Chapter 193: Heading to the Taixue Sect
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect is recruiting disciples?"
Even Song Jiulai, who was in the Secret Realm, was tempted upon hearing this.
She was a little incredulous. "The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect is recruiting disciples from the outside? How come I’ve never heard of this?"
The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect wasn’t one to hold this kind of disciple selection assembly, because the Talented would naturally be recommended by the sects below them.
Holding any other kind of screening would be pointless.
At least, in all her time, Song Jiulai had never heard of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect holding such a grand event.
This was truly unexpected.
The System said, "So you want to go?"
Song Jiulai was shamelessly tempted. "That’s the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect! I wouldn’t have dared to think about it before, but now I’ve opened my Sea of Consciousness early and succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Who knows what my situation will be after this Secret Realm ends. In three months, if I work hard and can break through to Late-stage Foundation Establishment, what’s the harm in trying out?"
System: "You’re the esteemed Sect Master of the Longevity Sect, and you’re going to participate in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s disciple selection assembly? What about the Longevity Sect? You can’t deviate from the main storyline!"
Song Jiulai clicked her tongue. "Are you stupid? Can’t I just disguise my identity? I managed to send Shuitan to the Sea View Sect. As a Sect Master, what’s so wrong with me going undercover in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect?"
System: "...I didn’t realize you were so clever."
"?"
The System analyzed carefully. "Well, it’s not impossible, but it will be very difficult. The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect is making a huge splash this time. Cultivators might come from all over the Yunzhou Continent. Geniuses will be as common as carp crossing a river. You might not be able to pull it off."
"Are you trying to get all poetic on me now? How can you boost their morale and diminish my own! It hasn’t even started, so how do you know if I can do it or not? Besides, they haven’t said how many spots there are. They can’t possibly pick only one disciple at a time, right?"
The System calculated for a moment and, finding that this action wasn’t judged as a violation, said, "Well, if you want to go, then go."
Song Jiulai then said, "I’ll go once I get out of this Secret Realm. By the way, when does the Moonlight Secret Realm end?"
System: "According to what Li Qianqing said, some people will come out early, while others can last for more than three secret realms. Naturally, the longer you last, the better, since they have no way to replenish their Elixir Pills."
Even if they have the strength to clear multiple realms, they can only withdraw with regret if they can’t replenish their pills.
Li Qianqing is a good kid; at least he revealed a lot of information.
Song Jiulai was lost in thought.
Nothing dangerous had happened to her in the current secret realm yet, but it was filled with an eerie strangeness.
The moon was always hanging in the sky. Song Jiulai had been here for a long time, but dawn never came.
Although there was Spiritual Energy here, no spirit materials grew.
She hadn’t seen a single stalk of Spirit Grass.
This made Song Jiulai, who had been planning to harvest some Spirit Grass, a little disappointed.
The situation was rather strange.
Even in some mountain forests in the real world, you could find some wild Spirit Grass.
It was indeed strange not to see a single plant here.
After leaving the lake from the beginning, she found herself in a boundless plain with lush vegetation. Bathed in the bright moonlight, Song Jiulai walked straight ahead.
She walked until she saw two Black Blood Lions not far ahead, sitting lazily and looking utterly content.
’A Third-stage Demon Beast, the Black Blood Lion?’
Song Jiulai was a little surprised. The demon beast before her looked extremely similar to a Third-stage Demon Beast, the Black Blood Lion.
Why did she say "extremely similar?"
Because the appearance of the Black Blood Lion in front of her couldn’t even be compared to the Black Blood Lions of the Yunzhou Continent.
The Black Blood Lion before her had a normal appearance!
It was just a pure black lion, surrounded by a faint black aura and exuding a thick stench of blood.
It had none of the disgusting, seemingly corroded features.
You have to understand, the demon beasts nowadays were too horrible to look at, each one worse than the last.
They looked like something out of Resident Evil.
But these two Black Blood Lions had thick, shiny black manes. They could even be described as majestic.
Just standing there, they were enormous, imposing, and magnificent.
"Holy crap, is this the kind of looks a Black Blood Lion is supposed to have?"
Anyway, the one time Song Jiulai had seen a Black Blood Lion before, it was an absolute eyesore.
The System said, "Yeah... It’s a bit like that bird we saw with Shuitan."
As Song Jiulai drew closer, the two Black Blood Lions sensed her aura and immediately became vigilant.
The moment they spotted Song Jiulai’s figure, they threw their heads back and let out a great roar.
"ROAR—!"
The beast’s roar seemed to echo for dozens of miles. Intense killing intent seeped from the Black Blood Lions’ red pupils as they charged toward Song Jiulai.
They moved as fast as the wind, a black mist swirling around them as they ran. With a flick of their heads, two wind blades shot toward Song Jiulai.
This was the Black Blood Lion’s signature move.
Of course, Song Jiulai wasn’t afraid of a Third-stage Demon Beast. She had already dealt with a Fourth Rank one; why would she fear a Third Rank?
She was just a little shocked. After the shock, she felt a pang of regret. ’I’ve never studied spiritual beast husbandry. It would be so great if I could take these two lions back with me.’
System: "The demon beast by Shuitan kept reviving after being killed. You might not be able to take these out. The small worlds in this Moonlight Secret Realm are all very strange, not at all like the usual style of Secret Realms on the Yunzhou Continent."
Those words gave Song Jiulai pause. ’Can’t take them out.’ After easily flying into the sky to dodge the Black Blood Lions’ attack, she didn’t counter immediately. Instead, she suddenly slapped her thigh. "I’ve got it! I can use the Nine-Turn Puppetry Technique!"
She had disdained this Cultivation Technique before because the demon beasts outside were too ugly, so she hadn’t practiced it much. Now was the perfect time to use it for Refining these two Black Blood Lions.
Song Jiulai rubbed her hands together, overjoyed, and prepared to wear down the two Black Blood Lions. The Refining process would go more smoothly and have a much higher success rate if she exhausted them first.
They were two Third Rank beasts, after all. She didn’t know if she’d run into any other demon beasts in this Secret Realm, so she should cherish this opportunity.
「At the same time」
The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s voice transmission spread throughout the entire Yunzhou Continent, causing a sensation over the trial qualification.
Wang’an County was also bustling with excitement, but after the initial fervor, most of the players went back to doing what they were doing.
Because they were disciples of the Longevity Sect, they couldn’t go anyway.
As for betraying the Sect?
That was out of the question.
They could participate in a competition like the one at Sea View Sect, but for something like the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s event, they could only watch the excitement from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Zhan Sheng came online, already prepared to head to the Taixue Sect, and went to find Zhai Xiaotian.
Zhai Xiaotian was not surprised to see Zhan Sheng arrive.
Still, he was inwardly pleased with the Longevity Sect’s Sect Master for being so sensible.
A disciple with such talent couldn’t be left here to have her potential wasted.
But then he changed the subject, suddenly asking, "Did you happen to hear the voice transmission from the Great Power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect this afternoon?"
Zhan Sheng nodded. "Senior, I heard it."
Zhai Xiaotian then said, "With your talent, if you cultivate diligently, it might not be impossible for you to break through to the Late-stage Qi Refining within three months and compete for a spot in the selection."
Zhan Sheng shook her head. "Senior, to have your recommendation is already a great fortune for me. This junior dares not dream of anything more."
Zhai Xiaotian just smiled and said, "That’s a real shame."
He also knew that it wasn’t guaranteed Zhan Sheng could get into the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect.
The main issue was her age. Even with a Metal Spirit Root, it would be impossible for her to compete with those with the same Spirit Root who had been cultivating diligently for over a decade.