The Prodigies War

Chapter 860: The Dao Lantern Festival Kicks Off

The rising, red sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky.

A sacred aura filled the world, producing peculiar waves of energy as it spread out and alarming every single cultivator in Star Cliff City.

“The Dao Lantern Festival is about to begin!” Surprised exclamations rang one after another, causing a stir in the city like a hurricane.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Instantly, endless rays of light shot up from the city, whizzing across the sky like a shower of gorgeous multi-colored rain and heading out of the city.

“Cangwu Mountain is about to appear!”

“Quick, this is an unprecedented grand event. Even if we can’t participate in it, we should still get a good spot to watch it.”

“Damn it, don’t push!”

Everyone rushed past one another in a clamorous manner resembling a pot that had exploded.

“Roar!” An Azure Flame Horned Beast soared into the air.

Divine flames flared up around it as it darted across the void. Its aura was as strong as a Life Death Stage King’s, and cultivators flinched back wherever it passed.

Mu Jianting and his party from the Jade Emptiness Temple were all sitting on the majestic beast with confidence and ease.

On the other side, a clear cry rang like a thunderclap from the ninth heaven, which was quickly followed by a beam of golden light springing up. It was a Mysterious Gold Sparrow that was tens of feet long. Its body and wings were so bright and gorgeous like it was cast from real gold.

Carrying the group of people from the Miluo Palace on its back, it disappeared into the void with incredible speed.

Rumble!

The ground quaked as a tremendous Black Jade Dragon Elephant galloped away with Zhongli Wuji and the others on its back, barging through everything and whipping up clouds of dust and smoke.

Nearby, a White-Jade Lightning Lion unleashed a roar of wind and lightning before it soared into the sky. On its back stood Lei Qianjun from the Great Desolate Lightning Clan, his robe rattling around him.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, a dragon-like roar pierced the already tense air, and a beam of blinding golden light whizzed across the sky.

It was a golden nine-headed flood dragon carrying a sacred palace-like building on its back across the blue sky. From afar, it looked as though a golden sun was shifting across the sky.

There was no need to guess to know that they were successors from the Longevity Land of the South Wonder World!

For a moment, across Star Cliff City were divine birds dancing in the sky, ferocious beasts galloping, and all kinds of lights intertwining in the air. Such a magnificent spectacle was rarely seen in the past thousands of years.

That was the influential power of the Dao Lantern Festival!

“Why are there so many people?”

Lin Xun, Yue Jianming and Bai Fengliu were also setting off from the city.

“Most of them are only there to watch. Only peerless genius figures such as you can participate in the Dao Lantern Festival,” Bai Fengliu sighed emotionally. “Back then I was also a peerless talent admired by members of the Windspeaker Clan. I had the talent that amazed heaven and the ambition that shook the world. It’s just unfortunate that I was born at the wrong time and failed to fulfill my ambition to prove to the world. But there’s nothing I can do…”

Lin Xun darted a contemptuous glance at him and didn’t pay any more attention to him. This old man is making more and more ridiculous exaggerations.

Before long, they flew out of the city.

Lin Xun’s pupils shrank.

He saw that the mountains and vast plains in the far distance were bathed in sacred aura, and a shower of auspicious light was raining down from the sky like a waterfall, turning the area into a dreamlike scene.

Rumble!

The ground quaked with low, dull humming as if something was about to break out.

Vaguely, murmurs of great dao sound echoed between heaven and earth, ethereal and ceremoniously, just like the voices of ancient sages reciting scriptures.

A cultivator of the older generation cried out in excitement, “Divine light descending from the sky, dao sound coming alive, those are all signs of the Cangwu Mountain emerging in the world!”

Immediately, countless cultivators quickened their pace.

Lin Xun also couldn’t help from being moved. Cangwu Mountain had to be extraordinary for it to set off such a grand spectacle!

Soon, great dao flowers bloomed in the sky one after another and then fluttered down and danced in an ethereal manner.

Then, heavenly dragons soared into the air, celestial birds spread their wings, a divine rainbow streaked across the sky, auspicious clouds took shape, and other unusual visions appeared. The world seemed to have become an immortal land.

Many cultivators gasped. It was their first time participating in the Dao Lantern Festival so they never expected to witness such marvelous spectacles.

Meanwhile, genius figures watched with blazing eyes and quivering hearts. They were about to take part in the Dao Lantern Festival so it was hard to stop their imagination from running wild after witnessing such amazing spectacles.

“The visions set off with the appearance of Cangwu Mountain are too extraordinary. It has never happened before in the past. Could it be different because of the coming of the great age?” The expressions of some older generation cultivators altered.

They had seen the amazing Dao Lantern Festival in the past, but they had never witnessed one as marvelous and grand.

“When Mu Cangxue, the current sect master of the Unsolved Mystery Sword Sect, was a young age, he achieved great blessings at the Dao Lantern Festival, and that propelled him to achieve his current status. Which peerless person would achieve great opportunities this time?” someone wondered.

Boom!

