s style—the more plain he was, the more terrifying he became.

A truly powerful person didn't need clothing to manifest their status.

Su Changge’s inner thoughts: [I only have this one set of white robes! I can't exactly wear something flowery!]

The group left the Traveling Palace.

The mountain path of Divine Flame Mountain had been renovated today by the people of the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall using spirit arrays.

The originally rugged volcanic rock surface had become a smooth Red Stone Great Road. Flags were planted every ten paces along both sides of the road, embroidered with the emblem of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly—a crimson dragon coiled within a mass of burning flames.

The Great Road was crowded with people.

Disciples from various Sects and factions walked up the mountain in groups of three or five. Some rode Flying Boats, some stepped on Dharma Swords, and some directly rode on clouds.

Su Changge chose to walk.

He had no Flying Boat, no Dharma Sword, and certainly no ability to ride clouds.

But in the eyes of outsiders—the "Spiritual Void Desolate Dao Master" choosing to walk up the mountain was a statement.

A transcendent attitude of "You fly your way, but walking on foot is enough for me."

Su Changge walked at the very front.

Ye Qingyao was half a step behind him.

Zhao Tian and the Taixuan Sect Disciples followed further back.

As the group walked along the Red Stone Great Road, they drew the attention of countless Cultivators.

It wasn't because of Su Changge.

It was because of Ye Qingyao.

The Spiritual Pressure of the Mahayana Stage, even when 99.9% of it was intentionally suppressed, still weighed on everyone's heads like an invisible mountain.

When Ye Qingyao passed by other Cultivators, their footsteps would unconsciously stop, and they would instinctively retreat to the side of the road.

Golden Core Disciples even felt their legs go soft, nearly kneeling.

“Th-That’s Sect Master Ye of the Taixuan Sect! The Mahayana Stage!”

“The Mahayana Stage... There isn't a single Mahayana Stage Cultivator in the entire Chixiao Dao Domain. Her arrival is a crushing presence!”

“But why is she walking behind that man in white?”

“Who is that man in white?”

Discussions rose and fell behind Su Changge.

Su Changge's ears were very sharp—one of the benefits of the Qi Refining First Layer was that his five senses were close to those of a Mortal, making him particularly sensitive to sound.

He heard those discussions very clearly.

[“Who is that man in white”—Fine, I get it. In these people's eyes, I'm just an extra.]

[But it doesn't matter. The fact that Ye Qingyao is walking behind me is the best business card.]

[A Mahayana Stage Sect Master following half a step behind a "white-robed extra"—any person with a brain will ask one question: Who exactly is this extra that can make a Mahayana Stage expert willingly show the deference of a Disciple?]

They walked up the mountain path for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

The summit of Divine Flame Mountain finally appeared before their eyes.

Su Changge's pace slowed slightly.

Because—the scene at the summit was even more spectacular than he had imagined.

The entire summit had been leveled.

A massive platform several thousand feet in diameter appeared before Su Changge. The platform was paved with red volcanic rock, its surface covered in dense array patterns that shimmered with a dark red light under the sun.

In the center of the platform was a high stage.

The high stage had nine levels, each built with different colored Spirit Stones—from crimson at the bottom to gold at the top, ascending level by level like a miniature pagoda.

A massive golden bronze bell hung at the top of the high stage.

The bronze bell was over three people tall, its entire body carved with dragon patterns. Every dragon on the bell's surface was lifelike.

Below the bell sat a red sandalwood table, upon which lay an ancient command flag.

This was the position for the moderator.

Around the high stage, thousands of seats were arranged in a fan shape.

The front row consisted of wide chairs carved from jade, their backs etched with exquisite flame patterns—those were the VIP seats.

The seats further back decreased in grade, from spirit wood chairs to stone benches to prayer mats, corresponding to guests of different Ranks.

And in the open space outside the seating area, it was already filled with Loose Cultivators and Disciples of small Sects who were not qualified for seats.

A sea of people.

Su Changge did a rough scan and estimated there were at least ten thousand people.

[Ten thousand Cultivators gathered on the summit of an active volcano.]

