Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Fifty-Nine: Hidden Motives (Part One)

On that day, when six grand ships arrived in procession, the Myriad Beasts Sect made the mistake of stepping forward, becoming the target for the City Lord to set an example. They were properly disciplined, and the City Lord seized the occasion to bring out the edicts. The other sects, meanwhile, quietly retreated to their own territories to recuperate and keep a low profile.

There were two reasons for their caution. First, before coming to Tianmen Town, every sect’s elders had sternly warned them: Tianmen Town was deep waters, and upon arrival, they must conduct themselves with utmost care, keeping their ambitions in check. All sects remembered the lesson—except the Myriad Beasts Sect, whose members seemed to forget, unable to resist approaching Li Yu, only to be dragged out by the City Lord for a harsh lesson.

Second, none had expected Zhang Helun would produce five edicts. With the edicts in place, Tianmen Town gained a layer of protection, but for outsiders, it meant suppression and restriction of their cultivation. Those with lesser cultivation felt only a small impact, but for those who had entered the Dao, the edicts weighed upon them like a mountain. After arriving in Tianmen Town, these Dao practitioners could only resentfully adapt to the oppression of the edicts, unable to act for some time.

Yet, as the Myriad Beasts Sect continued to be singled out—once outside the town, once in the marketplace—the other sects hid behind the scenes, secretly mocking their lack of caution. How could the Myriad Beasts Sect forget their purpose here and so recklessly provoke the people of Tianmen Town?

Indeed, none of the sects had come for sightseeing; each had its own mission. As the time for Tianmen’s opening drew near, the representatives of the Great Cheng Dynasty and the Supreme Palace were about to arrive. The sects wished to convene and discuss their next steps, exchanging vital information.

In fact, every sect had been calculating the arrival time of the Great Cheng Dynasty. On the eve of their coming, the leaders of the six sects—Yin Mountain Sect, Lost Peak, Divine Craft Sect, Heavenly Machine Sect, Yellow Springs Sect, and Myriad Beasts Sect—gathered at the Heavenly Machine Sect’s mansion, to deliberate on how to receive the Great Cheng Dynasty.

The representative of the Yin Mountain Sect was an elderly woman, her hair white and face deeply wrinkled, with a hint of malice in her eyes. She leaned on a staff made of a skull, exuding poisonous energy. Upon hearing Elder Chen Xing of the Heavenly Machine Sect say, “We’ve wasted too much time in Tianmen Town. Tomorrow, the Great Cheng Dynasty arrives. What are your plans for the opening of Tianmen?” she coldly laughed and stroked her staff, replying, “What plans could we have? With only one day left, what can we do? If not for the Myriad Beasts Sect provoking the people of Tianmen Town, we wouldn’t be in this predicament, unable to act.”

Her words stirred resentment among the other sects towards the Myriad Beasts Sect. Elder Lian of the Myriad Beasts Sect, unable to withstand their pointed glares, hurried to explain, “Apologies, everyone. This is indeed our fault, but we are equally aggrieved. Even if the six sects did nothing, would the City Lord have spared us? He would have found some excuse to bring out the five edicts regardless. We were merely the spark he used.”

Elder Yuan of Lost Peak, his beard bristling with anger, slammed the table and retorted, “So you claim you’re blameless? You bear no responsibility for our losses?”

Elder Lian quickly said, “No, no, I know we are at fault. Therefore, the Myriad Beasts Sect is willing to present precious spirit beasts to the other sects as an apology, and as a gesture of goodwill among us six sects during this visit to Tianmen Town.”

As expected, upon hearing this, the other elders’ expressions softened considerably. This was an unspoken rule: if one voiced dissatisfaction, others would echo it, compelling the offending sect to offer compensation and restore harmony, so they could proceed to discuss the true purpose of their visit.

After Elder Lian showed weakness and sat down apologetically, none noticed the fleeting venom in his eyes as he lowered his gaze. Inwardly, he scoffed, “Let them enjoy their moment; when our ancestor ascends, we’ll see if they still dare demand our spirit beasts.”

Elder Luo of Divine Craft Sect then asked, “Do any of you know how to open Tianmen?”

The other five fell silent. Of course, such knowledge was not easily acquired. If anyone could simply open Tianmen, its secrets would no longer attract seekers hoping for the final chance at ascension.

