[天命为凰]

Untitled Part 78

078 - Cloud Stage Heavenly Door

Nine Jade Mountain's tallest White Magnificent Peak had an arduous and steep topography, a dense forest filled with vines and fog, as well as numerous trails that interweaved each other constantly, making it a confusing and difficult mountain to scale. However, the cloud stage on its peak was level enough, that horses could run on it. It was truly peculiar.

The cloud stage was situated on a peak which was taller than others and was considered a majestic and beautiful spot in Xichuan as well as in the whole Nine Jade. Overall, it was considerably spacious.

Thus, Nine Jade Palace always held large banquets on this peak.

The arch gateway at the cloud stage's entrance gave the arena an immortal-like atmosphere when coupled with the sea of clouds and old pine trees. Hence, the arch was named 'Heavenly Door'.

The so-called Heavenly Door competition was to let the disciples enter the White Magnificent Peak and scale the mountain from the bottom on routes they chose themselves, all the way until they entered the Heavenly Door and stepped onto the cloud stage.

Not only did the White Magnificent Peak in itself already possess a complex terrain, but the sect would also set up stages at crucial points. Not only had the participants to compete with each other, but they also had to fight ferocious beasts.

Early that morning, numerous disciples gathered at the base of the White Magnificent Peak.

Among the various peaks of Nine Jade Mountain, White Magnificent Peak was the only one that hadn't been developed. Besides the summit, there were no buildings whatsoever on the mountain. It was a peak filled with nature.

Also, it was not open to the public on ordinary days due to the danger arising from the layers upon layers of stages on it and the ferocious beasts that roamed all over.

Thus, the Heavenly Door competition could be said to be the only time which the public could access the White Magnificent Peak Even if they weren't attending, the disciples would come over to take a look.

Moreover, this was 'the' Heavenly Door competition we are talking about — Nine Jade Palace's highest level competition. The ordinary days' examinations and small competitions were incomparable to this. Who would miss out watching the genuine successor disciples that were normally? Also, it was a grand occasion to be able to personally witness the birth of a new genuine successor disciple!

The latter reason was still the more crucial one. Throughout the successive generations of Heavenly Door competition, there were always dark horses that were previously a nobody and became famous in one go. Although such a situation was gradually getting rarer in recent years, it was still a great motivation to disciple that lacked in their family background.

Shao Zhengyang had arrived at White Magnificent Peak early in the morning, yet he did not walk to the entrance but instead stood on a small hillside not far away.

He sneered coldly as he gazed at the bustling scene of disciples who were animatedly gesturing.

Hoping to become famous in one go? The Heavenly Door competition has long since become but a shadow of its past. The so-called genuine successor disciples places are mostly handed out to a selected few.

Before every Heavenly Door competition, the various factions would have already made a gamble on the placings for genuine successor disciples so by the time the competition started, about seventy to eighty percent of the points to decide placings would have been determined. Only the remaining twenty to thirty percent would be a contest of one's own strength.

Those who had no background whatsoever would be in for a tough time if they wanted to snatch a placing from those that already had an advantage in terms of background. However, even if one had a good background, they would have to be careful not to fall into others' schemes and risk making a futile effort.