Climbing to immortality step by step

Chapter 129 Chicken Soup

The seven Nascent Soul masters represent the core combat strength of the entire Shenxiao Sect.

Behind these seven masters, there are forty-seven elevated platforms, symbolizing the forty-seven independent peaks of Shenxiao, each with a Golden Core expert guarding it. Some peaks are even presided over by senior female cultivators of great power, who choose to remain behind the scenes.

Chu Cangshan grumbled, "If we count the Lady's combat prowess, our Zhonghua Peak would have ranked at least one place higher!"

Chu Nanhua, however, remained indifferent. "What difference does a single rank make? There's no need for Zhonghua Peak to compete for something so trivial."

His tone was light, yet brimming with confidence, which made Liu Suiyun recall the phrase "early formation of the Great Pill." Could it be that his master's goal is to reach the Nascent Soul stage? That would indeed be an astonishing achievement.

As for the thirty-three smaller platforms behind the forty-seven peaks, they represent peaks that once had Golden Core cultivators but have since fallen into decline. Their former glory is now but a memory, and they sit at the lowest rung of the sect's hierarchy.

These peaks, despite having once hosted Nascent Soul cultivators, have since lost their strength. Without a Golden Core expert to oversee them, their lineages have all but faded, with disciples scattering and seeking refuge in outer peaks.

However, these thirty-three peaks cling to survival, drawing upon their connections to preserve what remains of their legacies. Yet, without a new Golden Core cultivator emerging within the next decade or two, their fate is sealed, and they will vanish entirely.

This is the strength of the Shenxiao Sect, laid bare—almost all of their Nascent Soul masters and two-thirds of their Golden Core experts now stand on high platforms, exuding their awe-inspiring aura over the entire assembly.

Daoist Wangshan, Sect Leader Li Wanjian, and Daoist Ding Kuailing... The names were being called one after another, and soon Chu Nanhua's name was announced: "Chu Nanhua of Zhonghua Peak..."

Chu Nanhua stood atop his platform, offering a faint smile, met with applause from the crowd below. Meanwhile, the two cultivators presiding over the event continued to announce the names of other prominent figures, but Liu Suiyun found it all rather dull.

Where was Shen Yaqin's name? How could such a grand occasion proceed without the mention of his master's wife? The absence of her name made the entire ceremony feel meaningless to him. Despite the radiance of so many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, without her presence, it was nothing more than an ordinary gathering.

"Why didn't they announce the Lady's name?" Liu Suiyun asked.

Chu Cangshan replied, "As long as the Master holds his position, it is sufficient. Your Lady never cared for fame or recognition. But if her strength were taken into account, our Zhonghua Peak could surely move up another rank..."

Even the thirty-three declining peaks, facing the crisis of extinction, had their peak lords and acting peak lords standing tall, basking in the applause of the sect. But Liu Suiyun felt a deep sense of disillusionment.

The host soon announced that Sect Leader Li Wanjian would deliver a sermon. Though Li was only ranked fourth in the sect, he represented Shenxiao Sect and warmly welcomed everyone: "Fellow Daoists, elders, sectmates, and new elites of our sect, on this autumn day, we welcome another milestone in the Shenxiao Sect's legacy. Sixty-seven new elites will now stand shoulder to shoulder with us..."

Li Wanjian's speech was uninspiring to Liu Suiyun, who found it dull and repetitive. But the audience grew silent as Li transitioned into sharing his cultivation insights, captivating the assembly. The entire crowd was enraptured as this veteran Nascent Soul master recounted the various obstacles he had overcome on his path to cultivation.