This tough era had only ended ten years ago.
So many geniuses ended their path at the Enlightened Being realm. To be able to reach the Ancient Saint realm would mean that the person was a peerless talent. In these last thirty thousand years, countless geniuses lamented being born into the wrong generation!
"Boom… Boom…" A thunderous roar resounded in the sky. Suddenly, there was a group of cavalry riding the air; their godly stallions underneath them moved like lightning as they trampled the empty space, traveling several hundred miles in just a second. This cavalry that came from the sky left behind streams of shadows due to their magnificent speed.
"Neighhh…" After a long neigh, the cavalry, like a wave of torrential steel, suddenly stopped on top of the cliffs. There were almost one thousand riders but their formations were extremely organized. It was as natural as the flowing waters and floating clouds.
This cavalry squad was clad in the same pure color of iron armor as if they had just returned from a battlefield. The squad's disciples were chilling with killing intent. The whole team was cold and heartless with a murderous aura that filled the sky and rendered others to be unable to breathe.
Everyone held their breaths thinking about the heaven frightening power that was able to groom such a powerful iron cavalry. This had to be a powerful sect or nation.
"The Jiang Zuo Clan…" Seeing this scene, many people were shocked at witnessing a true ancient lineage.
Even the Violet Cloud Sect's Sect Master couldn't help but mutter: "This generation of the Jiang Zuo Clan is definitely ferocious with wave after wave of talents, ah."
Seeing such an ancient clan, the arrogant group of geniuses of the Flying Dragon Lake also lost their colors and didn't dare to provoke such an ancient existence.
A Serpent Demon Lord of the Dragon Flying lake was extremely dreadful and murmured: "The Jiang Zuo Clan — an existence that is even older than the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect."
The iron cavalry of the Jiang Zuo Clan was led by a young man. He was cold and emotionless. He was encompassed in a godly aura and his body was akin to a jade mountain, yet he was still able to jump down from his godly stallion with ease.
"Jiang Zuo Hou — this person is extremely unfathomable. He's only around twenty years old but is already a marquis."
Even an official Royal Noble, such as Hun Yuan Hou, was moved when he saw this young man.
Seeing the Jiang Zuo Clan's arrival, Zhen Wei Hou didn't dare to be careless and personally welcomed them.
"The Jiang Zuo Clan — so extremely ancient. It was not only older than the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect but some even say that an extremely great Virtuous Monarch came from it and he was a strong enemy of Immortal Emperor Min Ren when he was younger. There were even rumors that the young Immortal Emperor Min Ren had lost to him before."
"Virtuous Monarch Jiang Zuo." An old Demon Lord of the Flying Dragon Lake exclaimed: "I heard that he was a rival of Immortal Emperor Min Ren during their younger days, but unfortunately, he still lost in the hands of Immortal Emperor Min Ren in the end and couldn't shoulder the Heaven's Will!" [1]
The other cultivators who were listening became astonished from finally realizing how frightening the Jiang Zuo Clan was. When Min Ren was younger, he could be described as peerless amongst his generation. Even though his origin was humble, he had swept through countless powerful enemies when he was younger. He even trespassed into Forbidden Burials and fought inside the Ancient Earth. Oh what kind of invincible youth he was!
However, the ancestor of the Jiang Zuo Clan was able to defeat the young Min Ren — this existence couldn't be underestimated. Virtuous Monarch Jiang Zuo, at that era, was indeed a young genius renowned throughout the Mortal Emperor World.
"Jiang Zuo Hou — his presence is right behind his ancestor, Virtuous Monarch Jiang Zuo." An older cultivator from the Violet Cloud Sect mumbled: "I heard that the Jiang Zuo Clan has extremely high expectations of him and believe that he can definitely exceed his ancestor! The moment when the Difficult Dao Era had not yet ended, Jiang Zuo Hou was already a great talent. Currently, there is a rumor that he has stepped into the Royal Noble realm."
Many disciples from big sects and powerful nations came after the arrival of the Jiang Zuo Clan, but their prestige was lacking in comparison. The fact that the Jiang Zuo Clan still remained so relevant until now was indicative of their heavenly frightening power.
The upper cliff of the ridge was filled with many cultivators that had started to set up their camp. Some had a treasure pavilion hovering in the sky with their disciples residing inside. Some had ancient giant ships as their temporary homes. There were also many cultivators on the ground that gathered in droves, just to discuss recent matters…
However, cultivators that came to the Evil Infested Ridge were not just limited to these. In the sky, there would occasionally be cultivators that rode on their swords or eagles to arrive, and sometimes even a huge flying mountain would show up… There was a multitude of colorful and strange scenes.
One could even say that people that arrived on the ground do not have the qualifications to enter the Evil Infested Ridge. In the end, for cultivators, reaching the Heaven's Mandate realm would allow for one to use flying treasures to fly. After reaching the Heaven's Primal realm, the cultivators could stomp on space to fly!
