Meng Lin took a deep breath, feeling excitement and anticipation build up within her.

She had memories of the Thousand Mountains Region and its beauty, but seeing it in person was a completely different experience.

The region was filled with towering mountains and lush forests, with streams and waterfalls cascading down the slopes. The air was fresh and crisp, and the sky was a bright shade of blue.

Division Head Zheng led the way, and the group followed closely behind. They were on a mission, and there was no time to waste.

As they walked, Division Head Zheng briefed them on the mountain and the dangers they may encounter.

The Thousand Mountain Region is a relatively safe place, its only short comings is that it’s too big, it’s under the jurisdiction of the Soul Shattering Sect but even they couldn’t cover all the areas of the region.

Meng Lin listened intently, taking in every detail. She began to think about the mission, she had trained for the last two days in her Celestial Moonlit Sword technique and this mission was the perfect opportunity to put her skills to the test.

After several hours of walking, the group finally reached their destination. They arrived at a giant cliff filled with cultivators.

Meng Lin was surprised as she saw the number of cultivators gathered at the cliff of the mountain, they numbered in the hundreds.

Most of them were young men in the foundation establishment realm but there were a shocking few within the Gold Core Realm.

And it seemed that even more cultivators were coming to test their chances.

Division Head Zheng stepped forward and a hush fell over the crowd, he didn’t say anything as he directed his group towards a spot to wait.

There were murmurs of recognition from the crowd and Meng Lin could sense the slight tension in the air.

They were all here for the same reason, and not everyone would be willing to share.

Their small group took their spots with Meng Lin seated next to Yue Feng.

“is the Nether Cloud Domain not open yet” Meng Lin asked.

“Not yet, we’re gonna have to wait for a few hours” Yue Feng replied.

Meng Lin nodded, understanding the process. The Nether Cloud Domain was one of the most dangerous and mysterious places in the cultivation world so it’s gotta have a cliché method of opening.

Division Head Zheng said ”you guys will all be transported to random places so the first thing that you have to do is regroup”

“Here, these talismans will help you locate each other, make sure to keep them safe.”

Meng Lin took the talisman and carefully stored it away. She was ready for this challenge and was determined to come out on top.

As they waited, more people arrived, even some from other sects, but Meng Lin noticed that none of the other prominent sects had come.

It seemed that there were other ways of entering the Nether Cloud Domain, she had heard from the murmuring of the crowd that this specific entrance was under the boundaries of the soul shattering sect.

So she wouldn’t be surprised if there were other locations for other sects as well.

Finally, after a few hours there was a sudden shift in the air, and a rumble sounded as a crack appeared in the sky.

Crack!!

The crack grew wider to become a tear, and a gateway to the Nether Cloud Domain was formed.

The hundreds of cultivators stationed at the cliff didn’t move forward as they wanted to wait for Division Head Zheng’s group to go in first.

The old man stood up and gestured for the diciples around him to move forward.

“You guys can go ahead, I’ll be waiting for your success,” he said, and the leader of the group, Ru Xuan nooded his head.

As they approached the tear in space Meng Lin could feel dark and dangerous aura emanating from within.

Ru Xuan led the way, and the group followed closely behind. They stepped through the gateway and were immediately transported to a different environment.

****

A few hundred miles away from the Thousand Mountain Region was the Spiritual Sea Region. It was a vast expanse of ocean, with islands scattered throughout.

On one of the islands, a group of cultivators were also preparing for the Nether Cloud Domain challenge. They were from one of the rank 5 sects, The Divine Soul Sect, one of the top sects in the Luan Continent.

Their group consisted of 10 cultivators, four of which were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, within which was Li Wei.

A young man with exceptional talent in the art of soul manipulation. He is one of the three in the Divine Soul Sect that has Luan’s Soul so he was looked upon favorably by the higher ups.

The leader of the group was Xue Lian, a powerful female cultivator who had reached the early stage of the Gold Core Realm at the age of 27, she is considered a genius but she is known for her ice-cold demeanor and her deadly sword techniques as well as her white silvery hair.

The island they were on was a tropical paradise, with crystal-clear waters and white sand beaches. The air was warm, and the sound of the waves was soothing.

The Divine Soul Sect cultivators had been training for months on this island, honing their skills and preparing for the Nether Cloud Domain challenge.

Finally the day came and a crack appeared in the sky, with it. A gateway to the Nether Cloud Domain was formed.

****

Meanwhile, in the Northern Region, was the Origin Cave Mountain, a place of rugged beauty and harsh conditions.

The mountain was a towering peak that seemed to reach the heavens, with jagged rocks and steep cliffs that jutted out at odd angles.

The air was thin and dry, and the wind was relentless, whipping through the valleys and making it difficult to move.

A group of cultivators were currently waiting there, they were surrounded by a desolate landscape of barren rock and scraggly trees but they were unfettered.

The group of cultivators were from The Configuration sect, the Breeze Sect and the mysterious Scarlet Demon Sect, all fifth tier sects.

And around them were rank four sects with a few rank three sects disciples coming to try their lucks.

The group were carefully waiting for the Nether Cloud domain to open and within their different respective sides.

From the Rank 5 sects were 9 different individuals who each radiated aura of the Gold Core Realm, with two of them shockingly been at the middle stages.

Within the configuration sect diciples was a young man at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, he held no noticeable traits other than his red eyes that shone like ruby.

“Whoosh”

Above the whistling currents a few miles in the air was a few powerful beings keeping a close eye on the groups.

They were the elders of each sect and within the breeze sect elders were some of the remnant figures of the leviathan sect elders.