Chapter 877: Cloud Bridge

The Mortal World

The two companions swept towards the bluestone beach.

The people on the bluestone beach were startled and looked over, some with veiled hostility.

As they approached, the green-robed man who had been resting with closed eyes opened them. He scrutinized them from head to toe and asked, "Are you here to attend our Misty Pavilion's disciple recruitment ceremony?"

"Mhm, mhm…" Fang Ting nodded repeatedly, looking innocent and naive.

The avatar seemed to be hypnotizing himself, silently repeating "I am Zhang Yue." Then he spoke with a solemn voice, "Disciple Zhang Yue, I have admired the path of immortals since childhood and have long looked up to the Misty Pavilion. Please grant my wish, senior."

"The disciple recruitment ceremony hasn't started yet, and whether you're chosen is not for me to decide." The green-robed man, noting the avatar's cultivation level, spoke without harshness. Then, a kind smile suddenly appeared on his face as he softly said, "Find a place to rest and gather your energy. You'll know the results in two days."

Upon seeing the green-robed man's smile, the avatar initially thought he was mistaken, wondering when disciples of prominent sects had become so approachable. Looking closer, he realized the green-robed man was smiling at Fang Ting.

The two each found a bluestone and sat down.

The others glanced at them and then resumed their meditation, conserving their energy.

As soon as the avatar arrived, he noticed that the spiritual energy on the bluestone beach was more abundant than elsewhere, making it an excellent cultivation spot. After exchanging a few whispered words with Fang Ting, he also settled into meditation, awaiting the start of the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang's true body also appeared not far from the lake. He found a hidden spot, concealed himself, and secretly stood guard.

Two days passed in a flash.

Many more people arrived gradually, and the bluestones on the beach were almost completely occupied.

Among them were innocent-faced youths and maidens, as well as rogue cultivators whose eyes couldn't hide their killing intent, clearly seasoned veterans. Many among them were unruly.

With the Misty Pavilion's Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing, no one dared to act recklessly, and the bluestone beach remained very calm.

Just after the Yin hour on the third day, as the mountains were still shrouded in darkness, the green-robed man suddenly opened his eyes and declared solemnly, "The time has come. The disciple recruitment ceremony now begins. Those who wish to join my Misty Pavilion, follow me."

No sooner had the green-robed man finished speaking than he stood up, summoned a white bamboo staff, stepped onto it, and swept away along the lakeshore.

A commotion arose among the crowd, and everyone stood up to follow.

Everyone used different methods; some relied on magic artifacts, while others employed escape techniques. For a moment, the bluestone beach lit up with colorful escape lights, reflecting beautifully in the lake.

The avatar flicked his fingers, summoning his bamboo leaf artifact. Fang Ting also conjured a sword light, and the two hurried to move.

The green-robed man slowed down, leading the group past several mountains in succession. Finally, they arrived at a clearly man-made pier. The pier faced a large island in the center of the lake, with several boats tied to it. Behind the pier was a mist-shrouded valley, which seemed to be quite expansive.

Everyone followed the green-robed man down to the pier, feeling a sense of curiosity.

The avatar scanned the area, his gaze finally settling on the mist-shrouded valley.

The mist obscured their vision, but it couldn't stop the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Deep within the valley was actually a mortal town, a place seemingly like a paradise.

Just then, three streaks of escape light flew out from the mortal town, emerging through the mist. A loud laugh rang out: "Junior Brother Mu has brought the people over!"

"Reporting to the three senior brothers, these fellow cultivators are all who are participating in this disciple recruitment ceremony," the green-robed man said, cupping his hands in salute.

Among the three, a steady-mannered middle-aged cultivator stepped forward. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he showed satisfaction, nodding. "Hmm, there are more cultivators seeking entry this year than in previous years. We should be able to complete the task assigned by the Pavilion Master. Junior Brother Mu, protect them for now. The three of us will now set up the Cloud Bridge…"

Hearing this, the green-robed man waved his hand, sending out a beam of green light that transformed into a light screen, blocking the crowd.

At this moment, a commotion broke out among the rogue cultivators.

"What's a Cloud Bridge? I heard that the Misty Pavilion's previous recruitments always had three minor trials. I've never heard of a Cloud Bridge trial before!" a rogue cultivator exclaimed, his face full of surprise and disbelief.

Another rogue cultivator chimed in, "Exactly! I participated in the last recruitment ceremony, and it was indeed three minor trials back then. How could it change just like that?"

A thin, sallow-faced cultivator's eyes showed despair, his face blank, as if all his spirit and vitality had been drained.

The pier was filled with chatter.

"Silence!" A sword cultivator beside the middle-aged cultivator suddenly roared, saying coldly, "When did we ever say the trials had to remain unchanged? The purpose of setting up trials is to observe your performance. If you try to take shortcuts, even if you pass, you will never be allowed into my Misty Pavilion. You can leave now."

Rebuked by the sword cultivator, everyone looked embarrassed and dared not speak carelessly again.

The three Misty Pavilion disciples summoned three identical bronze mirrors.

The bronze mirrors flew high, joining together above the pier. After a slight tremor, they shot out a beam of white light directly towards the island in the center of the lake. Although the two locations were far apart, the white light reached it in an instant, connecting with the island.

Then, the sea of mist on the island in the center of the lake began to churn, surprisingly spreading along the white light.

Gradually, a cloud bridge was born, connecting the two locations and hovering above the lake. The cloud bridge was entirely composed of mist, only about one zhang wide, ethereal, wispy, and exceptionally light.

Everyone couldn't help but worry if they would fall straight through if they stepped on the bridge.

As the cloud bridge formed, the white light faded.

The bronze mirrors returned to their hands. Just as they were about to speak, a figure suddenly flew out from the island in the center of the lake. The white silhouette flickered a few times, and the next moment, a youth with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, clad in flowing white robes, appeared before them.

Seeing this person, the four Misty Pavilion cultivators immediately became solemn. They stepped forward and saluted, "Disciples greet Martial Uncle Chen!"

The crowd on the shore looked stunned. Such a young man was actually a high-level Core Formation cultivator. They respectfully followed suit and saluted.

The avatar slightly lowered his head. The moment Martial Uncle Chen appeared, he immediately commanded the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to retract its divine ability and fall into slumber, to avoid being detected.

With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly completely hidden, the avatar felt a sense of relief. As he collected his thoughts, he suddenly felt something unusual about Fang Ting beside him. She was staring fixedly at the Misty Pavilion Core Formation cultivator, her face showing both surprise and joy.

Seeing this scene, the avatar's heart stirred.

The cultivator surnamed Chen lightly raised his hand and said indifferently, "All of you may rise. Among you, are there any with Heavenly Spiritual Roots or Dual Spiritual Roots, or those possessing special physiques beneficial to cultivation? Step forward. You may enter directly, bypassing the Cloud Bridge trial."

In truth, cultivators with Triple Spiritual Roots could generally gain stable entry; even if they failed the trials, few would be rejected.

However, they were clearly not as favored as those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots or Dual Spiritual Roots.

Judging by the situation, it wasn't impossible for them to be directly accepted as personal disciples by a Core Formation cultivator.

Some special spiritual physiques were even rarer than Heavenly Spiritual Roots. Spiritual physiques could be good or bad, and some had no impact on cultivation.

The avatar keenly noticed that as the cultivator surnamed Chen spoke, his gaze was fixed on Fang Ting beside him, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.