A cultivator that isn't able to fly — this was enough to show how low their cultivation was. Cultivators or low ranking sects like these essentially were not eligible to enter the ridge.
"Bang… Bang… Bang…" The moment when numerous cultivators were eagerly awaiting the arrival of bigger sects that came to join the party at the Evil Infested Ridge, the mountains and earth suddenly shook, as if there was an Earth Bull shaking its body. Many cultivators were scared to the point where they fled into the sky to avoid the tremors.
A surprised cultivator wondered: "What is happening? Is the Evil Infested Ridge wanting to open?"
However, very soon, many people found that it was not anything like that. At this moment, they saw a giant snail slowly crawl up the ridge; it was as big as a mountain.
Seeing this giant snail, many people were dumbfounded. Many of them had not seen such a huge snail during their whole lives. What was even more surprising was that on top of the snail's back, there was a group of more than one thousand people.
Seeing how slow the snail was crawling up the ridge, many cultivators couldn't help but laugh. They had never seen such a funny matter before.
"Fuck, you guys have legs yet don't know how to walk? All of you sitting on the snail's back, are you not afraid of crushing it to death?" A cultivator felt that this scene was too funny and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
Another one loudly sneered towards the people sitting on the snail: "Your snail is crawling so slowly, do you want everyone to help push you up? Otherwise, what year will you all actually crawl up here."
This caused another wave of laughter and the spectators all felt that this scene was too irrational.
Of course, it was Li Qiye's group on the snail's back. With Niu Fen's speed, he could crawl up the ridge in a flash, but Li Qiye was just enjoying the surrounding scenery as he was filled with nostalgia.
Facing wave after wave of laughter, Tu Buyu and Gu Tieshou could calmly sit there, but people with thin skin, like Luo Fenghua, couldn't do anything but smile mirthlessly with a hint of embarrassment.
Li Qiye was also as calm as an ancient god and he leisurely sat at the same place while he enjoyed his travel. He essentially didn't care about the laughter of the crowd. Riding this snail towards the top of the ridge was like riding a godly stallion in his own courtyard — comfortable and relaxing.
When the snail was climbing up the hill, many cultivators from the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom recognized the flag of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect and said: "It is the people from the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect."
Seeing that it was the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, this caused many other cultivators to glance at each other in confusion. Thirty thousand years ago, this was a territory of this sect. During those years, who dared to gather at this place? Today, the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect was declining. Not only could the world congregate at this spot, but the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, as the previous owner, had long lost the qualifications to enter the ridge.
After the war thirty thousand years ago, the Heavenly God Sect did not allow the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect to be involved with the ridge. In reality, the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect no longer had the power to encroach near the ridge.
However, the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect had arrived today and caused many cultivators to be perplexed. This meant that there would be a conflict between them and the Heavenly God Sect, along with the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom.
A few lineages from within the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom were secretly alarmed because not long before this, the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect had executed Dong Shenglong and Zhen Wei Hou. They even arrogantly destroyed the Mortal King's will. This set off a huge storm and everyone thought that the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect didn't care for the face of the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom.
However, the Nine Saint Demon Gate took a step and settled this matter. Still, this matter had not passed for too long yet the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect was now arriving at the ridge, wasn't this making things difficult for the Heavenly God Sect?
Sitting on Niu Fen's back, Li Qiye looked through the ancient stone entrance at the edge of the cliff and couldn't help but become emotional.
"Stop…" At this time, a loud and deafening yell rang in the air. Zhen Wei Hou brought a team to block the path and angrily exclaimed: "Gu Tieshou, this path is blocked!"
At this moment, Zhen Wei Hou's anger reached the heavens and he didn't hold back his Royal Noble aura. It furiously rolled forward, wanting to suppress the disciples of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect.
"Why is it blocked?" Gu Tieshou stood up and glared at Zhen Wei Hou.
Zhen Wei Hou glowered back at Gu Tieshou. Him and Dong Shenglong had a great personal relationship but Dong Shenglong was executed by the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect. How could he not be vengeful towards this sect? If it wasn't for the order from the Mortal King, he would have claimed justice for Dong Shenglong.
"A tiny sect like your Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect dares to come to this place?" Zhen Wei Hou coldly scowled and contemptuously said: "Your Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect does not have the qualifications to enter the Evil Infested Ridge!"
"That's right, the Evil Infested Ridge no longer belongs to your sect. Roll back however far you came from and don't look for trouble." Men from the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom started to sneer.
From start to finish, Li Qiye never looked at Zhen Wei Hou. He only calmly said: "The places I want to go, there is still no one that could stop me. Elder Gu, make him roll!"
[1] A rank within Virtuous Paragon.