"Enough, you brats! The time has come," the ancient sounding voice seemed to come from every direction at once, as if the heavens themselves had made a declaration.

The crushing pressure that made my body want to implode on itself faded after a single breath, but even that momentary exposure had almost killed me. Or at least, it felt that way.

That had to be a nascent soul sage. I had no doubt in my mind. At once, almost a dozen other presences which matched that first terrifying one appeared around the plains. In total, seventeen of them made themselves known.

A man wearing a plain grey robe with a wispy white beard and long white hair that trailed down to his waist appeared from thin air, floating above the gathered crowds as if he were a deity.

His arrival heralded a spectacle that almost none of those present had witnessed before and would likely never have the fortune to witness again in their entire lives. Seventeen nascent soul sages appeared one after another, the greatest gathering of strength that the world had seen in an entire era.

Every single member of that group could likely take on the rest of the gathered cultivators alone, but four in particular stood out above them. I found it a little coincidental that there was one representative of each race in those four pinnacle cultivators.

However, it made a certain amount of sense. This was supposed to be a once-in-an-era event that every single cultivator in the world desired to attend. For there to be powerful cultivators of every race showing their faces was a given.

The human wore a blue robe that seemed to shimmer in the wind and the sun. His face had an ancient appearance, but his eyes sparkled with life and his hair and beard were a vibrant blue so deep it appeared black.

The other human sages were clustered near him, showing deference while maintaining their own prideful gazes that looked down on the world from the clouds. In total, I counted eight humans among the seventeen, accounting for nearly half of the sages.

The second of the four seemed to be a human at a glance, but his body was covered in white fur with black streaks running through it. His piercing cerulean eyes had vertical pupils and his nails were sharp enough to be claws. Definitely a beast, but apparently with the ability to shift his appearance.

It was a startling discovery for me, that beasts at that level could change their form. If I ever met any particularly hairy people in future I would need to be wary not to offend them.

There were two others beside the white-furred man, one with a hooked nose and brown feathered wings hanging from his back and the other seemed to be a regular human, but was the most muscular person I'd ever seen. A bushy chest of hair brimmed out from his loosely tied robe.

There were two of the demon-like humanoids as well. One of them had horns that curved around his head, forming a crown that flickered with violet flames. The other had straight horns and was dressed in a tight robe that showed off her seductive curves.

The wood elves had just a single representative among that gathering, but of the seventeen he terrified me the most. It was because I couldn't sense even a drop of his power. The others gave off a vibe, a kind of aura that didn't allow me to sense the depths of their cultivation but told me they were absurdly powerful.

The elf however, gave me the same feeling I would have while looking at a tree or a blade of grass. One with the world.

The last three of the group belonged to other species I couldn't recognise, but each of them held their own in that tempestuous gathering. There was plenty of posturing going on among the various sages.

Clearly many of them recognised each other and had grudges or old friendships that were being rekindled at this moment. However, all of them recognised the need to put aside their petty squabbles and put the opening of the Blossoming Heavens first.

The one who had spoken earlier to put a stop to the fighting was the human sage in the blue robe. Among his companions there were two sages dressed in robes identical to the two youths who'd been fighting.

They both were levelling withering glares at the youths in question, both embarrassed and angry at the loss of face. Although, the phoenix robed sage had a sparkle of pride in his eyes, happy that his descendant or disciple had emerged victorious.

"Bing Lei, it seems you've made yet another breakthrough in your absence," the white furred beastman said, a mischievous grin on his face as he stared at the human sage. "Care to test it against me, like old times?"

"Any other time I might indulge your childish need to fight, Baihu. Today is different. Prepare to show your respects," he replied with a steely gaze. "That goes for all of you," he added, swivelling his head around the gathered sages.

Some of them took his remark with affront, flaring their auras. The old man took it in stride, snorting and returning their rudeness in kind. The sleeves of his robe billowed in the gentle wind their clash kicked up.

