Chapter 906: Completing The Ten Stages (2)

In the blink of an eye, Li Xiaofei arrived at the summit of the tenth mountain. The ninth checkpoint had been guarded by an old drunkard with a huge belly, who insisted on challenging him to a drinking contest.

Li Xiaofei asked whether he wanted a one-on-one or a group fight. The old drunkard took one look at the ten thousand people behind Li Xiaofei, his expression shifting slightly, and wisely chose the one-on-one.

Which naturally turned into him single-handedly dueling Li Xiaofei plus ten thousand others. Despite his deep cultivation and supernatural alcohol tolerance, he was eventually drunk into unconsciousness on the ninth peak.

It was said that a drunk man speaks the truth. So even now, snores and mumbled complaints could still be heard echoing from the ninth peak, “Damn it... making me do this crap... my wine... even drunk, I can’t escape... what kind of bullcrap ancestor...”

Now, Li Xiaofei, astride his old long-haired horse, stepped onto the tenth peak. The guardian of the tenth checkpoint was none other than the purple-bearded elder himself.

“What counts as passing this time?” Li Xiaofei asked, leaning forward slightly from atop his horse.

The elder shifted to the side and replied, “There’s no need. The tenth stage holds no meaning. You may proceed directly. Heaven Drum Mountain lies ahead, and the Myriad Immortals Conference is about to begin. Master Li, please go directly to your seat.”

Li Xiaofei nodded and straightened. The old long-haired horse clopped steadily across the final stretch of the Iron Chain Immortal Bridge and stepped onto the final battlefield, the Heaven Drum Mountain.

It was an unusually shaped giant peak. Its entire body was a dull, pale white, resembling a massive cylindrical pillar. The surrounding cliffs were completely barren, without a single blade of grass or leaf growing on them. It stood starkly in a region lush with life and vegetation.

The summit of the mountain formed the drumhead, which was a perfectly flat expanse of stone. It truly resembled the taut surface of a drum made from cured beast hide. It gave the uncanny impression that one might strike this white giant with a pair of drumsticks and ring it like a world-shaking drum.

At this moment, thousands of cultivators were already gathered atop Heaven Drum Mountain. Moreover, they were not ordinary cultivators, they were the elite. The circular drumhead had been divided into seventeen sections by formation light, like a massive grid drawn with precision and power.

Sixteen of those sections were already occupied. They belonged to the sixteen great Immortal Sects, including the Myriad Saints Immortal Sect, each represented by their respective sect leaders, protectors, and elders.

Each sect had sent nearly a hundred top disciples and dignitaries. It was no exaggeration to say that the most powerful cultivators across the entire continent had converged on this location. The full strength of the sixteen Immortal Sects had assembled.

If a world-ending tribulation were to strike at that moment and annihilate everyone present, the highest echelons of cultivators in the world would be all but extinct. Countless sharp, hostile, and curious gazes locked onto Li Xiaofei.

This white-robed young man, riding an aged, shaggy horse, looked far too young. And yet, he was now the greatest enemy of the Immortal Sects. Like a comet streaking across the sky, he had emerged from nowhere, shining so fiercely that it made their eyes ache just to look at him.

Suddenly, countless waves of oppressive pressure surged toward Li Xiaofei like a tidal storm. It was formless yet crushing. Even though many of those present knew full well that the ten checkpoints had only served to highlight how terrifyingly powerful Li Xiaofei was, there were still some who preferred to trust their own senses. So they chose to probe him. Quietly, and subtly.

Thousands of top-tier cultivators, without coordination but with shared intent, released their spiritual pressure on a single man. For any ordinary person, this would have been a catastrophic assault, enough to shatter their mind in an instant.

But Li Xiaofei was no ordinary person. It was like a herd of rabbits screaming in unison at a divine dragon. No matter how loud or how many they were , it would not harm the dragon in the slightest.

Li Xiaofei simply sat atop his mount and the old long-haired horse beneath him didn’t even flick its ears. He had not the slightest reaction.

“Since you’ve greeted me,” Li Xiaofei said with a faint smile, “it would be rude not to respond in kind.”

His voice was soft and gentle. Yet to those who had dared to release their pressure, it landed like thunder from the heavens.

In the blink of an eye, their minds were shaken to the core as a sweetness rose in their throats. Many nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot. Shock and disbelief filled their eyes. They had known Li Xiaofei was powerful, but they hadn’t known he was this powerful.

But none of them had expected this level of strength. Li Xiaofei rode at the very front. He was like an indestructible divine shield, utterly immovable and utterly unshakable.

With him there, not to mention the followers behind him, even the old long-haired horse beneath him did not need to endure a sliver of pressure. He rode calmly toward the area designated for him and his people.

Perhaps anticipating the size of his entourage, the organizers had allocated a large space. But unlike the other sects’ sections, which were meticulously arranged with seating, fruits, and wine, this area was bare and empty. Not a single form of accommodation had been prepared.