Elder Chen of Heavenly Machine Sect pondered and continued, “Ancient texts record that when the sea outside Tianmen Town rises, it signals the imminent opening of Tianmen.”

This statement was traceable in the founding texts of the sects. Since the great war between immortals and demons hundreds of thousands of years ago, all Tianmen gates were destroyed, leaving only this last one. All cultivators have since sought a way to open it.

Through relentless effort, they finally located the legendary last gate, only to find it hidden and inaccessible. The only confirmed clue was: when the surface of the Nether Sea rises, Tianmen will open.

Thus, all powerful sects had sent agents to Tianmen Town to search for clues, attempting to unravel its greatest secret. Some cultivators, unable to progress further or afraid to take the final step, lay hidden in Tianmen Town, waiting for the moment to soar and ascend.

Tianmen is the final passage for all cultivators, the shortcut for those stalled in their path.

Elder Huang of Yin Mountain Sect responded indifferently, “We all know this. If this is the extent of our information, there’s no need to continue.”

Her meaning was clear: if everyone came merely to freeload on others' knowledge, they might as well retire for the night.

As expected, Elder Luo of Divine Craft Sect laughed heartily, “Elder Huang is right. If we exchange information with such an attitude, we’ll get nothing useful. Let me start then. Our Divine Craft Sect has learned that the black stele in the center of the square may be key to opening Tianmen.”

This information was modest, but more useful than the rising sea.

The others silently acknowledged his cunning. By offering this tidbit, he forced the others to share theirs, though they knew their own would be more valuable.

Elder Lian of Myriad Beasts Sect, inwardly sneering, but outwardly genial, said, “Our sect knows something else. Tianmen is connected to the Nether Beasts in the sea. In fact, the reason the gate cannot be found is because the Nether Beast uses its powers to hide Tianmen in the void. So, to find Tianmen, one must first deal with the Nether Beast.”

This revelation surprised them. They had only speculated about a connection between Tianmen and the sea’s Nether Beasts, but this was the first time someone spoke with certainty.

“How do you know this? As far as I know, your sect only established a branch here in recent decades. Our sects have been here for centuries and still don’t know. How did you find out so easily?” Elder Chen of Heavenly Machine Sect asked suspiciously.

Elder Lian replied humbly yet proudly, “Our ancestor told me. He has been in Tianmen Town for a long time, secretly investigating.”

The others understood. Their own sects had ancestors who arrived early, but theirs hadn’t shared such valuable information. They kept a wary eye on the Myriad Beasts Sect—whether it was their ancestor’s superior knowledge or his boldness in revealing it, the sect was clearly not simple.

Elder Huang of Yin Mountain Sect, always blunt, continued, “Our sect knows that to open Tianmen, a ritual must be performed. As for the nature of the ritual, that’s not convenient to disclose for now. Moreover, it’s not something the six sects can decide.”

This was a significant piece of information, unknown to the others.

Elder Yuan of Lost Peak asked, “May I ask, Elder Huang, was this knowledge also given by your ancestor?”

“Of course,” she replied simply.

“Then can you tell us what kind of ritual is needed? If we need to prepare, we wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared,” Elder Yuan pressed.

Elder Huang’s expression darkened. She replied with a cold smile, “It’s not that I look down on you—even including myself, we cannot decide on the offerings. We must wait for the arrival of the Great Cheng Dynasty.”

Elder Yuan’s face fell. He said, “If that’s the case, we have to wait for the Great Cheng Dynasty before we can act, losing the initiative. Elder Huang, you know a ritual is required but refuse to say what kind. Are you trying to glean information from us, then turn to the Great Cheng Dynasty?”

His words were sharp, and Elder Huang, never one to tolerate such affronts, slammed the table and stood up in anger, cursing, “You filthy old fool, don’t expect pearls from swine. If Lost Peak has the guts, take down the Great Cheng Dynasty—or Zhang Helun himself—and I’ll tell you what offerings are needed. Without real skills, you dare act so arrogantly? Anyone would think you’re about to ascend!”

The others could only smile wryly. Elder Huang of Yin Mountain Sect was notorious for her explosive temper, easily provoked, and Elder Yuan seemed to have chosen the wrong moment to challenge her.