The Gate of Mortals and Immortals separated the heavens from the earth and the cultivators from the mortals.
The airship stopped, and the disciples in the cabin ran out in a panic. They were afraid that they would not be able to catch up and descend to the mortal world.
Zhang Li slowly channeled the True Essence in his meridians back into his center. Once it calmed his entire body, he stood up.
By now, the cabin was empty.
When he walked out of the cabin, he saw seven or eight airships lined up side by side. In the distance, various small flying magic tools were also scattered around.
Disciples dressed in all kinds of clothes were gathered before the huge gate, which was 100 feet tall.
Its giant doors were bronze in color and covered in all kinds of mysterious patterns.
The gate was between two mountains, hence it was also covered in moss. It was obvious that it had not been opened for countless years.
At this moment, there were many people on the stone steps in front of the courtyard. The place was as noisy as a vegetable market.
"What are you arguing about? You're descending to the mortal world too."
"Don't push, don't push. Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?"
"Get them in line. One spirit stone per person."
"Exchanging spirit stones for common gold? One spirit stone for a thousand taels of gold. It's fair and square."
Dozens of Crimson Bright Sect disciples in yellow robes were shouting and trying to get the guards of the mortal world to be more orderly.
However, no one listened to them. They were all squeezing forward.
They were all about to leave this realm, so who would abide by its rules anymore?
"Elder Ming Yu has arrived!" someone shouted.
Instantly, they all fell silent.
Everyone raised their heads and saw a thin and slightly bearded cultivator wearing yellow cultivator robes with bright cloud patterns and a jade crown. He stepped on a three-colored cloud and slowly landed on the stone steps.
As he descended like an immortal, the stone steps were filled with silence.
To be able to fly on a cloud, one had to at least be in the late-stage of the Spirit Refinement Realm, Level 7.
This was a cultivation realm that none of the disciples there could ever reach in their lives.
"I am the managing elder of the Crimson Bright Sect, Ming Yu."
The cultivator looked around indifferently and said, "I'm at Level 6 of the Foundation Establishment Realm."
A Foundation Establishment cultivator!
There were audible gasps in front of the stone steps.
Someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm had at least 300 years of lifespan.
A Level 6 Foundation Establishment cultivator could live for nearly 1,000 years!
He was a true immortal cultivator.
Everyone subconsciously lowered their heads as a result.
This Foundation Establishment cultivator dwarfed the group of guardian disciples who had cut off their cultivation path. They could only mingle in the mortal world, so they could not face him.
Ming Yu swept his gaze across the room and nodded in satisfaction.
However, when he saw Zhang Li who was far behind, he was slightly stunned.
Zhang Li nodded slightly at Ming Yu, but a hint of confusion flashed through Ming Yu's eyes.
This disciple seemed different from the others...
He turned his head and coughed lightly before he cupped his hands. "I wish you all a prosperous and smooth journey."
"At the same time, I hope that you, my fellow cultivators, will not forget your duty to guard the mortal world and strictly abide by the righteousness of our cultivation path. We must always uphold the principles of the Lu Yang continent's cultivation world…"
Ming Yu's voice was loud, sonorous, and benevolent, but it made his listeners drowsy.
"Finally…
"I'll repeat the rules again. You're not allowed to disturb the order of the mortal world, you're not allowed to interfere with their royal court, and you're not allowed to..."
An hour later, Ming Yu shouted, "Open the gate!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a rumble came from the 100-foot-tall Gate of Mortals and Immortals.
Beams of golden light emanated from the gateway, and the immortal patterns on the gate seemed to awaken. They moved and swam around.
The gate slowly opened, and a pale aura shone through.
There was a foggy space and flickering light green clouds behind the gate.
Right then, Ming Yu took a step back and made way for the disciples. He cupped his hands and said, "Fellow cultivators, take care of yourself during your trip to the mortal world."
From then on, they would be separated from the immortals.
A single phrase, "my fellow cultivators," reminded them of the vicissitudes of life.
There were faint sounds of sobbing in front of the gate.
There was no cultivation path to be found in this mortal world.
A moment later, someone raised his arm and shouted, "I've cultivated for 160 years, and that's enough. I'll go to the mortal world and enjoy myself!"
As he spoke, the man in armor turned his head and said, "I'm Yan Chi, and I'm going to Qin as a ranger. If any of you would like to travel with me, we could look out for each other in the future."
