Chapter Ten: The Gathering of Ruan Lingyu

On Heavenly Soul Mountain, within the Gate of Heaven and Earth, the number of people present was noticeably higher than usual. Today was not only the day when the three great cultivation sects gathered here, but also the day when the so-called barbaric Kuya people, in the eyes of these cultivators, would attend as well. Since the great war between cultivators and mortals, this was the first time a Kuya delegation had set foot in a cultivator’s sect.

As Lei Shan led his five Kuya squads to the foot of Heavenly Soul Mountain, he immediately sensed countless unfriendly auras emanating from above. What was even more infuriating was that the Gate of Heaven and Earth had arranged this gathering at their very peak—Heavenly Soul Summit—towering over thirty thousand meters above the ground.

Most insultingly, the disciple sent to receive them was a mere mortal in the Innate stage, not even having reached the Golden Core realm. Anyone below that was not considered a true cultivator. In other words, these cultivators did not regard the Kuya as equals at all.

"Lei Shan, brother!" All five squad leaders approached, their indignation plain to see. The actions of the Gate of Heaven and Earth were clearly meant as a provocation, yet without Lei Shan’s command, none dared act rashly.

"Hold your ground. Wait for Brother Qin before making any decisions," Lei Shan ordered. In an instant, his anger faded, replaced by composure. With a pleasant smile, he strode up to the mortal disciple who had come to receive them. "Good sir, would you kindly inform your superiors that the Kuya delegation, bearing the Ruan Spirit Jade, has arrived at Heavenly Soul Mountain?"

"Ah, very well. Follow me," the disciple replied lazily, not sparing the Kuya a glance nor caring about their barely concealed anger, and led the way toward the mountain gate.

"Arrogant underling," Lei Shan muttered, clenching his fists as he marched up the mountain at the head of his eighty-strong Kuya contingent.

In Su Yu Star, mortals at the Innate stage were considered near useless, yet even such a useless individual could still look down on the Kuya, who were known to rival cultivators in strength. It must be said: under the shelter of a powerful sect, even a gatekeeper found reason to inflate his own self-worth.

"I am an outer sect disciple; I can only bring you this far," the guide finally said, stopping after an indeterminate distance. He gestured toward the sheer cliff ahead. "This is the Broken Bridge. You’ll have to find a way across yourselves."

The Broken Bridge was situated more than eight thousand meters above the ground. Whether through neglect or design, the chasm stretched over fifteen hundred meters, while the bridge that once spanned it had been reduced to a mere dozen meters.

"Is this how you, the Gate of Heaven and Earth, treat your guests?" Lei Shan’s face darkened. The Kuya might possess formidable physical endurance, but lacked the ability to fly. With a fifteen-hundred-meter gap before them, it was theoretically impossible for them to cross.

The outer sect disciple simply shrugged, feigning innocence. "I’m afraid that’s not my problem. My job was to bring you here. If you can’t get across, you may as well turn back—these cultivators’ gatherings aren’t meant for barbarians like you." With that, he ignored the Kuya entirely and started back down the mountain, his parting words drifting in the wind: "I can’t imagine why the sect master would permit these barbarians to attend in the first place!"

"Let me help you down," Lei Shan finally lost his temper. Just as the disciple turned, Lei Shan planted a foot in his lower back, sending him tumbling down the mountain before he could even cry out.

"Mortals across the chasm, heed this: according to the Gate of Heaven and Earth’s ancestral rules, any who wish to reach Heavenly Soul Summit must cross the Broken Bridge alone!" Suddenly, a Nascent Soul cultivator appeared, arms folded, arrogance radiating from his every movement.

"Enough of your noise. The path below is clear—you can join it!" A voice boomed from above, and without any visible movement, the Nascent Soul cultivator was struck as if by a powerful force, crashing toward the ground at a speed rivaling that of a Void Ascendant.

"Brother Qin!" Lei Shan recognized Qin Shuang’s arrival by his voice alone, though he still found the manner of his entrance rather astonishing.

Qin Shuang floated gently down before Lei Shan, smiling. "You were too lenient on that outer sect disciple. I saw everything—your kick, and all that came before. I’d say your anger was vented a bit late."

Lei Shan scratched his head sheepishly. "I wanted to beat him up first, but I was worried there’d be no one left to lead us up the mountain."

"If you’d done that and then turned to leave, I guarantee the Gate of Heaven and Earth would have invited you back with utmost respect," Qin Shuang replied. He well knew the value of the Ruan Spirit Jade—without this piece, the other four would be useless. With such a prize at stake, he doubted the cultivators would ever let it slip away.

"Ah..." Lei Shan hesitated. "Brother Qin, perhaps we should just go back down the mountain."