[And beneath this volcano—a madman is preparing to detonate the earth's ley lines.]

[This isn't the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly; this is the Ten Thousand Immortals Death Assembly.]

Su Changge's expression didn't change.

He stepped onto the platform.

The moment he stepped onto the platform—a bell rang from the sky.

“Dong—”

The golden bronze bell rang on its own.

The sound of the bell was deep and long, spreading out from the summit like a golden ripple, reaching every corner of Divine Flame Mountain.

All the chatter came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the bell.

Ten thousand pairs of eyes simultaneously turned toward the high stage.

At the top of the high stage—a figure stepped out from the Void Realm.

It was a man who looked to be about forty years old.

He was tall with a resolute Face and a short three-strand beard.

He was wrapped in a dark red dragon-patterned battle robe. The dragon pattern on his chest was alive—a crimson flood dragon slowly swam across the surface of the robe, occasionally opening its mouth to spit a cluster of invisible flames.

His Spiritual Pressure swept across the entire summit the moment he appeared.

Undergoing Tribulation Peak.

Half-step Mahayana.

This was the acknowledged strongest person in the Chixiao Dao Domain—the Hall Master of the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall, Xiao Huang.

Xiao Huang stood atop the high stage, looking down at the thousands of Cultivators below.

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly entered everyone's ears.

“A cycle of sixty years, the Ten Thousand Immortals gather once more.”

“I, Hall Revered Master Xiao Huang, on behalf of the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall, welcome all Fellow Daoists to the Chixiao Dao Domain’s Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.”

His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, carrying a natural authority.

“This assembly will last for seven days. From the first to the third day, there will be martial competitions and Dao discussions. From the fourth to the sixth day, there will be exchanges of pills and artifacts. On the seventh day—”

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Huang's eyes.

“The Grand Ceremony of Ten Thousand Immortals, where we shall discuss the Dao and confer rewards.”

The bronze bell rang again.

“Dong— Dong— Dong—”

Three rings of the bell.

The Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly officially opened.

A low cheer erupted across the summit.

Su Changge stood at the VIP seating area, watching Xiao Huang on the high stage.

Ye Qingyao whispered beside him: “Xiao Huang, Undergoing Tribulation Peak, only one step away from Mahayana. He has managed the Chixiao Dao Domain for three thousand years, and the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall is the strongest power on this continent.”

Su Changge nodded slightly.

[Undergoing Tribulation Peak. One major Realm lower than Ye Qingyao. But in the Chixiao Dao Domain, he's already a figure at the top of the pyramid.]

[However—he doesn't know there's a time bomb beneath his feet.]

Ye Qingyao added another sentence: “This Xiao Huang—he is proud and arrogant, not easy to get along with. I met him a few times in my previous life; he values Face immensely.”

Su Changge: “Mhm.”

[Meaning—this guy might come looking for trouble?]

Su Changge's premonition was quickly validated.

After Xiao Huang finished his opening speech on the high stage, his gaze accurately found Su Changge among the thousands of people.

That gaze passed over the heads of countless people and landed straight on Su Changge.

It carried scrutiny.

It carried doubt.

It carried a hint of—testing.

Su Changge felt that gaze.

He didn't dodge it.

Nor did he look back.

He just slightly tilted his chin, looking at the void in front of the high stage.

An attitude of "Look all you want, it has nothing to do with me."

Xiao Huang's gaze lingered on Su Changge for three seconds.

Then he withdrew it.

He slowly stepped down from the high stage.

With every step, the dragon-patterned battle robe on his body emitted a low dragon roar.

The first day of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly—officially began.

And Su Changge knew.

The calm before the storm never lasts for long.

He casually glanced at the edge of the summit platform—

In the outermost corner of the crowd, a grey-robed Cultivator stood with his head down, his Face covered by a faint layer of mist.

Su Changge's heart skipped a beat.

That layer of mist—he had seen it last night.

Gloom Mist.

The Gloom Mist of Mo Yuan.

[The people of the Four Directions Dragon Court... have already infiltrated the venue.]