Entrants to the Forest

Chen Wentian froze as the last guest was introduced. He didn't expect someone from the Martial Brilliance Continent, at least not so openly. He certainly expected the Seven Potentates and the Yang Clan of Great Waves in particular to send people to investigate him and his sect.

Across the wide distance of the plaza, between the two sets of seats to the east and west, Chen Wentian stared at Yang Maoda, not backing down from the challenge. Showing up like this, in the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent, was a blatant provocation.

Yang Gehu had suffered a crushing defeat at the Gift Giving Ceremony. The Yang Clan of Great Waves had suffered humiliation as they had never before. Was it finally time for their counterattack? Was this Immortal Yellow River the opening move?

"This Immortal Yellow River surely has some relation to that Yang Gehu you mentioned." Zhou Ziyun whispered.

"That is certain. Though I don't know why he would show himself instead of continuing to stay in the shadows. Why would the Eastern Sword Alliance invite him of all people?" Chen Wentian said.

"Yang Kaitian is also surnamed Yang. Maybe he is a bastard offspring, a distant relative of the Yang Clan. Speaking of them, has there been any intrusions into the sect's territories?" She asked.

"I haven't detected anything around the sect or main the cities of the province. However, some anonymous immortals have flown across the province unannounced in the past few weeks. Perhaps it was this Yang Maoda. As a Spirit Lord, it's much easier to get around without causing too much noise. He could have been running around the subcontinent for a long time and gathering information on us."

Chen Wentian said this but he wasn't sure. The truth was that cultivation arts that allowed a person to move around undetected were all closely guarded secrets. If the Yang Clan of Great Waves had such an ability, Chen Wentian certainly wouldn't know about it. If one existed, it would be one of the highest secrets within their clan.

He had tried to spy on them in the Martial Brilliance Continent but found the task much too difficult. There were so many powerful immortals that shadow anchors only lasted a short while. And even if he could take over the soul of a junior Yang Clan member, they were simply not important enough to be privy to any useful information.

"Master, how should we respond?" Zhou Ziyun asked. "Should we move ahead with some of our plans in the continent?"

He glanced at her and patted her arm, "No need for now. He is only a dog of the Yang Clan. Nothing to worry about. He made a mistake showing his face and taunting me."

"Alright."

The pair their attention back to the convocation. Yang Kaitian finished introducing everyone on the southern side and then introduced the mortal sects and loose cultivators on the western side that made up the rest of the hopefuls.

He didn't spend too much time on them and quickly moved on to the rules of the competition. He explained that the Forest of Swords only produced a limited amount of sword truths every five years. Too many people fighting over a small number of sword truths would create chaos so the number of people allowed to enter the forest was limited to three hundred and thirty-three.

The highest cultivation allowed entry by the protective array around the forest was the third lesser realm of Spiritual Awakening. Nobody knew exactly why the fourth and last lesser realm wasn't allowed but some speculated that senior Dugu wanted a person's final step towards immortality to be wholly their own and not because of external assistance.

On the other end, there was no minimum limit for one's cultivation to enter the forest. Someone at the Body Refinement Realm or even a child could enter. In practice, both were impractical and thus banned by the Eastern Sword Alliance.

Mind Focusing Realm cultivators were allowed but their numbers were strictly limited. Out of the total of three hundred and thirty-three, only thirty-three spots were allocated to those at the Mind Focusing Realm. It was intended that only the best of the best at this lower realm could enter and seek to leap-frog their cultivation with a lucky encounter.

Even though Mind Focusing Realm cultivators were allowed, the forest was still the realm of those at the peak of the Spirit Initiate Realm. They would be the ones to brave mysterious challenges and trials set forth by the forest. They would be ones fighting and competing with each other for the desired prizes. Of all the names recorded onto the sword pillars of Everblade City as having obtained a sword truth, only a scarce number was not at the peak of the Spirit Initiate Realm.

Once inside the forest, the entrants would have two weeks to explore and search for sword truths. Where they entered the forest would also be their exit but it would be shut, not to open until the two weeks were up. They would be on their own, isolated from the outside world. Any conflicts and dangers, they would have to face by themselves.

"Alright! As many of you have already sensed, the entrance of the Forest of Swords is beginning to open up." Yang Kaitian said, still energetic as ever, "It will fully open in three days. Thus, it is our goal to establish the complete roster of three hundred and thirty-three entrants in this time. Firstly, the three hundred slots for those at the Spirit Initiate Realm and the lesser realms, as always, we will determine the spots based on a challenge tournament!"

Yang Kaitian waved his hand and summoned his spiritual energy. He leaped from the southern side to the north of the plaza and dug his hands into the ground. With a shout, he raised a towering stone pillar and planted it into the ground.

After the rumbling stopped and the dust cleared, everyone could see individual names carved into the stone, one name per row. There weren't three hundred names but close to around two hundred and fifty. Curiously, one name stood out in particular which was at the very top. It contained the symbols that spelled out Wu Qianyu, Ten Thousand Flower Valley.

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