Suddenly, divine light spread and filled the heaven and the earth, followed by a deafening boom that stirred the nine heavens.

At the same time, the void split open, revealing a sacred mountain.

The thousand-foot majestic mountain stood tall in the air with seemingly-tangible purple auspicious light and qi rising from it.

It was too tall, looking as if it stretched beyond the sky. From a distance, its majestic and boundless body made one feel as small and insignificant as an ant. It was like the land where the legendary divine beings resided.

Cangwu Mountain!

The countless cultivators dispersed across the sky and ground like a tide and the clamor faded into silence. Everyone was staring ahead, shocked by the scene before them.

The cultivators of the older generation who had seen the true face of Cangwu Mountain in the past were just as shocked. The mountain was so mysterious like it didn’t belong in the world.

“If the legend is true, then the supreme sect said to have been established on that mountain in ancient times has to be extremely remarkable!” Lin Xun marveled.

Someone cried out, “Look, that’s the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree!”

Immediately, everyone noticed the billowing purple qi parting halfway up Cangwu Mountain to reveal a thousand-foot-tall sacred tree.

The tree seemed to be entirely cast from bronze and exuded a simple ageless aura.

Its trunk was as sturdy and thick as a dragon’s body, its bark was covered with grains, and its branches were stretching in all directions like powerful swords.

Moreover, each branch was hung with bronze lantern-like flower buds, spewing out a rain of splendid and colorful divine flames.

From afar, the sacred tree seemed to be covered with little suns. Its dazzling light fell splendidly on the world and illuminated the sky and the earth!

“Ten, one hundred, one thousand...Heavens! There are over one thousand bronze lantern flowers this time. This has never happened before!” Granny Jin He and other well-respected figures exclaimed, unable to maintain calm.

One flower lantern represented an opportunity.

Since there are thousands of lanterns, doesn’t that mean there are over thousands of opportunities?

With this thought, she almost trembled all over. It was an undeniably unprecedented blessing! And it might not happen again in the future!

Many spectators’ jaws dropped and stared at the sight in stunned silence.

The Dao Lantern Festival was too unusual. All signs pointed to the fact that Cangwu Mountain and the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree had undergone unprecedented changes, and the blessings were different from those in the past!

“Little Brother Lin, you must grasp this opportunity!”

Bai Fengliu was so excited that his lips quivered. “I, your big brother, can’t participate, but I’m sure that there will be a matchless blessing at this Dao Lantern Festival. If you win it, it will bring you immeasurable benefits. Whether it is in becoming a Life Death Stage King or a Saint, it will be within reach for you!”

He clapped Lin Xun on the shoulder hard. “Don’t forget that Mu Cangxue, the current sect master of the Unsolved Mystery Sword Alms, also obtained great blessings here. It has only been a few hundreds of years since then, but he is now one step away from reaching the Saint Stage!”

“Also this Dao Lantern Festival is completely different from those in the past, which means the blessings and opportunities born will only be greater. You will regret it for life if you don’t win anything!”

Lin Xun would give it his all even without Bai Fengliu’s reminder….

In addition to Lin Xun, all other peerless geniuses were repeatedly reminded by the influential figures around them to fight with all their strength. They could all tell that the Dao Lantern Festival was very unusual.

Bang!

Suddenly, a cultivator rushed forward, hoping to be the first to get close to Cangwu Mountain, but before he was near, he was blasted backwards and slammed into the ground, coughing up blood.

Everyone snapped awake from the shock and broke into a commotion.

Someone sneered, “Haha, how funny! You’re not strong enough yet you want to participate in this Dao Lantern Festival!”

“Since ancient times, only those who are considered genius talents can take part in the Dao Lantern Festival. Do you think you can just ignore that? If you don’t qualify then you should give up now!” another person remarked indifferently.

But Lin Xun sharply noticed that before the cultivator was blasted away, he had slammed into an invisible prohibition barrier.

“Perhaps, it is that prohibition that prevented ordinary cultivators from ascending the mountain.”

Only then did Lin Xun realize why only peerless geniuses participated in the Dao Lantern Festival? It was for a very simple reason. Ordinary cultivators were not strong enough to get close to Cangwu Mountain!

“That’s the power of the laws of Cangwu Mountain. Not only do ordinary cultivators can’t participate, but old monsters of the Cyclic Derivation Stage and above also can’t pass through it.”

Bai Fengliu explained, “In the past, an old monster at the Life Death Stage has attempted to enter, but in the end, he was left badly wounded and returned home in disappointment. Also, it is rumored that a Saint once visited this place in person, but he turned around and left after taking a look at the mountain. This suggests that even Saints may not be able to enter this mountain!”

Lin Xun was taken aback. Even Saints can’t overcome the prohibition force?

His gaze changed again as he studied Cangwu Mountain. If the supreme sect back then has vanished with time but this mountain survived years of changes, then that is too incredible!

What kind of secret is concealed on the mountain?

Perhaps, I will only know when I step foot onto it!

At that moment, a covetous desire was ignited in Lin Xun’s heart.