After Refusing Marriage to the Dao of Slaughter Patriarch (17)

Qi Baishan's cultivation was already at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. After this turmoil, the true essence in his dantian was rich and boundless. He only cultivated in seclusion for one night, and by the second day, he successfully passed the tribulation and reached the peak of the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.

Presumably, he was only lacking a single opportunity to reach the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

Due to breaking through his tribulation, the youth's figure had grown significantly taller, and the trace of childishness on his face had faded. When looking at Ji Zhaixing, his heart and eyes almost solely reflected his senior brother.

Ji Zhaixing probed Qi Baishan's cultivation and found that although his advancement was fast, his foundation was flawless. Feeling relieved, he lowered his eyes and said, "Avoid arrogance and impatience."

Knowing that his senior brother cared for him, Qi Baishan pursed his lips into a smile, appearing somewhat innocent and naive. "Naturally, Senior Brother doesn't need to worry about me."

In reality, what he was thinking about right now was entirely how to undergo his Golden Core tribulation. His desire to break through and advance had never been so urgent.

Qi Baishan wanted to repay everything he possessed—his lifeblood, his cultivation base, and even the Golden Core he would form in the future—to his senior brother.

His obsession ran so deep it was almost turning into delusion.

......

This year's Hanlin Sword Trial became much more renowned far and wide compared to previous ones.

It wasn't just because of the match between two Golden Cores, or Ji Zhaixing's earth-shattering sword strike; it was also because the cultivation levels of the participating disciples in this tournament were the highest ever seen.

In typical Hanlin Sword Trials, the highest cultivation level was no more than the ninth stage of Qi Condensation. This time, however, not only did Foundation Establishment cultivators appear, but even excluding Ping Jushao who cultivated a demonic path, there were a full three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The one at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment was the second disciple of the Jinghua Dao Sect Master. He didn't use any scheming methods for his cultivation; he built it up solidly on his own. However, due to the wicked deeds committed by his fellow disciples, the psychological burden on him was extremely heavy, preventing him from displaying his full strength, and ultimately he barely managed to stop at fourth place.

Third place went to a disciple of the Bumeng Sect.

Among the top two heavenly geniuses, one was naturally Qi Baishan, who defeated a Foundation Establishment stage opponent with his Qi Condensation cultivation and had now successfully advanced. As for the other person, he didn't hail from the Three Great Sects, but from an obscure, little-known sect. He had never shown himself in the cultivation world before, but this time his emergence was like a flood dragon entering water, earth-shattering and astounding, causing an even greater shock to everyone else.

That nameless cultivator was none other than Yong Lianyin.

When he spoke of his sect's origins, others wore blank expressions, clearly ignorant of what kind of sect this "Number One Sect in the World" was. Going by the name alone, it exuded the aura of a low-class scammer sect.

So much so that when Yong Lianyin entered the top fifty, almost no one noticed him, even thinking that he must be extremely lucky to happen to win so smoothly along the way.

Until Yong Lianyin entered the top ten.

Top five, top three—it was only in this final battle against Qi Baishan, who was at the peak of the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, that he truly revealed his strength, fighting a fierce and exhilarating battle.

In the end, by a hair's breadth, he defeated Qi Baishan of the Yushui Sect.

The first place title of the Hanlin Sword Trial truly fell into the hands of this previously unknown nobody.

Yong Lianyin knew full well that this was only because Qi Baishan hadn't been in Foundation Establishment for long and couldn't flexibly control his true essence yet. If his cultivation level were truly on par with his own, Yong Lianyin would probably have had to concede defeat.

Fortunately, Qi Baishan had not yet fully matured.

Yong Lianyin's cultivation was extremely high—so high it practically made the other cultivators' eyes pop out of their sockets.

Twenty-two years old, at the high stage of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from the Golden Core.

Even with Ji Zhaixing, who reached the Golden Core stage before turning twenty, serving as an outstanding precedent, it still couldn't prevent Yong Lianyin from appearing like a piece of savory, fragrant meat in everyone's eyes.

Therefore, many sects, and even one of the prestigious Three Great Sects like Jinghua Dao, opened their doors wide for Yong Lianyin.

By entering a major sect, with Yong Lianyin's cultivation level, whether he became a guest elder or an inner sect direct disciple, his future would be limitless.

The Hanlin Sword Trial was never just a place for disciples of major sects to make a name for themselves. In the past, there had also been such unpolished jades shining brilliantly, waiting to be discovered by large sects. It was just that those people weren't as astonishing as Yong Lianyin, actually snatching first place.

Elder Yi Hui was somewhat tempted.

Having lost a disciple, he would inevitably be punished by the sect upon returning. Therefore, he didn't hesitate to personally intercept Yong Lianyin, saying with immense sincerity, "Why doesn't little friend Yong come to my Jinghua Dao? Putting everything else aside, the monthly allowance for our inner sect direct disciples is three hundred mid-grade spirit stones and thirty high-grade spirit stones..." As if suddenly remembering the matter of Ping Jushao, he coughed slightly and added, "Naturally, for individuals with such crooked intentions, Jinghua Dao always severely punishes them without leniency. We will not tolerate them. Little friend must absolutely not misunderstand."

