The Heavenly Realm of the Dao Gate Sect

The grand hall lay in utter ruin, its walls mottled with decay, and dust motes danced ceaselessly in the air.

Lin Xingjian ascended the grand hall’s steps with a steady gait.

Closing his eyes in deep concentration, he silently recited an ancient, mystical incantation, seemingly communing with the very fabric of heaven and earth.

In that instant, an unseen force warped the surrounding space, causing his vision to ripple violently.

It was as if a colossal mirror had shattered, and beneath its sharp, splintered cracks, the true form of the grand hall slowly unveiled itself.

The hall, which moments ago had been utterly dilapidated, transformed in an instant, becoming pristine and utterly spotless.

Within, every surface shimmered with golden splendor, its walls inlaid with an array of rare spirit crystals that cast a soft, luminous glow, banishing every shadow from the corners.

Majestic, lifelike dragons were carved into the pillars, their bodies coiling, their whiskers flowing, creating a breathtaking tableau of artistry.

Lin Xingjian swiftly turned and headed out of the grand hall.

Outside the hall, the scene was now utterly transformed from what it had been moments before.

Countless towering peaks now rose majestically, their summits piercing the very heavens.

Their sharp tips gleamed with golden light under the sun’s embrace, appearing like colossal swords cleaving the firmament, exuding a truly magnificent aura.

Wisps of clouds and mist clung to the mountainsides.

The clouds, white as cotton and soft as gossamer, drifted languidly under the gentle caress of the breeze, creating a scene both dreamlike and ethereal.

Immortal cranes glided gracefully through the mists, their forms elegant, their feathers pristine as newly fallen snow.

Their ethereal, clear cries resonated deeply, echoing through the valleys.

Gazing into the distance, one could behold an endless expanse of white clouds, a boundless sea stretching as far as the eye could see.

Beneath this celestial vista lay the verdant mountains of the Southern Frontier, unfolding in countless, overlapping layers.

Amidst this boundless expanse of heaven and earth, the Xuantian Dao Sect appeared utterly minuscule, like an insignificant speck of dust.

Indeed, he was no longer upon the solid ground, but had ascended to some lofty realm in the sky.

The Dao Gate Sect of the Xuantian Dao Sect was situated precisely within this cloud-piercing firmament.

The Heavenly Palace itself floated among the nine heavens, seemingly distant and utterly unreachable.

Here, the spiritual power was so dense it manifested like a tangible mist.

A mere reach of the hand would allow one to feel the surging spiritual power flowing vibrantly through their fingertips.

A faint, refreshing aroma permeated the air, wafting from myriad rare spiritual plants, and inhaling it filled one with a profound sense of peace and rejuvenation, body and soul.

Lin Xingjian drew a deep breath, and the potent spiritual energy surged instantly into his lungs, invigorating his spirit.

The Dao Gate Sect, unlike the rigid and rule-bound nature of other sects, appeared as a realm of transcendent freedom and ease.

As he cast his gaze around, he saw cultivators everywhere, each one possessing a dignified bearing and clad in Daoist robes woven with flowing clouds and illusory colors.

These robes, crafted from celestial silkworm silk interwoven with threads of gold and silver, bore embroidered immortal cranes that shimmered with resplendent light.

Each was cinched with a white jade belt, upon which a flood dragon coiled with lifelike realism, its mouth clasping a lustrous, round pearl.

The shifting play of light across these garments accentuated their undeniable opulence.

Most of these cultivators hailed from distinguished backgrounds, possessed extraordinary talents, and stood as the preeminent figures of their respective sects.

From a young age, their path of cultivation had been remarkably smooth, blessed with ceaseless opportunities, and it seemed that powerful artifacts and secret manuals sought them out of their own accord.

Having attained impressive cultivation at such tender ages, they had naturally cultivated an air of superiority and disdain for all others.

Lin Xingjian, by contrast, was clad in simple, coarse linen robes.

His garments, coarse in texture and muted in color, made him appear an anomaly, an interloper in this Dao Gate Sect teeming with resplendent attire.

