At the foot of a desolate mountain in the Liujin Region, a considerable crowd had gathered.
Not long before, this mountain had erupted with dazzling Rainbow Light, visible to almost everyone in the entire Liujin Region. Cultivators closer to the desolate mountain had rushed over at the first opportunity.
They looked quite excited.
Indeed.
Five days had passed since the Natural Spirit Mutation. Five or six ancient Cave Dwellings had emerged one after another, and many people had missed out—either because they didn't have time or because the scenes were too chaotic. Now that another ancient Cave Dwelling had finally appeared, being able to arrive first naturally filled them with excitement. While watching the situation on the mountain, they also sent out talisman messages to notify their own people.
Whenever an ancient Cave Dwelling emerged, it almost always led to bloodshed. In the struggle for spiritual treasures, fights to the death were inevitable. At such times, having more of one's own people was naturally better.
Most people gathered at the foot of the mountain, not daring to ascend.
Because on the first day of the Natural Spirit Mutation, when that ancient Cave Dwelling emerged, many had blindly rushed up the mountain, only to be instantly obliterated by the Rainbow Light, dying without even a trace of ash remaining.
This time, many had learned their lesson and kept their distance first.
Firstly, to guard against sudden changes.
It was worth noting that during the emergence of the Cave Dwellings in the previous days, the Rainbow Light had been extremely unstable, with continuous explosions that killed many on the spot.
Secondly, to avoid getting involved in trouble.
When those Cave Dwellings emerged in the previous days, experts from major sects in several surrounding regions had almost all arrived. Even before the Cave Dwellings fully manifested, fights had broken out, resulting in deaths and injuries in an extremely chaotic scene.
Fortunately, most of those renowned experts from the surrounding regions had already entered the earlier Cave Dwellings and had not yet emerged. This was the seventh Cave Dwelling to appear, so there shouldn't be too many top experts.
However, when a group of seven or eight people arrived riding flying swords, the crowd gathered at the mountain foot couldn't help but sigh.
They had just thought there wouldn't be many top experts, but here they came not long after.
Many recognized these seven or eight sword-riders; they were all from the Spirit-Capital Sect.
The Spirit-Capital Sect was a top-tier major sect in the Liujin Region, teeming with prodigies and experts.
Among these seven or eight, six were Golden Core True Beings. Although they were all False Golden Cores, they had cultivated for several hundred years and possessed considerable strength.
The two men leading the group, though not Golden Core True Beings, far surpassed the six False Golden Core True Beings behind them in both reputation and strength. It was no exaggeration to say that with their power, these two could casually obliterate those False Golden Core True Beings.
The reason was simple: both were Color Spirit Prodigies, and both had opened three colors consecutively.
Was that all?
No!
The young man on the left, named Gu Xin, had opened one Common and two Gold colors—a Common Color foundation, a Gold Color true body, and a Gold Color Purple Mansion.
The man on the right was even more remarkable. Named Mu Yulong, he was a Triple-Gold Prodigy, also having opened three colors consecutively, all of them Gold Colors.
After the Great Calamity, in the hundred years of the Present Era.
With all things reviving and nature becoming resplendent, everyone knew how terrifying the power of Color Spirits was.
A prodigy who opened three Common Colors consecutively could already look down on False Golden Core True Beings, let alone a Color Spirit Prodigy like Gu Xin with one Common and two Gold colors. As for the strength of a Triple-Gold Prodigy like Mu Yulong, it was utterly terrifying.
In the hundred years of the Present Era, one saying was very popular.
After the Great Calamity, Golden Cores are as common as dogs; when you see a Color Spirit, bow your head and walk around.
Such a saying circulating for a hundred years showed how powerful Color Spirit Prodigies were.
Just then, the sound of horse neighs came from the sky. Everyone looked over to see three Heavenly Horse Grand Carriages flying toward them.
The horses were Flying Sky Horses, entirely silver-white. Though wingless, they could gallop through the sky. Each of the three Flying Sky Horses pulled a grand carriage, each looking incredibly luxurious—not made of wood but crafted from glazed crystal stone, both extravagant and mysterious.
The Flying Sky Horse was a rare spiritual beast, and in the surrounding regions, only one place had such Heavenly Horse Grand Carriages: the regional hegemon, the Nine-Hua Alliance.
