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[Wood River… Passed the 1222nd floor trial of Zhenchuan!]
[Read 100,000 volumes: Took 289 days.]
[Liu Shan, Xu Shanyun… Passed the 307th floor trial!]
[Chinese zodiac: Took 93 days.]
In the Zhenchuan trials, the first group of disciples to complete it refreshed the Zhenchuan records one after another.
The red leaderboard appeared in the air above the Zhenchuan River again and again.
All of this felt like the last straw that broke Meng Zi’s tense nerves.
Everyone had progressed so many levels!
More and more new layer masters were born.
The spirit stones left for him were getting scarcer!
He broke through the illusion formation, angrily pushing aside the disciples blocking his way.
“Lin Shuang, Senior Brother Huangfu —”
“I’m here!”
Meng Zi was anxious and worried that the Qi Refining-stage Lin Shuang and the ailing Senior Brother Huang Fuyuan couldn’t hold on much longer.
But when he rushed to the Cliffside stone bridge leading to the 841st floor, he abruptly stopped.
He saw Lin Shuang, the Qi Refining stage disciple, in her undamaged blue robe, looking refreshed and energetic.
As for the frail Huangfu Senior Brother, his face was slightly pale, but he looked no different from his usual self.
“???”
“Where are Chen Sheng and the others?”
Lin Shuang’s eyelashes twitched slightly.
She was about to speak when suddenly, a vivid red blood sword sprayed out from the side of Huangfu Yuan’s pale lips.
“Cough—” Huangfu Yuan swayed, almost collapsing.
Meng Zi momentarily forgot his question, his eyes widening in alarm. “Huangfu Senior Brother!”
Lin Shuang was shaken and took three steps back.
She had almost failed to dodge this sudden blood sword.
He coughed up blood even faster than she had faked fainting in front of Senior Brother Xu Rui.
She looked at the black eyelash shadow that had fallen on Huangfu Yuan’s transparently handsome face. He seemed like he would fall with the slightest breeze.
“Did Chen Sheng and the others injure you?” Meng Zi was furious. “These two scoundrels…”
He was about to continue, but Huangfu Yuan’s figure swayed violently, his eyes closing, and Meng Zi panicked.
“Senior Brother Huangfu, where are your pills?”
Lin Shuang opened her mouth.
First, he coughed up blood, then he felt dizzy, and now he had fallen.
She had learned how to deal with these waves of events.
Meng Zi took the jade bottle that Huangfu Yuan tremblingly took out from his sleeve and, seeing him make a three-fingered gesture with difficulty, hurriedly poured out three pea-sized pills for him to take.
“Damn it, this Chen Sheng guy, seeing the consequences of his actions, he’s run off without a trace!” Meng Zi grumbled.
Lin Shuang: …
Poor scapegoat Chen Sheng.
She looked at Huangfu Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged with closed phoenix-like eyes, and saw that his face was pale, and his black eyelashes were trembling weakly.
The robes that had just been neat were now covered in large bloodstains.
His dantian, which had just reached the first level of Foundation Establishment, was forcibly pushed back to the level of a beginner Foundation Establishment.
It was too real.
It was simply pitiable.
Huangfu Yuan blinked his black eyelashes and, with great effort, opened his eyes, revealing a weak, powerless smile towards her.
Lin Shuang: …
She also lowered her head, returning with a weak smile befitting an outer sect disciple who had reached the Qi Refining stage.
Huangfu Yuan’s bloodstained index finger twitched.
*
“The Master’s acting skills have truly become superb.”
In the restful courtyard, a disciple with fish scales on his forehead looked at the projection stone and shook his head repeatedly.
He sat next to Bai Yu and lowered his voice.
“He’s only using a fraction of his power, at most one strike a day.”
“Are you saying one strike from him could kill both you and me?”
“…”
Bai Yu, with his pure eyes like water, silently looked into the distance.
The Master… Lin Shuang…
Poor Senior Brother Meng Zi, sigh.
*
841st floor.
The pills produced by the Rong Bao Shop were of guaranteed quality. After taking the pills, Huangfu Yuan recovered from the state of spitting blood.
He was back to his original combat strength, which was no match for Qi Refining, but at least he wouldn’t die.
After assuring him several times, Meng Zi agreed to enter this level of trial.
On the 800th floor, everything below, including mountains, rivers, and streams, looked extremely small.
The mountain wind was intense, and the sunlight was dazzling.
“It’s almost noon.”
Lin Shuang reached out and saw her shadow fall straight onto her cyan silk shoes.
It was almost time for her daily meal and friendly conversations.
Lin Shuang was completely relaxed, exuding happiness and contentment as she prepared for her lunch break.
“Be careful of where you step; the cave is about to open.”
Different from the meditation cave on the 300th floor, this cave was located outside and connected to an ascending stone bridge.
Each stone step beneath her feet was carved with ferocious beast heads, with the ancient characters “841” engraved on their foreheads.
Each stroke of these characters seemed to be carved into the stone with a sharp knife, deep and sharp.
Lin Shuang took a few glances and closed her eyes on the spot. The corners of her eyes ached, and she almost shed tears.
With the Fire Eye Golden Gaze technique in operation, several sword intents unexpectedly came to life from the carved beast heads on the stones, as if resurrected, and slashed toward her.
Meng Zi strode ahead.
Huangfu Yuan walked beside her, and the shadow cast by his long eyelashes faintly brushed against her butterfly-like black lashes.
“The Zhenchuan Mountain Tower was constructed by the founding head and twelve Elders of the Clearwater Sect, just before their ascension.”
“Subsequent generations of Elders have maintained it, opening it once every ten years, with each level having different appearances and trial content.”
Lin Shuang raised an eyebrow and shifted her gaze away from the beast’s head. So, this level was created by the Elder specializing in sword cultivation?