After he said that, he rushed into the Gate of Mortals and Immortals without looking back.
Many of the guardian disciples who were heading to the Qin state followed suit and rushed in.
For a time, many people called out to their friends and entered the gate in succession.
"Jiangnan in the Chu state has beautiful women with slender waists. Would anyone like to go with me? Haha."
"The scenery around the Great Wall is breathtaking, and there are many horses and good wine. I'm going..."
When Zhang Li walked forward, there were only two or three disciples guarding the Gate of Mortals and Immortals.
"Where are you going?" Ming Yu, who was standing by the stone steps, suddenly asked.
Zhang Li did not expect this Foundation Establishment cultivator to talk to him. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "The state of Zhao."
Ming Yu raised his hand and handed him a green jade medallion.
"Jing Yang Temple in the Zhao state is part of Crimson Bright Sect's legacy. With this medallion, you can take charge of the temple."
A mortal sect?
Why did he give it to him so casually?
Zhang Li accepted the medallion with some hesitation.
"Hey, Brother Zhang, didn't you say that you were going to Zhao?
"Let's go, let's go."
Zhu Yunshan was dressed in cultivator robes and holding a folding fan in one hand. He grabbed Zhang Li's arm with his free hand before leaving.
Back on this side, Tao Yun, who was carrying a long sword on his back, followed closely behind. Soon after, the three of them disappeared into the fog beyond the Gate of Mortals and Immortals.
...
The Way Protector Sect in Jing Yang Temple was situated in the imperial capital of Zhao, Luojing.
More than a month had passed since the Gathering of Immortals, and the clamor all over the world had gradually subsided.
According to the historical records of the various states, the Gathering of Immortals was held once every 300 years. It was a grand occasion for cultivators who had been banished from the cultivation world. They would descend to the mortal world to inspect the sufferings of the world.
These cultivators would bring all kinds of spirit fruits and treasures that only existed in the cultivation world. This included spirit stones that contained spirit energy and used to be circulated in the cultivation world.
The Gathering of Immortals was a gift from the cultivation world to the mortal world.
Whenever it happened, the sky would be filled with heavenly light. It was as if a door would open in the sky, and hundreds of immortals would descend.
Some cultivators would enter the imperial court and become the imperial family's consecrators. Some would enter the martial arts world and become people who ruled over an area.
For at least 30 to 50 years, the legends of immortals would spread in the five states, whether in the imperial court or in the martial arts world. Then, it would slowly disappear in the long river of history after 100 years until the next Gathering of Immortals.
Zhang Li only knew about the five states after he came to the mortal world.
In the mortal world's 300 years of history, Zhou had been annexed by Qin 200 years ago. Meanwhile, Wei had occupied the land of Han 100 years ago and destroyed the 1,000-year-old country.
Zhao, Wei, Qin, Chu, and the Northern Barbarians of the northern wilderness stood together.
The five states aside, an unending stretch of immortal mountains had appeared beyond the East China Sea 500 years ago. Countless martial artists had gone there to investigate, but none of them had ever returned.
After the last Gathering of Immortals, many cultivators had gone to the East China Sea, but there had been no news of them.
In the past 500 years, cultivators from the East China Sea who claimed to be Spirit Refinement practitioners would occasionally enter the five states. They either recruited talented cultivators or entrusted them with missions.
Unknowingly, the East China Sea had already merged into the mortal world and become a power that drifted away from the five states.
These East China Sea Spirit Refinement practitioners could fly in the sky as well as control water and fire. Each of them had the ability to suppress all the martial artists in the world.
Fortunately, these practitioners only appeared once every 100 years, and they rarely fought in the mortal world. The royal families of the various states wanted to get in touch with them, but they never had the chance.
"Grandmaster, I have come to see you again," a voice rang out outside Zhang Li's courtyard.
Tao Yun had carried his sword on his back and traveled to Jianghu after arriving in Zhao with Zhang Li and Zhu Yunshan. Meanwhile, Zhang Li and Zhu Yunshan had gone to the capital, Luojing.
With the jade medallion from Ming Yu, Zhang Li was immediately acknowledged as a grandmaster when he arrived at Jing Yang Temple.
Therefore, the other disciples in the temple all addressed Zhang Li as "Grandmaster."