The gazes of the many men and women present settled upon him, laden with revulsion and contempt, as though his very presence defiled this sacred realm.

Lin Xingjian keenly felt those piercing stares, like daggers in his back, yet he walked with an unperturbed stride, entirely unmoved by the scrutiny of these common individuals.

A Shadow cultivator’s state of mind had long since transcended such trivialities.

He lifted his gaze, observing that every person within his sight exuded powerful spiritual energy fluctuations; each was a Golden Core cultivator.

In stark contrast, the cultivators of his own Xuantian Dao Sect paled significantly in both cultivation and imposing aura.

“Tsk.”

A disdainful ‘tsk’ broke the fleeting tranquility.

“How dare you enter and leave this place as you please? You’re like a filthy bug from the ground, crawling back again!”

Lin Xingjian’s path was abruptly blocked by an individual.

What met his gaze was a cultivator radiating an undeniably powerful aura.

His expression was severe, commanding respect without needing to show anger.

He was clad in a dark, long robe embroidered with python patterns, its collar and cuffs trimmed with fox fur, signifying his noble and extraordinary status.

His face was sharply chiseled, with sword-like eyebrows that arched upwards.

His eyes, long and deep-set, glinted with an arrogant superiority and an untamed sharpness as his gaze shifted.

Upon witnessing the man’s demeanor, Lin Xingjian immediately surmised that he had most likely gained entry into the Dao Gate Sect through illicit means.

Even within this seemingly illustrious Dao Gate Sect, there was no shortage of individuals who were “gold and jade on the outside, rotten floss on the inside” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom describing someone who appears splendid and virtuous but is corrupt or flawed beneath the surface).

Faced with the man’s obstruction, Lin Xingjian remained utterly silent.

He carried the grave responsibility of delivering a secret order, and engaging in even a single extra word with anyone else would be a needless waste of his precious time.

Ignoring the man, he continued forward…

Unexpectedly, seeing Lin Xingjian’s apparent yielding and lack of desire for entanglement, the man became even more emboldened, pressing his advantage.

He stepped forward once more, extending a hand, intending to seize Lin Xingjian’s shoulder.

“Stop! How dare you ignore me? Do you even know who I am?”

The moment the man raised his hand, he found himself clutching at empty air, nearly stumbling and falling.

His eyes widened in astonishment, his face etched with shock, and his gaze filled with utter confusion.

‘How strange,’ he thought. ‘I distinctly touched his shoulder just now; why did it feel as if he had no physical form?’

An inexplicable surge of fury rose within him, convinced he had suffered an immense humiliation.

“Hmph, boy, you actually have some tricks up your sleeve.”

“You’re asking for death!”

His voice grew increasingly shrill, drawing the curious glances of the surrounding cultivators.

Lin Xingjian remained with his back to the man, his head bowed, and beneath his lowered brows, a subtle glint of killing intent had quietly surfaced in his eyes.

Within the Xuantian Dao Sect, if two disciples were to engage in a conflict, regardless of their cultivation, gender, sect, age, or seniority, as long as it could be proven that one party initiated the attack, the other party—even if they inflicted a lifelong disability—would be considered to have acted in legitimate self-defense.

Do not ask why.

When cultivators unleash their power, it becomes exceedingly difficult to control its precise degree.

“You insolent brat, how dare you ignore me! Get down on your knees and apologize immediately, or you’ll find yourself beyond the reach of any law!”

Observing this, the man had already begun to gather a potent force in his hands, a surging undercurrent of power swirling within his palms.

Lin Xingjian, in turn, began to gather strength throughout his body.

With his minor mastery of Ghost Shadow Steps and initial proficiency in ‘Dark Concealment’, it would be effortless for him to exploit the difference in their cultivation levels to make this man drop his guard, then evade his strike and launch a counterattack.

Shadow Sect cultivators excelled at concealing their forms, delivering unexpected, fatal blows to their enemies.

This was precisely the tactic they reveled in.

Suddenly, a soft voice drifted to both their ears.

“Stop.”