Published: March 2, 2025
CHAPTER 239: Before the Curtain Falls (1)
A quarter of an hour later, the city lord's mansion came into view.
This place had also quieted down; the numerous qi refinement stage disciples who used to come and go were nowhere to be seen, and it was unclear where they had been arranged.
However, foundation establishment stage cultivators, who could only be seen occasionally on ordinary days, entered one after another.
Just among those Liu Yu saw, seven or eight foundation establishment stage cultivators had entered, and more were continuously arriving from behind.
"It seems that some major event must have taken place recently," Liu Yu thought, his heart becoming heavy as he stepped over the threshold and walked towards the main hall with a neutral expression.
But he wasn’t overly anxious; after all, he had two talisman treasures in hand. As long as he didn’t encounter a golden core master pursuing him, he still had some chance of escaping.
The main hall was only a few dozen zhang away from the entrance of the city lord's mansion. After taking a few steps, he could already see the scene inside the hall.
At the highest point of the hall, above nine steps, there were six Grand Scholar Chairs, each occupied by a figure.
Their auras and spiritual pressures were well concealed, without any leakage; ordinary foundation establishment cultivators couldn’t discern any truth or falsehood.
However, a wave of danger surged in Liu Yu's spiritual perception.
This sense of crisis stimulated his brain, making his mind unusually clear.
Six golden core cultivators!
Liu Yu didn’t dare to look too much and quickly shifted his gaze.
If he inadvertently offended a golden core master, it would be a case of wanting to cry but having no tears.
At the same time, he continued to walk towards the hall, crossing the threshold and taking in the situation inside the hall.
There were about sixty to seventy foundation establishment cultivators seated on both sides of the main hall.
Though there were quite a number of them, facing golden core cultivators, no one dared to make noise or engage in casual conversation, resulting in a silence throughout the hall.
The faces on the left were somewhat familiar; he recognized a few fellow disciples, among them Yan Hongyu, Yan Qun'er, Zhou Zhuofeng, Li Bùtóng, and Zhuang Shilong, totaling about forty people.
On the right were all unfamiliar faces, and some cultivators wore the emblems of their respective families and sects. If he guessed correctly, these should be cultivators from the Yuan Yang Sect's affiliated forces, numbering around twenty.
In general, tasks involving the Cold Mist Camp and higher-risk missions are usually assigned to these affiliated forces first, which has become an unspoken rule within the sect.
Among golden core cultivators, the three guest elders have significantly less say than sect elders; at most, they can look after their own juniors.
As for cultivators from other families and sects, they wouldn’t have the energy to consider them.
Moreover, with no close ties, they likely wouldn’t even think of such ideas.
In fact, the number of registered affiliated force cultivators in Moonlit City slightly exceeds that of the Yuan Yang Sect's own cultivators.
However, the power to issue tasks is firmly held by the Yuan Yang Sect. At this time, many affiliated force cultivators are still out executing tasks, making their numbers appear fewer.
In this world, the left side holds more prestige, and one can easily tell the higher and lower statuses on either side.
He saw a cultivator in front of him pay respects to the figures above, then walk to the right and take a seat.
Liu Yu followed suit, solemnly walking to the center of the hall and respectfully bowing to the golden core elders and guest elders before heading to the left.
"Junior brother Liu, come here."
A divine sense sound transmission reached him, and Liu Yu turned in the direction of the voice.
He saw Yan Qun'er looking over, her bright and beautiful big eyes silently blinking as she pointed to a seat beside her.