The Heavenly Horse Grand Carriages halted in mid-air. The curtains were drawn back, and over ten people emerged.
There were men and women, old and young.
The men were handsome, the women beautiful, the elders bowed, and the young were excited.
The Nine-Hua Alliance was a major power; its members all had great status and backgrounds.
As for who these over ten arrivals were, not many recognized them. However, many knew the two men and one woman leading them.
One was the envoy responsible for the Liujin Region, Murong Fei.
Another was the envoy responsible for the Qingyang Region, Wei Qing.
And there was a woman named Qing Ning.
She was not an envoy of the Nine-Hua Alliance, her cultivation wasn't very high, and she didn't seem to be a Color Spirit Prodigy either. It was said her father held an unusual status within the Nine-Hua Alliance. Qing Ning was known for her kindness and helpfulness, so many in the surrounding regions knew her.
"Heh."
Murong Fei, with a face like carved jade and an extraordinary bearing, stood in the void, gazing at the desolate mountain shrouded in Rainbow Light. He smiled faintly and said, "It seems Heaven still favors me. Knowing I missed the previous times, it saved one for me."
"I heard the Cave Dwellings that emerged previously also had such mysterious Rainbow Light."
Murong Fei adjusted his collar and smiled. "Brother Wei, do you think there's any connection?"
Wei Qing also stood in the void, looking at the Rainbow Light-shrouded desolate mountain. He shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"What about Qing Ning?"
Murong Fei smiled as he looked at Qing Ning.
Qing Ning shot him an annoyed glance and replied, "If even you two can't tell, how would I know?"
At that moment, a voice came: "Greetings, you two envoys."
"Oh?"
Murong Fei looked up. Seeing the speaker was the Spirit-Capital Sect's Mu Yulong, he smiled and said, "So it's Brother Mu."
During the Great Calamity, almost all sects in the surrounding regions had signed a hundred-year pact with the Nine-Hua Alliance, and the Spirit-Capital Sect was no exception. Now that the hundred-year term was about to end, the Nine-Hua Alliance had been making constant moves, which naturally displeased the Spirit-Capital Sect. Especially since Murong Fei was the envoy responsible for the Liujin Region and had thrown the region into chaos over the years, Mu Yulong had long disliked him.
Of course, dislike was one thing.
Mu Yulong might be arrogant, but he also knew the Nine-Hua Alliance's power was not something one person could shake.
"As far as I know, when the earlier Cave Dwellings emerged, many from your Nine-Hua Alliance rushed in. Why didn't you two go?"
Murong Fei smiled faintly and replied, "When the earlier Cave Dwellings emerged, your Spirit-Capital Sect sent so many experts. If a small fry like me went, wouldn't I be seeking death?"
"Ha! Envoy Murong, you really know how to joke. If an envoy of the Nine-Hua Alliance like you is a small fry, then what are we? Ants?"
Just as Mu Yulong was about to say more, another group of over ten people arrived riding flying swords.
The newcomers were from the renowned Bingxuan Sect of the surrounding regions.
Leading them was one of the famous heroines, True Being Ziyun.
Almost everyone who had heard the name Ziyun knew she was no False Golden Core True Being, but a genuine Golden Core True Being. Her Golden Core was exceptionally pure, and her strength far surpassed that of False Golden Core True Beings. Both were Golden Cores, but the gap between them was as vast as that between a mouse and an elephant.
The cold-faced man accompanying her was also recognized by many. He was an inner disciple of the Bingxuan Sect, also a Color Spirit Prodigy who had opened three colors consecutively, all Gold Colors—Qin Wanli, another very famous Color Spirit Prodigy in the surrounding regions.
When they saw clearly who had arrived, Murong Fei, Wei Qing, and the others from the Nine-Hua Alliance slightly raised their eyebrows, while Mu Yulong from the Spirit-Capital Sect smiled.
Although their Spirit-Capital Sect and the Bingxuan Sect couldn't be considered close allies, they shared a common enemy: the Nine-Hua Alliance.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
He had just been worrying about how to deal with the Nine-Hua Alliance if they entered the Cave Dwelling, and now the Bingxuan Sect had arrived—and it was the heroine True Being Ziyun and Qin Wanli who came.