27: Ascension Order! Han Lao Mo's gratitude

The two arrived at a secluded spot. Han Li's mood remained complex; the blow of having Four Spiritual Roots was too heavy.

"Fellow Daoist... my Aptitude..." Han Li said in a low voice, his tone filled with dejection.

Lin Feng understood Han Li's feelings. In the original work, Han Li relied on the Heaven-Defying mass production ability of the Heaven-Reaching Bottle to produce Medicinal Pills to compensate for his lack of Aptitude.

But now, Han Li had failed at the Ascension Gathering. He should have entered Huangfeng Valley with an ascension token. Could it be because he had changed Han Li's original plot direction, and the butterfly effect caused him to not yet know he had an ascension token?

"Aptitude is important, but a poor Aptitude is not a dead end," Lin Feng comforted. "The fact that you, a Qi Refining ninth-level Cultivator, were able to win the Spirit Testing Stone among nearly a thousand people, in itself shows your extraordinary qualities."

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, it is said that joining a Sect is not only through the Ascension Gathering."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Han Li's eyes.

"There are other ways?" he asked eagerly.

"Mm." Lin Feng nodded. "I heard that the Seven Great Schools once released a treasure, and with this treasure, one could obtain the qualification to enter a Cultivation School and a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Treasure?"

"Yes, this treasure is called an 'ascension token'." Lin Feng slowly said, "Holding this token allows one to directly join the corresponding Sect, without needing to participate in the tests and competitions of the Ascension Gathering. However, such tokens are extremely rare, and it is said that they were only given to Families who had made great contributions to the Sect. For example, at this Ascension Gathering, not a single ascension token was seen being taken out by anyone."

"ascension token..." Han Li silently repeated the name. He had never heard of such a thing.

"What does this ascension token look like?" Han Li couldn't help but ask curiously.

Lin Feng's heart stirred, knowing his performance had reached its most crucial point. He feigned recollection, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"As for this ascension token... I've only heard of it and haven't seen it with my own eyes. However, it is said to be a palm-sized jade or metal plate, with the name of one of the Seven Great Sects engraved on it. For example, if it's an ascension token for Huangfeng Valley, it would have the character 'Huang' engraved on it."

"A plate... with a 'Huang' character engraved on it?"

In his mind, it was as if he had been struck by a lightning bolt, and he instantly recalled Gold Light Master's Storage Pouch! It was something he had casually put away when he collected his spoils of war—a seemingly ordinary, palm-sized yellow token! At the time, he didn't know the token's purpose, thinking it was just a symbol of identity for some force, or some low-grade Magical Artifact, so he hadn't paid attention.

Could it be... could that token be Huangfeng Valley's ascension token?!

Han Li's heart couldn't help but pound wildly, and a huge surge of pleasant surprise rushed into his heart. If he really had an ascension token, then even if he had Four Spiritual Roots, he could still join Huangfeng Valley and get a Foundation Establishment Pill!

He tried hard to suppress the wild joy in his heart, but a joyful smile still uncontrollably appeared on his face.

"Brother Lin... the ascension token you mentioned... are you sure it's... a plate with the Sect's name engraved on it?" Han Li's voice trembled slightly, as if afraid he had misheard.

Lin Feng looked at Han Li's expression, secretly smiling in his heart, knowing this guy must be in wild joy. His face remained calm, and he simply nodded affirmatively.

"Precisely. It's just that I haven't seen it myself, so the actual item might have slight differences. Why, has Brother Han perhaps seen one?"

Han Li was so excited at this point that he could barely speak. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He said with some guilt:

"Oh... no, I haven't seen one. It's just... I'm a bit curious."

Lin Feng looked at the uncontrollable joy on Han Li's face, knowing that his goal had been achieved. He had successfully "revealed" the important information about the ascension token to him, paving the way for him to successfully join Huangfeng Valley. At the same time, he also took this Opportunity to establish a preliminary "friendly" relationship with Han Li, at least on the surface.

Lin Feng smiled and said, "This token is a direct entry pass to the Sect, and one can also receive a Foundation Establishment Pill. If one can truly obtain one, that would truly be a Heaven-Defying Opportunity."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Heaven-Defying Opportunity," watching the increasing, unconcealable joy on Han Li's face, and secretly smiled in his heart.

Han Li nodded repeatedly, already convinced in his heart that Gold Light Master's token was the ascension token. He looked at Lin Feng with an added sense of gratitude. If not for Lin Feng's reminder, he might have missed this Heaven-Defying Opportunity.

"Fellow Daoist... thank you for telling me all this! I am Han Li, may I know Fellow Daoist's name?" Han Li said sincerely.

"I am Lin Feng, Old Brother Han, no need to be so polite." Lin Feng waved his hand. "We met by chance, and we are both Loose Cultivators; I'll help as much as I can. However, regarding the ascension token, do not mention it to others casually, lest you attract unnecessary trouble."

"I understand!" Han Li immediately nodded. He was a cautious person to begin with, and having received such important news, he naturally wouldn't go around proclaiming it.

He secretly rejoiced that he hadn't discarded that token before, nor had he treated it as an ordinary item. Now it seemed that was his biggest gain from this trip! As for the Four Spiritual Roots... with the ascension token, he could at least enter the Sect first. As for future Cultivation, he would find a way with the small green bottle! The light of hope reignited in Han Li's eyes.

On the high platform, Nangong Wan's figure suddenly disappeared. Huangfeng Valley's white-haired old Daoist, with quick eyes and hands, removed the Restriction Nangong Wan had placed on Lu Yunfeng and brought her to his side, as if she was already his Disciple. The other Core Formation Cultivators from the other Sects saw this and said nothing, seemingly having already agreed on the distribution of Disciples beforehand.

Almost at the same moment Nangong Wan disappeared, a cold figure broke through the air and appeared beside Lin Feng.

It was Nangong Wan, who had suddenly disappeared from the high platform!

She wore a palace dress, her face covered by a veil, revealing only a pair of eyes like autumn water. Those eyes looked at Lin Feng with a scrutinizing gaze, yet also seemed to contain a ripple that was not easily detectable.

"Fellow Daoist, may we speak outside the valley?" Her voice was not loud, but it clearly entered Lin Feng and Han Li's ears, carrying an undeniable implication.