Yong Lianyin didn't interrupt him. Only when Yi Hui finished speaking did he let out a long sigh and say, "But I already have a sect."

Yi Hui hinted, "Man strives upward. Surely your noble sect's master couldn't bear to let little friend Yong's talent be delayed." If he holds you back, then don't hesitate—hurry up and ditch him.

Yong Lianyin looked innocent. "But I am the sect master."

Yi Hui: "..."

Yong Lianyin's gaze was sincere.

Seeing the dark, gloomy expression on Elder Yi Hui's face as he left, Yong Lianyin guessed the other party was likely cursing him out in his heart.

As for those other minor sects, seeing that even Yi Hui Zhenjun had failed, they put away their own thoughts and merely politely networked with Yong Lianyin.

In truth, Yong Lianyin's thoughts had long drifted elsewhere—

Not far away were the seats of the Yushui Sect.

Qi Baishan slightly squatted down and leaned against Ji Zhaixing's legs, carefully and loosely wrapping his arms around his senior brother's waist to act coquettishly.

He looked incredibly aggrieved, his voice sounding somewhat low and muffled.

"Senior Brother, I'm sorry, I'm too useless."

Qi Baishan was the leading senior brother, practically a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Yushui Sect. Getting second place was naturally not considered a good rank for him. However, Ji Zhaixing hadn't expected it to make him this upset.

Ji Zhaixing slightly lowered his eyes, his voice gentle. His hand lightly touched Qi Baishan's pitch-black hair as he helplessly yet comfortingly said, "You did very well."

"Get up, you're this old and you still love to act spoiled..." Ji Zhaixing said with a faint smile. "If the girls who fancy you saw this, their hearts would probably break."

Only then did Qi Baishan stand up haltingly. A layer of blush covered his face, and he smiled as if he was extremely embarrassed, saying softly, "If Senior Brother doesn't like it, I won't do it next time."

For some reason, watching this made Yong Lianyin feel somewhat irritated.

Why was that Qi Baishan acting as if he didn't have any bones?

Because of Ji Zhaixing, he had some favorable impressions of the Yushui Sect disciples and had shown a lot of mercy during the competition.

Having defeated Qi Baishan with his superior cultivation level in the end, Yong Lianyin genuinely felt a bit guilty. If he weren't afraid of Qi Baishan misunderstanding, he probably would have apologized to him.

But now, all the guilt in his heart had completely vanished.

He only lost a single match, how could he act so spoiled and beg for a hug from his senior brother like that? He didn't have the slightest bit of a cultivator's grace. It was truly shameless, despicable, and extremely... envy-inducing.

If he also became Ji Zhaixing's fellow disciple, could he lean against him this closely too?

While staring and feeling sour about it, Yong Lianyin inexplicably walked closer. Ji Zhaixing slightly raised his head, his gaze falling thoughtfully upon him. "Daoist Yong?"

Ji Zhaixing clearly still remembered him. A layer of sweetness immediately surged in Yong Lianyin's heart, and he said somewhat dizzily, "Ji, Ji Zhenjun, thank you for your assistance before."

Ji Zhaixing smiled faintly and said, "It was but a lifted finger. Also, congratulations on taking first place."

The truth was, Ji Zhaixing was simply too good-looking and his smile was far too gentle. Like a mortal scholar bewitched by a demon, Yong Lianyin had his soul hooked away. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "...Is the Yushui Sect still recruiting new disciples?"

He only realized what kind of nonsense he had spouted the moment it left his mouth.

The black-haired sword cultivator paused slightly, his raven-wing-like eyelashes drooping a bit as if deep in thought. "I'm not quite sure. That falls under the duties of the outer sect's managers."

The seriousness of his reply made Yong Lianyin's cheeks burn even hotter, and he uttered a dumbfounded "Oh."

Elder Yi Hui, who possessed exceptionally good hearing and just so happened to catch this: "..."

The younger generation of cultivators nowadays were simply becoming more outrageous than the last!

Tossed to the side, Qi Baishan stared at the red-faced cultivator in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

......

The Hanlin Sword Trial was drawing to a close. For the top ten disciples, aside from receiving magical treasures, medicinal pills, and spirit stones as rewards, the most thrilling prize was undoubtedly the permission to enter a newly emerged mystic realm. There, they could personally harvest spirit herbs, tame spirit beasts, and claim the secret treasures inside for their own use.

Although their Lower Three Thousand Small Worlds were lacking in spiritual energy, their "ancestors were well-off" after all. There were still a few mystic realms rich in spiritual energy and teeming with spiritual objects, whether nurtured by the Heavenly Dao or left behind by ancient Patriarchs.

It was a pity that while mystic realms were treasure troves, the number of cultivators they could support was limited, and their opening periods were extremely brief.

