Chapter Eighty-Four: The Disciples of the Seven-Colored Gate

We had followed them for so long, yet those people ahead hadn't noticed us at all, as if they were completely oblivious. I continued trailing them as they moved forward, and after a while, they chose a path up the mountain.

There was no proper trail on the mountain, so they were simply feeling their way upward. Since they were all cultivators, their pace was naturally swift, and climbing the mountain posed no challenge for them. On the contrary, I was struggling a bit. Though I possessed a trace of spiritual energy, it was hardly enough; had I not trained my body long-term, I wouldn't have been able to keep up at all.

The bamboo on the mountain grew thickly, and if I wasn't careful, I could easily lose them, so I had to stay utterly focused. Fortunately, they stopped every now and then to check their direction, giving me brief moments to rest.

The mountain was not high to begin with, and as they darted through the bamboo forest with energetic strides, we soon reached the summit.

Suddenly, one of them let out a loud cry of astonishment. At first, I thought we had been discovered and instinctively crouched lower, but then I realized they must have seen something at the foot of the mountain that shocked them.

After a brief, hushed discussion among themselves, they quickly began descending the mountain. Li Zijian and I followed after them.

Earlier, trailing behind them, I hadn't managed to see anything. But now, standing atop the summit, I finally saw the scene below.

There was no bamboo forest at the base of the mountain; instead, the entire area was enveloped in a dense spiritual aura, the terrain forming a broad basin. Near the center of the basin yawned a large cave, with a crowd gathered at its entrance.

It was clear the true treasure lay within that cave.

"Yao, should we go down?" Li Zijian asked.

I surveyed the terrain and realized that, from our current position, it would take only ten minutes to reach the cave entrance at a run.

On our side, we were almost devoid of combat ability, and Li Zijian, lacking practical experience, would hardly be able to handle this situation. We decided to wait for the right moment.

I gestured for Li Zijian to crouch and quietly observe those by the cave entrance.

From afar, the cave's interior was pitch-black, yet deep within, two faint lights seemed to flicker. But it was broad daylight, and I couldn't see clearly—it was possible I was mistaken.

I tugged Li Zijian aside, moving away. At this distance, we couldn't hear what the people below were saying, and there was no cover—we were too exposed.

We found a large boulder and hid behind it. The spot was perfect; it sheltered us both and allowed us to listen clearly to the conversation below.

The group I had been tracking had already joined those at the cave, and there were many others who had come alone, each seeming formidable in their own right.

Suddenly, an elder with a white beard at the front spoke up: "Everyone, quiet down and listen to me."

His presence was commanding; the noisy crowd instantly fell silent to hear him.

"We have all gathered here today for this treasure, which is about to be revealed. All that's required is to break the barrier with our combined strength, and the prize will be ours," he declared, a sly smile flickering across his face—a subtle gesture, but one I caught.

With that, more than twenty people present unsheathed their weapons; the scene was a dazzling display.

Each blow against the barrier at the cave's mouth sent ripples through it, though there was no sign of it breaking yet.

I even saw a man at the rear, making intricate gestures, then his sword leapt from its scabbard and shot toward the barrier, striking it at incredible speed.

Later, I learned this was a Daoist art of Wudang Mountain; the truly skilled could even ride their swords through the air.

And that wasn't all—there was a burly man wielding a meteor hammer, each swing resounding with the force of a thousand pounds.

Another used a sword as well, but unlike the first, he conjured phantom blades to strike at the barrier, somewhat reminiscent of my own Shadow Wing Blade technique.

All manner of weapons dazzled my eyes, and the elderly man at the very front, despite his age, exuded the strongest aura of all.

His weapon was a half-moon blade, gripped in the middle like a small bow, capable of being disassembled for even greater power.

After so many rounds of assault, the barrier finally trembled violently and then cracked open a large gap.

"Give it your all!" the white-bearded elder commanded. Everyone surged forward, attacking with renewed vigor.

No barrier could withstand such an onslaught for long. Sure enough, after half an hour, the rift in the barrier had grown ever wider.

Just as I was about to seize the opportunity and dash down, another group suddenly appeared behind us. They all wore identical black robes, and their leader seemed to glide above the ground, almost as if he could fly.

Their presence was far more intimidating than the others; each gripped a gleaming weapon.

"People of the Seven-Colored Sect—what are they doing here?"

The Seven-Colored Sect? Wasn't that the sect whose members had broken into my room that night? Truly, fate has a way of bringing enemies together.

At this point, many of the gossips in the crowd began to speak:

"The Seven-Colored Sect only recently gained a foothold in the cultivation world—a sect barely a few years old, with none of the heritage of the great sects."

"But their sect leader is incredibly strong—rumor has it he fought in the great war a thousand years ago. Yet all he cares about is killing, and his disciples are the same."

"The Seven-Colored Sect is nothing but a villainous group, capable of any wickedness..."

Hearing all this, I felt there was more to the Seven-Colored Sect than met the eye. As for that ancient war, it held little interest for me.

Lost in thought, I saw that the Seven-Colored Sect had already approached the others.

Their leader and the white-bearded elder exchanged a polite gesture, and the Seven-Colored Sect's leader spoke first: "Elder Wu, it's been a while."

He was not unattractive; in fact, he had an effortless handsomeness, but his voice was chilling and resonant.

Elder Wu seemed displeased and snorted, "What are you doing here?"

The Seven-Colored Sect's leader replied courteously, "We are here on our sect master’s orders, to reclaim the treasure."

Immediately, the crowd erupted in whispers:

"What? They just show up and want the treasure? Shameless!"

"Don't they know about first come, first served? Truly the most despicable sect around!"

The Seven-Colored Sect’s people, too, were prideful; tensions rose, and a fight seemed imminent, but their leader held them back.

For him to be in charge, he must have been extraordinary. Enduring so many insults with a steady smile was no easy feat.

"Elder Wu, if you would be so kind as to let us have the treasure, our sect will be sure to show you hospitality in the future."

But Elder Wu had no intention of yielding. Instead, he spat back, "You of the Seven-Colored Sect are truly shameless. Now you’re openly robbing us! Well, I’ll tell you right now—you won’t be taking this treasure today!"