"So serious, Lei. You're acting as if the emperor is going to turn up. It's only the Blossoming Heavens," the sage called Baihu chuckled. "It happens every era."

When he saw Bing Lei's eye twitch, Baihu snorted. "Seriously? No wonder all of you humans are so uptight. How many centuries has it been since that old man showed his face? What makes this time so special, I wonder?"

"I am not sure. For this old man, it is special for a different reason. However, I will not allow any of your nonsense to taint the arrival of his imperial majesty," Bing Lei replied.

I noticed that there was a mixed attitude among the sages. Half of the humans looked at the other races as if they were dirt, while the rest were indifferent.

The demons were perpetually amused, as if they didn't care about the outcome of this situation. The wood elf had an arrogant sneer on his face, treating every single person except for himself as if they were shit on his shoe.

As for the beasts, they regarded the elf with equal parts disdain and hilarity. The demons didn't get a second glance from them while their attitude towards the humans mirrored the humans own—either hatred or indifference depending on which of the eight they were staring at.

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From these minor interactions I was able to assess the general political landscape between the various races. On this continent, in the Celestial Jade Empire, it was clear that humanity held the upper hand.

On a global scale, it seemed that was also true, but beasts had plenty of power. I didn't even know which continent the other races came from, but they were clearly major powers if they had nascent soul sages amongst their number.

I wasn't able to further analyse the situation when another immense pressure arrived. Unlike the crushing weight of that Bing Lei's arrival, this was weighty yet comforting.

It was as if I was being embraced by the world itself. It was vast, feeling as if it could crush me with a thought, yet it had no obvious intentions to do so.

The eight human sages bowed in unison. The wood elf's face remained twisted in a sneer. The demons gave a shallow nod of their heads, with the female one licking her lips. As for the beasts, they remained upright, though the white furred male's eyes sparkled with excitement and recognition.

My gaze followed theirs upwards, where a man dressed in a golden robe floated in front of the sun, arms folded and black hair billowing in a wind of his own making. No cultivator at that realm would be affected by the weather, so it had to be a self-created entrance.

Cultivators and their theatrics…

I had barely caught the conversation between the sages earlier, but from what I'd gathered this must be the emperor of the Celestial Jade Empire. The ruler of this entire continent and the most powerful cultivator in the world.

Yet, I couldn't help but doubt that claim. If the emperor was so powerful, why was he still stuck in this world? Hadn't Grandpa Guan ascended to a higher realm? Did that mean that old man was even stronger than the emperor?

I shuddered at the thought. I'd spoken so casually with him the first time we met. If he'd been a grumpier sort, I might have died back then.

Those were questions I had no way of figuring out the answers to right now. Although, given the situation at hand perhaps I would find out soon enough. The emperor gazed over everyone present, his face expressionless.

"Lei, it is good to see you well. How is the Silent Frost Sect faring these days?" the emperor asked casually, as if he were questioning the state of the weather.

"Your Majesty, the sect is prospering. However, I am no longer concerned with such affairs. This era of ascension will be my last," Bing Lei replied, raising his head to meet the emperor's gaze.

At his declaration, two-thirds of the gathered sages snapped upright, their eyes locked onto the blue-robed old man. Clearly his statement had a hidden meaning I wasn't privy to.

"Oh? You are that confident? Then I wish you luck. However, it is a little early for us old men to start fighting amongst ourselves. This event belongs to the seedlings of the future," the emperor declared, waving a sleeve around him.

I felt a sliver of warmth filling my body. Apart from that comfortable feeling however, I noticed nothing strange.

When I glanced around at the other cultivators gathered in the plains, I realised what he had done. The wounds of every single person were healed, each cultivator restored to perfect condition.

My eyes shot open as wide as saucers. That was a healing technique! An extraordinarily powerful one. To affect so many people over such a wide area with a casual wave of the arm?