Recently, a new Shattered Sumeru had appeared in the sea territory of the Bumeng Sect, leading inside to a Human-Rank mystic realm. Due to the consensus in the cultivation world, this mystic realm naturally couldn't be monopolized. After some discussion, it was decided that only the top ten disciples of the Hanlin Sword Trial would be allowed to enter and scavenge for resources. This was also to prevent the mystic realm from being completely emptied, like draining a pond to catch all the fish.

Human-Rank mystic realms like this one usually grew hundred-year or even thousand-year-old spirit herbs, which were highly valuable, alongside several inheritance opportunities. As long as one didn't harbor the intent to slaughter demon beasts, there was almost no danger. As a reward, it couldn't be more fitting.

Among these top ten individuals, the Yushui Sect occupied a full five spots.

Before these disciples entered the mystic realm, Ji Zhaixing distributed handy magical treasures to them, along with Myriad Spirit Pills to replenish spiritual energy and Vitality Powder to heal wounds. Carefree Pills, used to conceal one's figure and aura, were also handed out, twenty pills per person—these, however, were from Ji Zhaixing's private stash.

Clad in white robes like snow, his facial features strikingly beautiful, he inexplicably seemed to hold a trace of tenderness as he merely instructed, "Be careful in all things."

He was quite unlike the elders of other sects, who repeatedly admonished their disciples to bring back several stalks of a certain spirit plant or the blood and bones of demon beasts to be considered as having completed their sect's missions.

—Perhaps it was because the Yushui Sect already possessed a profound foundation and didn't need these still-young disciples to make any contributions to the sect.

Encouraged by Senior Brother Ji, all those disciples' eyes lit up brightly, filled with excitement. Qi Baishan was the most affected among them; leaning closer to Ji Zhaixing, he lightly sniffed the fragrance on his senior brother, which was faint like fresh snow, his own features softening considerably.

He said, "Senior Brother Ji, I will definitely give it my all."

Immediately after, Ji Zhaixing and two other Golden Core elders used their majestic true essence to open the entrance to the mystic realm, and these disciples stepped inside one after another.

They needed to maintain the mystic realm for three days. This was also the time limit that the multitude of cultivators had discussed and agreed upon for these disciples.

However, three days later, not a single cultivator emerged from the entrance of the mystic realm.

There was no trace of activity, like a pool of dead water.

These disciples were all cultivators from major sects. They absolutely wouldn't be so dazzled by an abundance of secret treasures that they lost self-control and delayed their time.

These were the youngest and most outstanding Daoist disciples in their cultivation world; absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

Ji Zhaixing's gaze fell on the entrance to the mystic realm and stalled for a moment. His cheeks were as white as fine snow, with only the dark red peak of his lips looking incomparably striking. Right now, his lips were pressed slightly tight, his expression cold.

The implications of this matter were massive.

Because of this mishap, the Sect Master of the Bumeng Sect also came out of seclusion and arrived at the Shattered Sumeru on the immortal mountain at sea. Just one probe was enough to make his expression change drastically.

That aged face instantly gave rise to an expression of extreme weariness and disbelief.

"This... is not the mystic realm I scouted out that day," he said, before quickly shaking his head to deny it. "No, it is that mystic realm."

"But the rank has changed. This is not a Human-Rank mystic realm."

An elder of the Bumeng Sect beside him asked for details in a low voice, only to hear the Bumeng Sect Master add, "It is above the Heaven-Rank. I am unable to probe it."

In an instant, a dead silence fell over the surroundings.

Leaving aside 'above the Heaven-Rank', what was a Heaven-Rank Mystic Realm like?

Any random demon beast inside would have at least a Golden Core cultivation base. Nascent Soul demon beasts could be seen everywhere, and there were even legendary Out-of-Body Realm demon kings—all of this came from the records of the only Nascent Soul ancestor who had left his name in the lower realm's cultivation world. He had once entered a Heaven-Rank Mystic Realm by mistake and almost lost his life there.

The entrance to the mystic realm before their eyes became incomparably eerie, like a man-eating trap. It made those cultivators unable to stop themselves from taking a step back, feeling nothing but terrifying dread.

Who could have imagined that an opportunity would turn into the current situation?

Those disciples at the Qi Condensation stage, with the highest among them only at Foundation Establishment, entering such a place of absolute death without any chance of survival... they had probably already turned into white bones.

Unknown who it was, but someone, out of shock and fear, couldn't help their sorrow and began to softly sob aloud.

The fiercely blowing wind seemed to spread this sorrowful atmosphere. Many people's eyes turned red for these heavenly geniuses who should have been spirited and unbridled.

Of course, the most heartbroken person should be Ji Zhaixing; their Yushui Sect had sent a full half of the disciples. These cultivators thought.

"Di Yingrong," Ji Zhaixing suddenly called out the name of a Yushui disciple. "Report this matter to the Sect Master."

The little girl, having been called out, replied, "Yes." Then she realized that Senior Brother Ji's words made it sound as though he wasn't returning to the sect. Heartbroken and afraid, she advised him, "Senior Brother Ji, what happened today is not your fault. Please don't blame yourself."

"Mm." Ji Zhaixing slightly lowered his eyes, his expression peaceful as he said, "I'm going to bring them back."