35: Chapter 35 The Crimson Trial: My Turn to Appear

[Five more years have passed.]

[Age 40: You sit cross-legged in your Immortal Cave, with five-colored light circulating around your body, your aura steady and lingering. After twenty years of bitter cultivation, your cultivation has reached the peak of the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage, only one step away from the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.]

[In these years, besides cultivating, you have spent most of your time tending to the Spiritual Plant field next to your Immortal Cave.]

[Under the blessing of "Spiritual Plant Affinity", the Spiritual Plants you planted are growing vigorously, their age and medicinal properties far exceeding their peers, allowing you to earn a small profit in the inner Sect market, finally having a little bit of savings.]

[The only thing that makes you feel strange is that mysterious black seed.]

[Twenty years ago, after it sprouted, it grew into a small seedling only a palm high with three emerald green leaves. Then... there was no then.]

[For twenty years, this seedling neither grew taller nor withered, just staying quietly in the corner of the Spiritual Plant field, as if time had stopped on it.]

[You exhausted all methods, watering it with spiritual liquid, using the "Accelerated Growth Technique" to stimulate it, and even secretly dripped your own essence blood on it, but it had no reaction at all.]

["What on earth is this thing?"]

[You circle around the seedling, unable to figure it out.]

["Forget it, never mind. Anyway, it doesn't take up space, I'll just treat it as a potted plant."]

[You gave up on researching and put your attention back on cultivation.]

[Just on this day, the Sect token at your waist suddenly vibrated slightly, emitting a clear humming sound.]

[You probed your Divine Sense into it, and a decree personally issued by the Sect Master clearly appeared in your mind.]

["Sect Decree: The Crimson Trial, which occurs every two hundred years, will open in one month. All Disciples of my Azure Cloud Sect who are under one hundred years old and have a cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage can sign up to participate. The Trial Grounds are full of both crises and opportunities, I hope you will act according to your ability and win glory for the Sect!"]

["Crimson Trial?"]

[You see these four words, and your eyes instantly light up.]

[Regarding this trial, you have heard of it long ago. It is said to be a Small World left over from ancient times, where Yao Beasts run rampant and the environment is harsh, but it also hides countless Heaven And Earth Treasures and ancient Legacies.]

[It is a meat grinder full of crises, and also a ladder to ascend to the sky in one step.]

[Most importantly, it is a place beyond the jurisdiction of the Sect, and it is normal for Disciples of various Sects to kill each other inside to compete for resources.]

["The Opportunity has come!"]

[You jump up from the stone bed, pacing back and forth in the Immortal Cave, your heart pounding with excitement.]

["I was just worrying about not having a place to find Materials to refine a Flying Sword, this Crimson Trial is like sending a pillow when I'm sleepy!"]

["And, killing people and seizing treasures inside won't cause any psychological burden. Hehehe..."]

[On your face, a smile full of bad taste, which is incompatible with the "Affable and Amiable" entry, appears.]

[However, after the excitement, a realistic problem is placed in front of you.]

[The condition for registration is... above the Foundation Establishment Stage.]

[And you, in the eyes of everyone in the entire Azure Cloud Sect, are still the "Shang Zhongyong" who has been in secluded cultivation for twenty years and whose cultivation has remained at the "Qi Refining Seventh Layer".]

["It seems it's time to let everyone see my 'results of secluded cultivation' over these twenty years."]

[You touch your chin, calculating in your heart.]

[Expose your Middle Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation directly?]

[No, no, it's too eye-catching. A "Trash" who has been in secluded cultivation for twenty years suddenly becomes a Middle Foundation Establishment Stage expert, how to explain this? It's very easy to be suspected of Possession.]

["Then... just reveal the appearance of having just broken through to the Early Stage Foundation Establishment."]

["A Genius with Five Elements Spirit Root, who spent twenty years breaking through from the Qi Refining Seventh Layer to the Early Stage Foundation Establishment. This speed, although a bit slow, is reasonable considering the difficulty of cultivating with a Five Elements Spirit Root. It can be explained, and it won't seem too exaggerated, perfect!"]

[You quickly designed a reasonable script for your "appearance".]

[You decide to immediately visit Master Liu Changfeng and tell him this "good news".]

[By the way, it's also time to formally establish the title of Personal Disciple.]

[You walk out of the Immortal Cave, take a deep breath, and then with a thought, adjust the effect of the "Breath Concealment Technique" from "Qi Refining Seventh Layer" to "Early Stage Foundation Establishment".]

[A wave of mana fluctuation belonging to a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, although still slightly floating, but real and solid, spreads from your body.]

[After doing all this, you steer a sword light, soaring into the sky, and speed towards the direction of Danxia Peak in the inner Sect.]

["Master, your most 'unpromising' Disciple has come to bring you good news!"]

[...]

[Danxia Peak, Elder's Immortal Cave.]

[Liu Changfeng is frowning, looking at a Medicinal Pill that was just failed in refining in his hand, sighing.]

["Failed again... This 'Dragon Tiger Intersection Pill', is indeed not that easy to refine. The heat, the timing, are both a bit off..."]

[Just at this moment, a slight fluctuation comes from the Restriction outside the Immortal Cave.]

["Master, Disciple Tang Xun requests an audience."]

[A familiar voice comes from outside the Immortal Cave.]

