Carefree Path of Dreams

“Don’t get so worked up, Elder Kuangtu!” Immortal Iron Mountain paused briefly before continuing, “I called this meeting because this matter is of grave importance!”

Immortal Tie Kuangtu was extraordinary and second only to the sect master. His style was overbearing, making the others deeply fearful of him.

Immortal Iron Mountain pretended to be impartial, but he actually had a hidden agenda.

Sure enough, a neutral elder coughed and expressed his thoughts, “Since the Iron Mountain Token has arrived, we have to follow the rules of the sect! A mere evaluation quota, just give it to him!”

“Elder Kuangtu, your disciple Tie Kunlun was born with copper skin and iron bones, and his foundation is extraordinary. He should enter our Iron Mountain Gate to strengthen our prestige!”

“Elder, please calm down. We can only do it this way…”

…

Most of the elders had the same opinion, whether or not they were close to Elder Tie Kuangtu.

A few of the ones close to the sect master were laughing inwardly.

Although Tie Kunlun was talented, Elder Kuangtu had selfish motives and had deliberately waited until he was near the age limit before planning to send him for the evaluation, thereby ensuring he would pass.

However, he could only admit that he was unlucky when encountering this kind of thing. Because he had delayed it so much, his disciple would be over the age limit by the next evaluation.

Immortal Iron Mountain was emotionless. “Since most of the elders have agreed, let’s go with this! We’ll send that Li Hun for the evaluation three days later!”

“Hmph…” Tie Kuangtu was an Immortal after all, and his eyes were shifty. “What if that person gives up voluntarily?”

“Ahem!” Immortal Iron Mountain coughed. “Junior Brother, we are Immortals who have sworn an oath. Do you want to force the matter?”

“Intimidation and temptation. I know more than merely intimidation. I can also tempt!” Tie Kuangtu said confidently.

…

However, they did not know that everything was out in the open because Fang Yuan was watching from the side.

“Hehe… Looks like I caught up just in time for the Immortal Iron Mountain Gate’s infighting? This is making it easier for me…” Immortal Iron Mountain was obviously hiding behind the veil of righteousness to win over the neutrals and suppress the interests of Tie Kuangtu.

It seemed like this elder was either too arrogant or too strong because everyone was vigilant against him.

“But there’s no need to silence them since everything is going so smoothly! I didn’t expect the Iron Mountain Token to have such use. That Junior Sister Tie Dansha really helped a lot…”

When Fang Yuan had just arrived, he naturally did not know the intricacies of the matter.

Fortunately, he met that pair of disciples from the Iron Mountain Gate. The girl, especially, was naive and curious, and she leaked everything after hanging some fruits in front of her.

It was unknown if Tie Kuangtu would kill her if he were to know about this.

“This is also good. At least I will avoid some troubles…” Faint sighed and disappeared.

The Iron Mountain Sect Master continued discussing with the elders, not knowing just how close they were to having their sect destroyed.

…

Seven days later, Golden Soul Sect.

“This is the cultivation Holy Land of the Central Region, the main altar of the Golden Soul Sect—Golden Mount Meru!”

An Immortal of the Iron Mountain Gate brought Fang Yuan to a huge mountain.

This mountain had a single peak, and it was entirely a blinding reddish-gold.

Fang Yuan’s expression changed once they entered Golden Mount Meru.

Suddenly, heaven and earth became infinitely broad. Golden Mount Meru seemed able to hold up the heavens and support the earth, like a world in itself!

It’s space restriction! All of Golden Mount Meru is like an immortal abode comparable in size to a continent!

Fang Yuan was startled as he suddenly felt a powerful force acting on him.

Bang!

At this time, he could not expose his cultivation, so he simply allowed this gravity to pull on him. He smashed into the ground, creating a small pit.

“My body is akin to a dao artifact, yet I only created a small pit. How hard is this Golden Mount Meru? Also… why can’t I move freely here?” Fang Yuan feigned ignorance.

“Haha!” The Immortal beside him gloated at his misfortune. “This Golden Mount Meru contains the power of multiple nomological laws and Great Daos such as the Illusion Realm and gravity. It is a precious treasure of heaven and earth! At the beginning of the world, this golden mountain was the first to be born between heaven and earth. The patriarch of the Golden Soul Sect had obtained and added restrictions to it to make it the treasure of the Golden Soul Sect! Your body must be well trained enough not to break any bones!”

The Iron Mountain Gate Immortal continued, “The disciples of the Golden Soul Sect live and cultivate in this environment. Can you imagine how strong their bodies are? You might have refined your body to the dao artifact level, but it’s truly not enough in the Golden Soul Sect. Do you still want to take the evaluation?”

“Naturally. Immortal, please lead the way!” Fang Yuan cupped his hands.

A few days ago, Tie Kuangtu had intimidated and tempted him with good terms, but Fang Yuan had not submitted to him. Tie Kuangtu became so furious that he threatened to make Fang Yuan pay.

The Iron Mountain Gate might have arranged an evaluation opportunity for Fang Yuan, but the Immortals did not have a good impression of him.

After all, no matter how mad he was, Tie Kuangtu was their own. Immortal Iron Mountain might be happy that he managed to block Tie Kuangtu’s disciple from attending the evaluation, but Fang Yuan’s resolute refusal gave him no face.

