11: Distinguished guests gathered, young and old alike.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I'm not boasting to you."

"Our Qingxu Grotto-Heaven is a top-tier Sect; there are no more than ten Sects in the entire Immortal Realm that can stand as our equals."

The four of them, including Zhou Yan, strolled along the street while listening to Jiang Hongyue talk eloquently. What Buwen and Buyu heard was a Sound Transmission.

Now Zhou Yan finally understood why Jiang Hongyue had been able to communicate with them before.

The four of them had now safely arrived at the Great Qian Dynasty via flying boat. For the sake of safety, they didn't linger for a moment and immediately took a teleportation array to leave the Great Qian and return directly to Qingxu Grotto-Heaven.

The place where Zhou Yan was now was the teleportation point of Longmen Town, the town at the foot of Qingxu Grotto-Heaven.

Having just emerged from the teleportation array, besides the ignorant and fearless pair of Buwen and Buyu, both Zhou Yan and Jiang Hongyue breathed a great sigh of relief.

Feeling relaxed, Jiang Hongyue opened up and began his classic "I'm not boasting to you" opening, starting to tell him about Qingxu Grotto-Heaven.

This led to the opening statement, and when a person starts with "I'm not boasting to you," they most likely won't be able to stop.

"Not to mention the Grotto-Heaven itself, even this Longmen Town beneath our feet is very famous among Mortals."

"Ah, is this Longmen Town? I thought it was Longxing Town? How unlucky, I went the wrong way again." Zhou Yan watched a Cultivator stomp his feet in anger after hearing what Jiang Hongyue said. Before leaving, the man spat lightly on the ground and turned back into the teleportation array.

"The entire town is incredibly harmonious, filled with a grand demeanor."

"You bastard! Why have you been watching me scratch my crotch? Are you trying to harass me!" A woman rushed up in a rage, grabbed a man's wrist, and recorded everything with a Recording Stone.

The man looked bewildered and then hurriedly replied, "I just have dermatitis! I came to Longmen Town specifically to treat it!"

"I don't care, come with me to the Government Office and explain!" With that, the woman grabbed the man and took him away.

Jiang Hongyue continued walking as if he hadn't seen anything. "Every person who comes here will feel right at home."

"Boss, are your spirit fruits ripe?"

Zhou Yan turned his gaze toward a nearby fruit stall.

"I run a fruit stall; would I sell you raw ones?"

"Then give me two."

"Sure thing, two spirit fruits for 15 Spirit Stones."

"Heh." The buyer grinned, snatched the two spirit fruits, and bolted.

"Holy shit! Someone help, it's a robbery!"

Jiang Hongyue was still immersed in his own world, continuing his introduction as they walked toward Qingxu Grotto-Heaven.

Zhou Yan: "666, this is like the Florida of the cultivation world, I'd say."

Along the way, there were bizarre artists everywhere, performing various kinds of performance art.

Some were performing hangings, some young men were pursuing older women, and there was even one whose legs were broken by the audience just for performing a dance.

The suppressed atmosphere along the way finally made Zhou Yan unable to hold back.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, don't you think the atmosphere of this town is a bit strange?"

Jiang Hongyue was in the middle of his enthusiastic explanation when he was suddenly interrupted by Zhou Yan. Only then did he realize that the surroundings were somewhat chaotic.

As if fearing Zhou Yan would misunderstand, Jiang Hongyue quickly explained:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, please don't misunderstand. They aren't usually like this. It's just that recruitment season happens to be coming up, so with the increased foot traffic, they've taken it upon themselves to act like this."

"Most of the people in this town are from the Sect; only a few are Mortals."

"And Cultivators inevitably need to experience the Mortal World. So, some Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters with lazy personalities choose Longmen Town nearby to change their appearance and experience life to increase their comprehension of the Mortal World."

"Because there are so many people during this time, there are more opportunities for Mortal World comprehension, which is why they are a bit... uh... eccentric."

"Fellow Daoist, you must not be misled by these people. We really aren't like this normally!"

Zhou Yan began to regret his initial choice. His persona was set so high; would it be inappropriate to come to such an 'abstract' Sect?

"My Sect Cultivation Life Can't Be This Abstract?" This shonen series was turning into a comedy.

Jiang Hongyue seemed to feel that these Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were too embarrassing. He grabbed Zhou Yan's wrist and used his Qi to carry Buwen and Buyu, rushing toward the Sect, not daring to stay for another moment.

The four of them climbed the mountain quickly. Since they all had a certain level of physical strength, they naturally moved like the wind with the help of Foundation Establishment Stage Qi, reaching the summit in no time.

The scenery here was indeed beautiful, and the air was very fresh. With just one breath, Zhou Yan felt the exhaustion and pressure of the past few days vanish.

But something was still wrong. There was a large open space at the summit, but he didn't see the so-called Grotto-Heaven.

Jiang Hongyue finally calmed down from his blushing state and showed a confident smile again. He walked alone to the center of the clearing, turned his back to Zhou Yan and the others, and said loudly:

"Fellow Daoist, look!"

He pulled out a token. As the token's light shone, a massive archway emerged in the previously empty clearing.

The words "Qingxu Grotto-Heaven" were written in large characters on the archway, containing an unknown power that made it hard to look at directly.

On the other empty spaces and stone pillars, the Sect's contributions and historical influence on the cultivation world were recorded, all showcasing its prominent status.

Looking through the archway, clouds and rosy light had already begun to arrange themselves into a wide, grand staircase filled with heavy special effects and light pollution.

Above the vast sea of clouds connected by the stairs, several massive immortal mountains floated. The mountains were emerald green, their Foundations hidden within the rolling waves of clouds.

Giant waterfalls roared as they plunged from the mountain peaks into the sea of clouds, converging into suspended jade belt rivers, with spiritual light overflowing amidst the rippling water.

Many Cultivators and Spirit Beasts shuttled through the flowing clouds, occasionally interspersed with phrases like, "Do you even know how to tame Spirit Beasts/ride a sword?", "Is this road owned by your family?", "Dynasty Stallion," and so on.

Majestic palace complexes were built along the mountains, with jade buildings and ornate eaves shrouded in a spiritual mist. Occasionally, the grand and clear sound of bells echoed through the clouds; the scene was magnificent, as if it had existed since ancient times.

A loud Sound Transmission came from one of the peaks: "That inhuman Fifth Elder is here to steal pills again! Quickly, activate the Peak Protection Array, don't let the old thief escape!"

Jiang Hongyue: "..."

Zhou Yan: "Uh... the traffic and security within the Sect are... quite good."

Jiang Hongyue didn't speak again, but the young man's blushing face said everything.

With a face as red as Lord Guan's, Jiang Hongyue moved in front of Zhou Yan as if teleporting, shoved something into his hand, then swept up Buwen and Buyu with his Qi and flew inside—it was a clean and swift exit.

In an instant, only Zhou Yan and a Sound Transmission were left in the clearing.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, take this item; it will lead you to the resting area for Prodigies."

"The Sect has an entrance trial. Those who perform well can directly join the Inner Gate or even be chosen by an Elder to become a True Disciple."

"Prodigies do not need to participate in the first trial. There is a dedicated resting area for you. Please go there on your own, Fellow Daoist; someone will notify you when it's time for the next trial."

Looking at the small badge in his palm with the character 'Special' on it, Zhou Yan looked in the direction Jiang Hongyue had left, but the man was already long gone.

"What kind of mess is this?"