Chapter 106: The Opening of the Nascent Canyon (2)

Shen Duo's gaze suddenly met that of the middle-aged man. The man’s expression faltered, and just as he sought to find that look again, Shen Duo had already lowered his head.

The middle-aged man led his team in this direction, and many scattered cultivators quickly rose to make way for him.

A young illusionist behind the man frowned, displeased as he glanced at the low-ranking scattered cultivators around him, and asked in confusion, “Uncle Taixing, are we really going to camp here?”

The middle-aged man shot him a glance, clearly displeased with the question. “Xiao Liu’s group, where else do you want to camp?”

The young illusionist was silenced by the man’s sharp retort and hastily lowered his head, though he still muttered begrudgingly, “These low-tier cultivators don’t deserve to be with our Shen family’s elite training squad. Be careful they don’t hold us back later…”

A female illusionist behind the young man tapped him on the shoulder, prompting him to finally stop.

Shen Duo and Feng Jun sat quietly among the scattered cultivators, paying little attention to the group.

When the middle-aged man named Shen Taixing and the Shen family youths prepared to set up camp, many scattered cultivators voluntarily came forward to help. The young Shen family members didn’t refuse but instead looked down on the scattered cultivators with an air of superiority, as if their efforts were owed to them.

Shen Duo shook his head at the scene before him.

Lou Jingbai, perched on Shen Duo’s shoulder, snorted coldly and telepathically said, “I can’t stand this. These people are so mercenary.”

Shen Duo was indifferent; these people were just trying to survive and cultivate, and there was nothing wrong with that. Everyone had their own way of cultivating—some preferred to rely on themselves, others took shortcuts.

Right now, these people were currying favor with the Shen family’s elite squad. Once the Rebirth Gorge opened and they entered, they would receive the Shen family’s protection, or at least follow closely behind to avoid danger.

During the nearly two-hour wait that followed, Shen Duo stopped looking around; he didn’t want to attract the attention of various factions just yet.

At last, the time to open Rebirth Gorge arrived.

The sun hung low in the western sky, a crimson orb dipping toward the horizon.

Suddenly, the entire edge of Rebirth Gorge fell silent. All eyes turned toward the tall tents to the east. Soon, four elders emerged from the eastern camp—guardians dispatched by the four great families stationed in Normans City. Only they possessed the special illusion devices capable of jointly unlocking Rebirth Gorge.

The four elders quickly reached the edge of the gorge’s rift. They filled their devices with a purple spiritual illusion energy and tossed them into the air. The four bronze-drum-like devices radiated a purple glow, and within fifteen minutes, they tore open a gap dozens of feet wide in the towering white barrier reaching into the clouds.

Only then was Rebirth Gorge truly open.

The elders then turned to float in the air, standing atop glowing pentagrams, signaling that each possessed the strength of sky-level illusionists.

One burly elder with a white beard spoke loudly, “The resources within Rebirth Gorge are a gift left by ancient cultivators for us descendants. To this day, we enjoy the blessings of those ancient masters, thanks to each of us guarding it. The gorge opens once every five years; we hope you cherish it, and show mercy, preserving this gift for future generations.”

The elders’ words were met with a resounding chorus of agreement from all illusionists present.

Continuation is the foundation of the future. Every generation is thus. Only by considering those who come after can the legacy endure infinitely, and all cultivation methods and paths be forever passed down.

It must be said, the four great families have done well in preserving this legacy and are not heartless.

Following the elders’ declaration, Rebirth Gorge officially opened. Every illusionist entering was limited to a stay of no more than ten days. After that, the gorge would close again. Anyone remaining inside would either be forced to live among the dangerous beasts or wait five more years to emerge.

Those who entered first to explore were usually young elite squads dispatched by the four great families and top students from various academies. Then came the royal family’s youth and smaller clans. Scattered illusionists banded together in small groups for survival.

Shen Duo and Feng Jun joined forces with two nearby scattered illusionists.

These two were both nine-star grand illusionists in their forties, bulky in build. Due to average talent and lacking phantom beast companions, they had plateaued at this level for over a decade. They had come to Rebirth Gorge purely to test their luck, hoping to find rare treasures that might boost their strength.

The four-person squad entered the edge of Rebirth Gorge amidst a group of scattered illusionists.

An elderly white-bearded man standing before a tall tent observed the cultivators entering and suddenly brightened. He nudged a middle-aged female illusionist beside him and smiled, “Shen Lin, am I seeing things, or is that young girl actually a Sword King?”

The woman named Shen Lin, with black hair tied back, looked in the direction he indicated. A trace of surprise flickered across her gentle face. “Old man, your eyesight is still sharp, even if you are a bit old.”

“This is going to be interesting,” the elder chuckled, stroking his long white beard and squinting his sharp eyes gleefully. He beckoned to the side, and a man quickly emerged from the tent. The elder whispered a few words in the man’s ear. The man nodded and led several people into Rebirth Gorge.

Shen Lin gave the elder a disdainful glance. “Old man, what are you scheming now? She’s still just a young girl! I’m warning you now—I like this girl. You’re not to harm her.”

“Hey, Shen Lin, you old witch, stop calling me old man. You’re about my age; stop pretending you’re young. Don’t worry, I’m just sending someone to test her out. Such a promising talent—how could I bear to hurt her?”

Shen Lin rolled her eyes in contempt.

Meanwhile, Shen Duo was still unaware that he had been targeted the moment he entered Rebirth Gorge.

Passing through the thousand-foot-deep abyss, the environment changed entirely.

At the entrance to Rebirth Gorge was a special teleportation array, capable of transporting only about twenty people at a time. Once that number was reached, those people were teleported to various points along the gorge’s inner edge.

Although this increased the danger, it also reduced competition. Imagine a large crowd all vying for the same treasure—fights would surely break out!

Shen Duo, Feng Jun, and their two scattered illusionist teammates, along with two other teams of scattered illusionists, were teleported into a misty forest within the gorge.