If an ordinary cultivator failed to enter the Golden Soul Sect, only death would await them! Solely Tie Kuangtu’s revenge would be something they couldn’t deal with!

Fang Yuan was well aware of this. He followed the Immortal into the Golden Soul Sect, arrived at the foot of Golden Mount Meru, and saw a palace.

He surveyed the area and found most of the disciples of the Golden Soul Sect wearing golden clothes. There was next to no one at Golden Core, and most were at Nascent Soul. Their bodies were at least at the dao artifact level! This was astonishing.

“Tie Ruyi of the Iron Mountain Gate is here with a disciple for the evaluation!” the Iron Mountain Gate Immortal announced loudly as he brought Fang Yuan to a hall with a plaque that had ‘Golden Core Hall’ written on it.

“So it’s a fellow Immortal from the Iron Mountain Gate!” An Immortal with pale golden skin flew down and glanced at Fang Yuan. “I’m the evaluator this time—Jin Huan! So this is the person with the Iron Mountain Token. Haha… I’ve heard about you!”

“Li Hun pays respect to Immortal!” Fang Yuan bowed respectfully. After knowing that the Immortal had heard about him, he knew that Tie Kuangtu must have used his connections in this matter.

After all, the Iron Mountain Gate was a branch of the Golden Soul Sect, and it was not unusual for the Immortals to have connections with each other.

This Jin Huan might not dare to drive him away directly, but it was inevitable that he would make things difficult for him within the scope of the rules!

I wouldn’t have bothered to infiltrate if I hadn’t heard that the Golden Soul Sect has ninety-nine percent of the Great Sage Immortal World’s body refining techniques! Fang Yuan rolled his eyes secretly.

This Golden Mount Meru, however, contained the Illusion Realm’s nomological laws, and with his current abilities, it would be difficult to sneak in.

Therefore, he had to go about this in a roundabout way.

“All right, come with me!”

Jin Huan brought Fang Yuan to a golden gate. “Behind this gate is the Golden Soul Realm, a trial ground for disciples! We don’t care where you come from. You pass as long as you can survive for seven days!”

After he heard this, Tie Ruyi’s expression changed.

“Okay. I understand!”

Fang Yuan bowed and opened the gate with both hands. A golden light flashed and swallowed him whole.

Tie Ruyi sighed. “In the past evaluations, three days was enough. But seven days? Haha…”

“Haha… I’m the evaluator, and I have the authority…” Jin Huan roared with laughter. “How is Brother Kuangtu recently? I hope he didn’t go mad with anger.”

“He’s all right…” Tie Ruyi smiled bitterly, looking regretfully at the gates of the Golden Soul Realm. “What a pity… He would have obtained the position of a core disciple in my Iron Mountain Gate if only he were flexible. We might not be as good as the Golden Soul Sect, but it isn’t impossible to become an Immortal!”

“Haha… This lad is dead. Seven days is the toughest challenge I can give within my jurisdiction. Even outer disciples of the Golden Soul Sect might not be able to pass!” Jin Huan laughed. “I’m helping Brother Kuangtu vent his anger. However, we still have to stay here for seven days because of our duties! Brother Ruyi, would you like to have a drink with me? I just obtained a few bottles of ‘Seven Calamities Thunder Wine’…”

“Something that will help refine my body?” Tie Ruyi licked his lips. “It would be disrespectful to refuse then!”

…

“Golden Soul Realm? Another small world?”

A gravitational force ten times stronger than that of Golden Mount Meru struck him as soon as he entered the Golden Soul Realm. Fang Yuan slammed into the ground, forming a huge pit.

He climbed out and brushed the dirt off his body. “That’s right… Mount Mengyan has the Thirty-Three-Level Outer Heaven Tower, so the Golden Soul Sect naturally has similar evaluation grounds! But the Nomological Laws of Gravity here are simply shocking. It’s a hundred times stronger than outside! It would be difficult for ordinary Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators to even stand up here!”

Caw! Caw!

In the iron tree next to him, several golden crows stared at him with their black gem-stone-like eyes, making unpleasant cries.

Pfft!

Three crows swooped down, bringing with them a harsh sound.

Clang!

Fang Yuan immediately flew out and slashed with his saber.

Attacks comparable to peak Nascent Soul? Moreover, they can probably destroy dao artifacts…

The move just now was an experiment. Even so, the dao artifact saber cracked. “This test… is somewhat difficult.”

Fang Yuan changed to another saber and secretly attached the soul absorption and annihilation power of the Ten Thousand Beast Banner onto it. “Nomological Laws of Saber, kill!”

He could not expose too many of his trump cards since he was in someone else’s territory.

Poof!

Saber light flashed, drew a graceful arc in the void, and immediately decapitated the three crows.

No joy appeared on Fang Yuan’s face. Instead, his face changed as he looked in another direction.

Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump!

The ground shook, sounding dull and loud.

A golden thread appeared in the sky, charging straight at him. It was a mighty army of mutated beasts.

“Were the crows just scouts, and the cry a signal that they had found an enemy?”

Fang Yuan turned around and escaped.

What a joke!

Even an Immortal would become mincemeat under such a large beast tide!

Although he could fight back, he would have to reveal all his cards, which would definitely alarm the Grand Unity Immortals of the Golden Soul Sect!