Chapter 80: Sunrise

Come to think of it, Yonglu Mountain did not seem to have any explicit rule forbidding disciples from climbing onto the roof ridge of the Grand Hall of Juyong to watch the sunrise, did it?

Of course, no disciple before them had ever possessed such a beautifully audacious idea.

As expected of their divine dragon master. He truly knew Yonglu Mountain like the back of his hand.

The Grand Hall of Juyong stood in an extremely prominent location, directly opposite the main gates and suspended above the mountain peaks. Only a single steep Floating Cloud Stairway led up to it. The hall remained shrouded in spirit clouds year-round, rich in spiritual energy and wreathed in rosy light.

Ordinary disciples could openly enter the Grand Hall of Juyong only when they first joined the sect. At all other times, opportunities to visit were rare. Only those whose cultivation had reached the very top—sect elders and the Sect Master—could come and go freely.

“The last time I came to the Grand Hall of Juyong was when I formally became a disciple.”

There was no array around the Grand Hall of Juyong forbidding people from floating through the air. Unfortunately, none of the three had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, so they could not fly on objects. That left the Floating Cloud Stairway as their only route up.

Tonight was New Year’s Eve, and there were not many disciples on duty within the sect. Those who were working had been stationed at the front and rear gates or near important array nodes. No one was guarding the stairway.

Then again, even on ordinary days, the Grand Hall of Juyong was left unguarded.

It was not that the hall’s security was poor. Rather—

The hall itself was part of the mountain protection array.

Even the opening of the main gates every New Year’s Day was caused by the array automatically drawing in spiritual energy and activating. In other words, if they triggered the mountain protection array, the three of them would probably spend at least ten New Years in the Punishment Hall.

But with their cultivation, triggering the mountain protection array?

That was nothing but a fool’s dream.

“There really is no one guarding it. There shouldn’t be any mechanisms or arrays on the Floating Cloud Stairway, right?”

“I don’t smell any danger,” Chen Zui said.

Wen Xu: …

Why did it feel as though these two were even more enthusiastic than he was?!

Bian Chunzhou waved frantically. “Wen Xuxu, hurry! I think some disciples patrolling the mountain are coming this way—”

Confirmed. They were definitely more enthusiastic than he was.

The three of them hurried onto the Floating Cloud Stairway one after another. It was rather similar to the Heart Inquiry Realm they had climbed when entering the sect. Even the sensation beneath their feet felt much the same.

It was just that…

The staircase stretched endlessly upward, with no end in sight.

“Haven’t we been walking for almost half an hour?”

“About that. We’ve climbed one thousand five hundred and thirty-six steps.”

…

You’re pretty ruthless yourself, counting every single one so clearly.

Could they have taken a wrong turn?

Bian Chunzhou raised his head to look at the pitch-black sky. Layers of dark floating clouds piled upward like soft black cotton candy. Unable to resist, he reached out and poked one.

It actually felt rather nice.

“Do you think we’ve already gone too far?”

He had been so busy looking upward that he had completely forgotten about the view behind them.

Bian Chunzhou glanced back. He was not afraid of heights, but if he fell from here, he really would die, wouldn’t he?

Oh no. He had not thought anything of it before, but now that the idea had occurred to him, his legs were suddenly starting to tremble.

What was he supposed to do?!

Wen Xu’s eyes were covered, so he “saw” through his perception of the wind. He had been walking in the middle the entire time, protected by his two friends, which was the only reason he had the energy to count the steps.

Hearing this, he shook his head.

“We haven’t gone too far. The wind on the stairway rises from below, and the amount of spiritual energy it carries is steadily increasing.”

Had they passed the hall, the Grand Hall of Juyong would have intercepted the spiritual energy. There could not possibly still be this much.

“That doesn’t make sense, then. Could we just be walking too slowly?”

Bian Chunzhou looked upward, but he could not see the entrance to the hall at all.

He tried hard to remember how he had reached the Grand Hall of Juyong last time.

Oh.

Someone had brought him up on a flying artifact.

“Forget it. We’ve already come this far. There’s no way we can give up!”

And so, the three of them lowered their heads and continued climbing.

By the time they reached the three-thousandth step, they could see the direction of Langyuan City. Flames illuminated half the sky in dazzling brilliance. They could not make out the details, but…

It was the New Year!

“Wen Xuxu! Chen Zuizui! Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Chunzhou, Chen Zui.”

Hehe.

Although the three of them were still halfway up the “mountain,” it did nothing to dampen Bian Chunzhou’s good mood.

With companions who never spoiled the fun, even Wen Xu, who had not originally been particularly enthusiastic, now felt that they absolutely had to see today’s sunrise.

Otherwise, would they not have climbed these three thousand steps for nothing?

And so, another three thousand steps passed.

Then another three thousand.

By the time a thin haze faintly veiled the clouds on the horizon, the three of them finally saw the Grand Hall of Juyong not far ahead, surrounded by clouds and mist.

“I have a bad feeling.”

“What?”

“This Floating Cloud Stairway might have nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps!”

Chen Zui and Bian Chunzhou exchanged a glance. Then, with perfect mutual understanding, they grabbed Wen Xu and started running upward.

They had no choice but to run. They had already come this far. If they did not hurry now, they would miss the sunrise!

They had already climbed the Floating Cloud Stairway. If they failed to see the sunrise after all that, they would have terrible luck for the entire year!

Driven by that determination, the three ran faster and faster until they nearly left afterimages behind.

Fortunately, cultivators had excellent stamina. Just as the first ray of rosy light burst forth, they barely managed to reach the plaza in front of the Grand Hall of Juyong.

“Damn! I really climbed all the way up here! Even I’m impressed with myself!”