"Back down? We’ve come all this way—why waste your energy?"

"But... we can’t fly. There’s no way across the Broken Bridge," Lei Shan stammered, feeling awkward and unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"That’s hardly a problem. If you can’t fly, just walk across," Qin Shuang said, stepping into the void. Though he appeared to be walking on air, to the others it looked as though he moved on solid ground. "Follow me."

Lei Shan stared in disbelief as Qin Shuang walked forward, seemingly treading on level earth. He tentatively placed one foot out, and to his amazement, it felt just like standing on solid ground. Admiration for Qin Shuang swelled within him, and he quickly followed with his other foot.

The remaining eighty Kuya warriors were far less hesitant, stepping out onto the void without the slightest pause. Witnessing this, Qin Shuang secretly praised their courage.

Qin Shuang had made no effort to hide his actions—aside from sending the Nascent Soul cultivator crashing to the ground—so every cultivator above the Tribulation Crossing stage observed all of this with their spiritual senses.

Inside a thatched hut atop Heavenly Soul Summit, three elders had been meditating with eyes closed. The moment Qin Shuang stepped into the void, all three opened their eyes at once.

"This... how is this possible? A mere Golden Core cultivator, silently using his own true essence to create a bridge..." Meng Jun, the Gate of Heaven and Earth’s highest authority, a Second Tribulation Loose Immortal, gaped in shock, unable to conceal his astonishment.

Yang Qingtian, pillar of the Yin-Yang Sect, was equally aghast. "Not only is he using his own energy to build this bridge, but he’s maintaining it for all these Kuya to cross—such a feat would require the combined efforts of the three of us!"

"He claims to be at the Golden Core stage, but surely that’s a deception. Yet if he means to deceive, why perform these feats before our very eyes?" murmured the Second Tribulation Loose Immortal from the Wuling Sect, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Nor were they alone in their shock. In the main hall of the Gate of Heaven and Earth, the sect masters and elders of the three great sects stared, dumbfounded—none more so than Ling Yufei.

"Let’s go outside and see for ourselves. If they’ve come to cause trouble, our juniors won’t be able to handle it," Meng Jun said, rising and making his way outside.

"Ling Sect Master, didn’t you say he was a Golden Core cultivator?" asked Meng Xu, current master of the Gate of Heaven and Earth, turning his gaze on Ling Yufei as his spiritual sense confirmed what he’d seen. The others in the hall followed suit, all seeking an explanation from the Wuling Sect’s leader.

"But... but I assure you, he truly is only at the Golden Core stage," Ling Yufei answered, sweat beading on his brow. He spoke as best he could, but he knew full well that using one’s own true essence to create a bridge for others—even his own sect’s Second Tribulation Loose Immortal—was a feat beyond their capability.

"Perhaps... there’s something unusual about those Kuya," a newly advanced Tribulation Crossing cultivator whispered. "They do have a way of exceeding expectations."

"That’s possible, but..." another interjected, "You saw for yourself—before he arrived, the Kuya didn’t dare try crossing, and as soon as he appeared, he sent that Nascent Soul disciple crashing to the ground. Such power can’t possibly belong to a Golden Core cultivator."

At that moment, Heavenly Soul Summit was host to the finest cultivators of Su Yu Star—if not yet in the Tribulation Crossing realm, then certainly the most talented among their peers. Yet now, every one of them was stunned by Qin Shuang’s entrance. Fear gripped their hearts. The Kuya, once their adversaries, had found themselves a powerful ally. If anyone believed their visit to the Gate of Heaven and Earth was without ulterior motive, they would be lying to themselves.

"Lei Shan of the Kuya, here to attend the Ruan Spirit Jade gathering." Lei Shan’s deep voice echoed through the hall as he, Qin Shuang, and the eighty Kuya warriors arrived at the entrance.

The hall fell silent. Though none could gauge Qin Shuang’s true strength, all understood one thing: the bird that stands out gets shot. Better to keep one’s head down and survive.

"I am Meng Xu, current master of the Gate of Heaven and Earth," Meng Xu finally said, forcing himself to step forward and bow to Lei Shan. "We welcome our friends from the Kuya tribe. With the five pieces of Ruan Spirit Jade gathered, we can discuss our next steps." As he spoke, his gaze flickered briefly to Qin Shuang. Judging by his aura, Qin Shuang did indeed appear to be only at the Golden Core stage. This observation lent Meng Xu some confidence. He saluted the Kuya, then turned to Qin Shuang. "May I ask your name, sir?"

Qin Shuang smiled faintly and replied with utmost simplicity, "You’re not qualified to know who I am. Go ahead with your meeting—I’m here as a representative of the Kuya."