My excitement rapidly turned to confusion, suspicion, and then anger as I realised the implications. The imperial family had access to knowledge of healing techniques and refused to spread it across the continent?

What purpose could that possibly serve?

I clenched a fist. I had only seen the emperor once, yet I already felt myself opposed to him. Whatever his reasons, keeping such beneficial techniques a secret was evil.

I knew that all sects and clans hoarded knowledge, but surely there was a way to spread a lesser version of that potent technique without giving up too many secrets? Whatever the case, I was only a Qi Gathering cultivator.

I couldn't challenge the emperor, not if I valued my continued existence. One day, when I reached the same level as him—the pinnacle of this world—I would demand to know why. Until that day, I could only simmer in silence.

"As always, your power is… intoxicating, Emperor. I would like to renew my offer," the female demon purred, smirking at the golden robed man.

All of the human cultivators glared at her with undisguised rage, while the beasts snorted in amusement. The emperor himself didn't dignify her with a reply, simply staring at her as if she was a mischievous child.

"The answer is still no, Shi An. I already have enough wives to last a dozen lifetimes. Now, enough bickering. It is beginning," the emperor declared, pointing at the air above the plains, which had begun to shimmer.

I watched in amazement, along with the thousands of other cultivators gathered, as the air distorted and twisted. Cracks opened in the fabric of reality and a gigantic rip tore itself into space, forming a circular gateway that was filled with flowers, cherry blossom trees, and endless natural wonders.

"Incredible," muttered Wang Ren from beside me.

The young ape started to screech and point, along with almost everyone else. Some of the older looking cultivators had less enthusiasm, perhaps having experienced this event once before.

For almost everyone present however, it was a uniquely magnificent view. Myself included.

"The Blossoming Heavens is a truly apt name. It sort of reminds me of Million Flowers Celestial Peak," I said, thinking of the endless flowers that littered the grounds of the sect.

Actually, the similarity went beyond the fact they both had a lot of flowers. Even the blossoming gate seemed to possess endless mysteries and power, reminding me of the formation created by the flowers.

Grandpa Guan continued to grow more enigmatic with every passing moment. Who was he, exactly?

I hoped I would meet Guan Chaoxing again soon, so that I could ask her all the questions I wished to know the answers to. Unfortunately, she had no reason to attend the opening of the Blossoming Heavens.

Her own cultivation was too advanced and she had no disciples or followers to escort here. As for us, the big ape had resumed its escort of us through the plains after pausing to marvel at the gate's opening.

The sages above had begun a discussion led by the emperor, but something was obscuring their voices so that those of us below could no longer hear the contents. Seeing the competitive gazes between the groups of cultivators closest to the gate, I assumed it was to decide the order of entry to the secret realm.

A few moments later, we reached our destination. A single hill separated us from the dozen or so groups right beside the gate. There were plenty of beasts littered around, with almost fifty different species I could see at a glance.

The monkey pointed at the ground, indicating for us to wait. The little one began to follow but it received a gentle slap on the head. It rolled on the ground moaning, looking rather cute.

I saw the huge ape approach a sleeping tiger with black stripes and white fur, almost identical to that beastman in the sky. Were they both tigers?

If this beast here was related to the sage above, then clearly it had a high status amongst its kin. I was still curious why we'd been brought here, but I doubted they would try anything with so many powerful figures residing over the gathering.

The ape started talking to the tiger, occasionally pointing at me and then up at the sages. I began to get a picture of why I was here, but without any confirmation I could only guess at the ape's intentions.

Either way, if we could enter the secret realm with a group of powerful allies, their species didn't matter to me. Strength was strength.

The tiger yawned and then growled. It looked reluctant, but stood up on all fours before wandering over to us.

It looked both Wang Ren and I up and down with its piercing eyes, before stopping in front of me. I wondered what I was supposed to do in this situation, but what happened next left me stupefied.

"Qiang Hou says you can do the same thing as the human emperor. Can you show me?" the tiger asked, its voice soft and feminine.

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