The moment Bian Chunzhou finished shouting, soaring rosy light suddenly erupted across the horizon.

It was magnificent and fantastical, vast and flamboyant, richly vivid and lustrous. Even the greatest master of color in the world could never have painted such dazzling, wondrous hues.

Bian Chunzhou stared blankly at the Creator’s spectacular display of skill.

It was too beautiful.

So beautiful that he instinctively held his breath.

And yet, this astonishing sunrise had only just begun.

The next moment, however, his spirits sank slightly.

Wen Xuxu could not see the beautiful sight before them.

He could not help secretly glancing at Wen Xu, who stood motionless nearby.

Cultivators could naturally sense the rising and setting of the sun. Bian Chunzhou tried closing his eyes.

He felt a gentle wind brush softly across his face. Not far away, countless strands of auspicious energy shifted through endless transformations, no less magnificent than what he had seen with his own eyes.

Bian Chunzhou thought that Wen Xuxu did not need his consolation.

How wonderful.

They had watched this magnificent sunrise of the cultivation world together.

Wahhh, those nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps had not been climbed in vain!

Compared with Bian Chunzhou’s outward display of emotion, Chen Zui was far calmer. He simply stared unblinkingly at the egg-yolk-like sun, seemingly trying his best to determine what was different about its rising today compared with any ordinary day.

After studying it for a long while, he reached a conclusion.

For some reason, today’s sunrise really did look better.

Chen Zui did not understand why, but his hands felt a little restless.

He wanted to swing his saber.

He turned to look at his two friends, then flexed his fingers. In the end, he restrained himself.

Somehow, he felt that practicing his saber right now would spoil the mood.

Though he did not really understand what “spoiling the mood” meant.

At some point, Wen Xu had opened his eyes.

Through the ribbon covering them, he saw wind leap forth from the depths of the clouds. Accompanied by the enormous sun, it seemed like Xihe driving her chariot in pursuit of the solar orb.

The wind, too, was chasing the sunlight.

Unable to resist, he stepped forward, wanting to see clearly what kind of wind it was.

But he could not.

He could not see it clearly at all!

His vision grew increasingly blurred until all he could see was…

Dark, hazy light and shadow.

He slowly closed his eyes.

In that instant, he saw the wind all around him, as well as the long currents in the distance wrapped in sunlight.

They filled the entire Grand Hall of Juyong without restraint. Like mischievous children, they drifted freely and carelessly, scattered without the slightest concern.

Wen Xu raised his head and saw where the wind converged—

The roof ridge.

More precisely, the exact center of the Grand Hall of Juyong’s roof ridge.

He watched the wind gather layer by layer into a ball, wrapped in ribbons of spiritual energy and auspicious light. It grew larger and more tightly compressed before settling onto the ridge and slowly flowing across every roof tile of the hall.

What did it resemble?

Creak—

The doors of the Grand Hall of Juyong suddenly began to open.

The loose, flowing wind abruptly took shape.

Wen Xu thought, I need to go up to the roof ridge and take a look.

And that was exactly what he did.

He did not even need to use any spiritual energy or spell. All he had to do was follow the wind pouring through the open doors.

The wind possessed a natural affinity for him and regarded him as one of its own. In no time at all, it carried him onto the roof ridge.

The instant his feet touched down, Wen Xu looked up at the sky.

It was so clear.

All at once, he could see the shape of the wind.

How could Master know even this so clearly?!

Could it be that Master had also secretly…

Come here before?!

When Bian Chunzhou and Chen Zui saw Wen Xu rise into the air, they thought he had encountered danger and hurried after him.

Then, when they landed on the roof ridge, they too froze.

This was—

“The mountain protection array. This is Yonglu Mountain’s mountain protection array.”

The wind had taken the shape of the mountain protection array.

Or rather, it had merged into it and converged within it.

The fit was so seamless, so perfect, as though it had always been meant to exist this way.

Wen Xu was no array master, but he had spent some time studying arrays recently. With the advantage of his wind spiritual root, he had also observed every form the wind could take.

Given his intelligence, it was not difficult for him to realize that this was the shape formed when the wind was restrained by the array.

And yet, even when confined by the mountain protection array, the wind remained free.

He felt as though he understood something.

But not completely.

“Then what we’re standing on couldn’t possibly be…”

Chen Zui finished Bian Chunzhou’s sentence.

“Beneath our feet is the mountain protection array.”

The three of them immediately stood rigidly upright.

Even after the vast and radiant sunrise came to an end, their emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Even Chen Zui felt that if every sunrise were like this one, he would not mind climbing nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps each day to watch it.

Climbing stairs was not all that boring, after all.

“Awesome! Today’s sunrise was seriously amazing!”

Bian Chunzhou spoke excitedly, only to hear Wen Xuxu suddenly say beside him, “The dumplings last night were also delicious. Very delicious. Especially the pickled-cabbage ones.”

Nonsense!

You clearly do not like sour food. You prefer shrimp dumplings with three delicacies!

But forget it. Today was New Year’s Day, so he would refrain from exposing his thin-skinned Junior Granduncle-Master.

“Why are you suddenly bringing up dumplings? Weren’t you—mmph!”

What was going on?

Why was someone covering his mouth again?!

Wen Xu smiled faintly.

“You don’t want to speak, do you?”

Chen Zui: …

Forget it. Better listen to the clever one.

The Grand Hall of Juyong fell completely silent. Only the sound of wind passing through its open doors remained.

The three of them had already descended from the roof ridge. Now, they faced another new problem—

“So… how are we supposed to get back down?”

If they simply walked down like this, would they not be helping the Punishment Hall hit its performance targets at the very start of the year?

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