["Tang Xun?"]

[Liu Changfeng is stunned for a moment, then his brows furrow even deeper.]

["This kid, isn't he in secluded cultivation? Why did he suddenly come? Could it be that something went wrong with his cultivation?"]

[For this closing Disciple, Liu Changfeng's mood is complex.]

[Twenty years ago, he was astonishingly talented, winning the first place in the Grand Competition with an incredible posture, letting him see the future hope of the Azure Cloud Sect.]

[But who could have thought that this kid was as stubborn as an ox, insisting on choosing the "Five Qi Towards Origin Sword Canon" that whoever practices it becomes Trash, and then dived into the Immortal Cave, not having stepped out for twenty years.]

[He had also gone to investigate a few times, discovering that Tang Xun's cultivation had always remained at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, without any progress.]

[This made him heartbroken, mourning his misfortune, and angry at his lack of striving.]

["The fall of a Genius, nothing more than this..."]

[He sighs, waving his hand to open the Immortal Cave gate.]

["Come in."]

[Regardless, he is ultimately his own Disciple.]

[Tang Xun walks into the Immortal Cave, seeing Liu Changfeng's frowning appearance, and roughly guesses a few points in his heart.]

[He respectfully bows and salutes: "Disciple pays respects to Master."]

["Hmm." Liu Changfeng responds faintly, without even raising his eyelids, "Why are you not properly in your secluded cultivation and running here to see me? Did that broken Cultivation Technique cause problems? I told you long ago, that thing..."]

[He stops halfway through his sentence.]

[Because he suddenly raises his head, staring fixedly at Tang Xun with an incredulous look.]

[His Divine Sense scans back and forth on Tang Xun, and the expression on his face changes from doubt to shock, and then to ecstasy! It's like a Sichuan opera face-changing, brilliant and colorful.]

["F-Foundation Establishment?!"]

[Liu Changfeng's voice is trembling, and he even suspects if he is having hallucinations because of the failed Alchemy.]

["You... have you really reached Foundation Establishment?!"]

[He flashes, instantly appearing in front of Tang Xun, grabbing his wrist, and a vast Divine Sense unceremoniously pours into Tang Xun's body, checking carefully.]

[Tang Xun lets him check, with a simple and honest smile on his face.]

["Reporting to Master, this Disciple has lived up to expectations. Just a few days ago, I luckily succeeded in breaking through and condensed my dao foundation."]

[A moment later, Liu Changfeng withdraws his Divine Sense, standing still in place, muttering to himself.]

["The Foundation is solid, the mana is condensed... the dao foundation is flawless, even carrying a hint of the charm of Five Elements circulation... This... how is this possible..."]

[He knows better than anyone how difficult it is to reach Foundation Establishment by cultivating the "Five Qi Towards Origin Sword Canon". It requires perfectly compressing and fusing mana of five attributes to condense the dao foundation. This process is extremely dangerous; a slight carelessness would result in mana rampaging and the Dantian being completely destroyed.]

[But the Disciple in front of him not only succeeded, but looking at the quality of his dao foundation, it is simply a one-in-ten-thousand "perfect dao foundation"!]

["Good! Good! Good!"]

[Liu Changfeng suddenly laughs up to the sky, his laughter full of excitement and joy, shaking the entire Immortal Cave with a buzzing sound.]

["Hahaha! I knew it! I knew that I, Liu Changfeng, did not misjudge people! What bullshit forbidden technique! What 'whoever practices it becomes Trash'! In front of my Disciple, it's all a joke!"]

[He excitedly pats Tang Xun's shoulder, with so much force that Tang Xun feels his bones are about to fall apart.]

["Good Disciple! You really gave your Master a huge surprise!"]

["Master, take it easy... my bones are about to break..." Tang Xun said with a grimace.]

["Haha, I was momentarily excited, momentarily excited." Liu Changfeng only then reacted, quickly letting go, but the smile on his face could not be stopped.]

[He looks at Tang Xun, the more he looks, the more satisfied he is.]

["Twenty years, from Qi Refining Seventh Layer to Early Stage Foundation Establishment. Although it was a bit slow, being able to forge such a perfect dao foundation makes it all worth it! Steady and solid, accumulating and then releasing, this is the true path of cultivation!"]

[He has automatically found the most perfect explanation for Tang Xun's "slow" cultivation speed.]

[Tang Xun secretly laughs in his heart, but on his face is a humble appearance of "it's all thanks to Master's wise teaching".]

["By the way, did you come out of seclusion this time for that Crimson Trial?" Liu Changfeng suddenly asked.]

["Master is wise." Tang Xun nodded, "Disciple has just reached Foundation Establishment, and I want to take this Opportunity to go out and gain experience to consolidate my cultivation."]

["Hmm, that's good too." Liu Changfeng stroked his beard, pondering, "Although the Crimson Trial is dangerous, it is also a good place to obtain Opportunities. With your current strength, as long as you are careful, self-preservation should not be a problem."]

[He pauses, a solemn expression appearing on his face.]

["Since you have successfully reached Foundation Establishment, the status of Named Disciple should also be changed."]

["Tomorrow, I will summon your fellow Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony for you. From now on, you, Tang Xun, will be my, Liu Changfeng's, seventh and last Personal Disciple!"]