Li Xiaofei dismounted, reached into his storage, and tossed a bundle of grass in front of the old horse. The horse began munching away contentedly. A few sharp-eyed cultivators from the other sects were instantly stunned. This wasn’t ordinary grass. It was rare, aged spiritual grass with each stalk brimming with potent essence.

In the right hands, even a single blade could be refined into high-grade elixirs. Yet the old horse was eating them like weeds, chewing with casual indifference and gulping them down in great mouthfuls like a cow devouring peonies.

Some cultivators from the Immortal Sects couldn’t help but envy the horse. In that moment, the delicacies and fine wine set before them lost all appeal.

Before long, the ten thousand followers behind Li Xiaofei had all settled into place. It was clear that, aside from the old monster, most of them felt some degree of unease. Even Zhao Kuangren, the former emperor of the Great Song, a man who had once ruled millions, had a trace of nervousness on his face.

After all... they stood before the immortals. These were not just any immortals either, they were the most powerful immortals in the world. The upper echelons of the sixteen Immortal Sects had all gathered here.

Each one, in normal times, stood as lofty and untouchable as divine beings. They could decide the outcome of wars in the mortal realm with a single thought. They could make or break dynasties. They could determine who sat upon a throne, and now they were all gathered in one place. It might well be the first time in history. Thinking this, Zhao Kuangren suddenly felt... a strange sense of pride.

These so-called immortals... They have gone to such great lengths to gather here for us. For the ones who had chosen to follow their teacher.

Kou Zhengyang and the others couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. Many grand events had taken place throughout history. Often, when one stood amidst such moments, it was difficult to recognize their significance.

But after the dust settled, when the tale was etched into the chronicles of time and remembered for generations, people would look back and realize what an honor it had been just to be part of it. Now, they were living such a moment. Even the most dull-witted among them could see that today’s Myriad Immortals Conference would decide the fate of the entire cultivation world.

The mountain plateau fell silent. Then, the purple-bearded elder appeared. He stepped into the center of the field. A ten-meter-wide, circular stone platform slowly rose beneath his feet to float nine meters above the ground.

Standing atop it, the elder cupped his hands toward the crowd and raised his voice, clear and resolute.

“Fellow cultivators, honored elders of the Immortal Sects. Today, we gather not for ourselves, but for the fate of all immortal sects. We gather to resist a common enemy, and stand united against the demonic scourge from beyond the heavens, Li Xiaofei!”

With that opening line, he had already cast the tone and judgment of the conference.

“Spew your granny’s twisted, looping horse-crap!” It was Li Yiyun, the ever-bold vanguard, who immediately snapped.

He sprang forward, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Master is the true immortal of this world! You’re the real demons! For centuries you’ve enslaved mortals, kidnapped them for blood rituals, sacrificing even children and pregnant women. You dare call yourselves immortals?!”

But the purple-bearded elder didn’t so much as glance in his direction. Because today... the Immortal Sects had not come to reason.

He continued, full of righteous fervor, “Li Xiaofei, his identity unknown, his origins unclear, first appeared in Fengyin City, Yun Prefecture, under the Great Song Dynasty. He bewitched the prefect Kou Zhengyang and lured him into abandoning his office and his people. He seduced the emperor of Song to forsake his throne and country. On the surface, he masquerades as a righteous cultivator, but in truth, he is a devil among devils.

“Today, we, the righteous path of the Immortal Sects, have gathered here to purge this demon, and restore the sanctity of the immortal Dao!”

Yet, faced with the tide of furious declarations and righteous fury, Li Xiaofei simply stood in place. A faint smile lingered on his face. These proclamations and declarations were, in truth, utterly meaningless. But it seemed the Immortal Sects, who had ruled this continent for far, far too long, still delighted in this hollow performance.

Even at a moment like this, they insisted on following through with such laughable formalities. Bureaucracy truly was a killer. The purple-bearded elder continued his impassioned speech, spouting fervent declarations one after another.

Around him, many cultivators of the Immortal Dao were visibly stirred. Blood boiled in their veins as they listened.

One after another, they looked as though they wanted to charge forward right then and there to tear Li Xiaofei limb from limb, drink his blood, eat his flesh, strip his skin, and suck the marrow from his bones.

“That's enough,” Li Xiaofei suddenly spoke.

His voice was calm. Mild, even. But to everyone present, it struck like a thunderclap exploding beside their ears. The purple-bearded elder on the stone platform was mid-sentence when he was cut off.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He opened his mouth to speak again, only to feel as if two booming thunderbolts had crashed inside his skull. His body wavered slightly, golden stars bursting before his eyes, and he nearly fell off the platform entirely.

“These pointless, and useless ceremonies. Let’s skip them,” Li Xiaofei said flatly.

“All this talk of demon-slaying and righteousness. I couldn’t care less. That sort of nonsense only matters to whoever stands victorious in the end. For now, you’re speaking far too soon.” He paused, then added, “Now then, this Immortal Conference... how exactly do you all plan to begin?”