Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 227 - 158 Entering the Mountain Gate

Chapter 227: Chapter 158 Entering the Mountain Gate

As midday arrived.

The fierce sun hung overhead, yet the warmth touching upon the people was completely absent, instead exuding a somewhat chilling sensation.

Purple Cloud Palace was located in the central core region of the Central Plains, with significant climate variations—warm in summer and cool in winter—not exactly a congenial place to live, but these areas were often favored by cultivators.

Firstly, these immortal mountains shrouded in mist, despite their harsh living conditions, were usually abundant in Spiritual Energy, which meant that the bitter climate was of no concern to cultivators.

Secondly, naturally secluded from the dusty world, such addresses were remote, and while they lacked common earthly pleasures, they allowed one to fully immerse in the pursuit of cultivation.

Countless cultivators stood in front of the archway, neatly and patiently waiting; they were neither easygoing nor particularly high in quality—in the end, cultivation was a matter of talent and opportunity, not education.

The reason they waited quietly was only one.

"How many of you are there?"

The elder just stood under the archway, wearing an expression of nonchalance, looking languid and dressed modestly, similar to an old grandpa out for a leisurely stroll.

But to this elder, everyone was extremely respectful, bending their hands in a salute and politely stating, "We are twelve in total."

"Hmm, give them five tokens."

"This..."

A flash of astonishment crossed their faces.

"Elder, we are twelve in total, why only five tokens?"

Anger flared among some of the people behind in an instant.

But after seeing the five Purple Cloud Palace Disciples standing behind the elder, their gazes immediately cleared.

Especially the young man who was just a step behind them looked to be of similar age, around thirty, who cast only a glance at them, sending these people into a shudder.

It was a tremble from the depths of the soul; merely a look was enough to strip away any notion of resistance from the thousands of cultivators present.

"Do you think if there were a hundred of you, you should be given a hundred tokens? It seems grouping into a dozen now makes sense."

He rolled his eyes.

The voice was not loud, but everyone present could hear the elder’s words.

Some had an epiphany, while others reveled in the misfortune.

Grouping like this was unfair from the start; the more people you teamed up with, the stronger your force, and when Loose Cultivators encountered you, they could only accept their bad luck; hence the elder directly ruled, upon your entry, you’d only get five tokens.

This meant their qualification standard was at least twenty-four tokens—they had to compete for nineteen more, putting them at an inherent disadvantage from the beginning.

And this was just the minimum qualification count; to stand out and be competitive, the number probably needed to be at least tripled.

After the leading Low Grade Foundation Establishment Cultivator received the five tokens, the expressions of the eleven following him began to show a mix of emotions.

Some were contemplative, it was apparent that internal conflicts over distribution might arise within their team.

The group disappeared into the mountain, while the old man continued to gaze lazily at the few people approaching.

"You all."

"Elder, there are four of us."

The voice was vaguely familiar. The youth who had been observing from the sidelines instinctively directed his gaze over, leading the way at the front was Qiao Yuan’s team of four.

Aside from the twins, there was another slim man, somewhat unfamiliar in appearance, not someone who had come with them from Fengzhou—presumably someone Qiao Yuan hastily recruited after he declined her invitation.

No further words were wasted. The elder turned his hand and tossed two tokens towards them.

Qiao Yuan merely smiled, all within expectations, bowing politely, while the three following her showed no emotions, exhibiting no signs of dissent.

Clearly, Qiao Yuan might have already explained the rules to the other three before arrival, considering that she herself had participated in the event five years ago, while ninety-nine percent of the others here were first-timers.

Some fancied themselves clever enough to exploit loopholes in the rules, thus arriving in teams of ten or even twenty people.

The subsequent group of three only received one token, which undeniably marred their expressions, but the tall Purple Cloud Palace Disciples didn’t even need to lift a finger to dampen any thoughts of retort from this lot.

Jiang Feng continued to observe the crowd entering the mountain gateway, but to his surprise, he found that some teams, despite consisting of a dozen or even dozens, only received five or six tokens.

While groups of two or three entering the mountain received one token each. Amidst the flowing crowd, he quickly noticed a pattern.

"Is it distributed based on one’s Cultivation Realm?"

Watching two individuals, not much older than himself, entering the Mountain Gate, dressed remarkably and seemingly around twenty-four or twenty-five years of age. They were a duo at Low Grade Foundation Establishment level.

He had assumed they would share just one token, but this time the elder was generous, tossing two tokens their way.

Jiang Feng furrowed his brow, then immediately relaxed.

"I see."

"Not based on Cultivation Realm, but on age."

"The previous group had older bone age, nearing thirty, some even past thirty. These individuals already had an advantage in age, having cultivated longer than others, and that’s why their allocation was reduced."

"But the two who just passed seemed similarly Low Grade Foundation Establishment, their realm comparable or even superior to many here, yet they received two tokens. The only difference, perhaps, is the age of their bones."

Now he finally understood why Qiao Yuan had come to invite him the day before.

If he had joined them, their team of three would have two tokens, and he alone another, making four tokens for four people. And being able to team up, all above the Foundation Establishment, this configuration would definitely be competitive.