“A trial for sword cultivators?”
Huangfu Yuan chuckled and walked up the stone steps with his hands behind his back.
Meng Zi had already erupted to the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, exerting force with his arms, and with a booming sound, he pushed open the towering dark iron gate at the end of the stone bridge.
There were also carved beast heads on the door, exuding a steady aura.
However, this beast’s head was smooth, as if it had been rubbed constantly.
There were no inscriptions of the names of disciples who had passed through this door.
Lin Shuang couldn’t help but furrow her brow.
Had no one passed through this gate this year yet?
Creak, the door swung open completely.
Lin Shuang’s Fire Eye Golden Gaze technique, operating at full speed, gave her an instant view of the entire cave.
The cave was surrounded by rugged stone rocks, the ground was covered with tiger-patterned animal skins, and all around were empty wooden racks for swords.
In the center, there was a simple pear wood table with a jade bowl about three fingers deep and one elbow wide.
Lin Shuang’s nervous expression immediately relaxed.
Not only was there no place to practice sword techniques but there was also a setup suitable for her to have lunch!
She was itching to move.
Meng Zi stared wide-eyed, feeling somewhat disappointed.
But then he let out a sigh of relief. “It’s not bad, luck isn’t the worst. At least we don’t have to fight.”
In the Zhenchuan trial, disciples entering a level didn’t know the trial’s content in advance.
They couldn’t make any guesses; they had to rely on luck.
[Current Level Trial: Oops, I’m dead.]
Lin Shuang was stunned.
In front of the stone table, a shadow of a disciple falling to the ground and coughing up blood suddenly appeared!
Upon closer inspection, this shadow was none other than the pale-faced Huangfu Yuan.
Lin Shuang and Meng Zi were dumbfounded and quickly turned to look behind them at the real Huangfu Yuan.
They found that he was still there; what was in front of them was just a shadow, so they breathed a sigh of relief.
But in an instant, two iron chains as thick as arms shot out from the stone walls.
They wrapped around Huangfu Yuan’s hands and feet, suspending him in mid-air!
Huangfu Yuan: “…”
He lowered his eyelids and let out a wry smile.
[“The path of sword cultivation is fraught with danger. One moment of carelessness can lead to severe injury or death.”]
[“Therefore, I have designed this trial: Your companion is in distress. Please sequentially place the corresponding elixirs into the stone bowl to save him!”]
[There are a total of 10 rounds.]
[In each round, if the medicine’s potency is insufficient, or if it’s inappropriate, or if it exceeds twelve breaths, it will be considered that the disciple has met his demise.]
Lin Shuang and Meng Zi simultaneously turned their heads to look at the frail Huangfu Yuan bound by iron chains.
[If a companion “meets his demise,” the trial will fail.]
[Activation method – Infuse the jade bowl with spiritual energy.]
Meng Zi took a deep breath, turned around, clenched his fists, and saluted into the air.
“Huangfu Senior, I got the highest grade in my elixir class—a C-minus.”
Huangfu Yuan: “…”
Huangfu Yuan’s face remained expressionless as he glanced at the ‘him’ in the projection, and his thin lips twitched fiercely.
Lin Shuang touched her nose.
—
“Do trials even have this kind of challenge?”
Several outer disciples who had already entered the Zhenchuan Mountain Tower looked at the projection while asking a passing junior disciple for directions to the Resting Courtyard.
“The inner disciples’ trials are quite interesting.”
Zhao Keran, who was about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, was soon to become an inner disciple.
Watching Lin Shuang’s progress was a thrilling experience.
Although Xu Rui, a senior disciple who spent most of his time in the outer sect, felt that the trial was strange, he was knowledgeable.
“This round seems difficult.”
He looked at the projection of the bound Huangfu Yuan, his face not showing the same ease as the junior disciples.
“Among the three, Huangfu Yuan, who manages the Rong Bao Pavilion and is familiar with numerous elixirs, was bound. This can’t be a coincidence.”
“This challenge isn’t as simple as it seems.”
Xu Rui, who had a wide range of experiences despite his years in the outer sect, hit the nail on the head.
Before they could discuss further, they saw Lin Shuang and Meng Zi open their mustard seed bags and take out several bottles. They sniffed them and fumbled to replace them with another bottle.
Watching the real-time broadcast, Zhao Keran couldn’t help but cover his eyes.
“It won’t work; it’s too slow!”
Twelve breaths of time!
Three breaths had already passed!
This was just the first round of the “Oops, I’m dead” trial!
—
“Darn it, we finally saved three people, and now it’s become four!”
On the 841st level, several caves simultaneously activated the “Oops, I’m dead” trial.
“Yin Cultivation overexerted and fainted? Damn, he was just a sword cultivator with external injuries in the previous round!”
“What kind of elixir is used for falling into the demonic path?”
“What elixir is used for falling into a love crisis?”
“Isn’t this absurd? They were clearly in combat; how did it turn into a love crisis?”
From the caves where this trial was activated, various curses, groans, moans, and despair could be heard.
“This is so unlucky. We thought this level was going to be simple—”
“Give up, give up, go to another level!”
“Before, at the Clearwater Altar, Senior Brother told me that whenever you encounter a trial where someone is dying, if you’re not an elixir cultivator, you should retreat immediately. There’s no way to pass it; don’t struggle!”
“I just want to know how the previous level masters passed it!”
Several groups of three entered the cave, then grumbled and came out again.
Because they were the fastest to pass the 300th level earlier, some disciples who had been following Lin Shuang and Meng Zi’s real-time challenge projections decided to turn off the projections when they saw them entering this seemingly deadly challenge.
“They won’t make it.”
“Let’s watch later; we don’t want to waste spirit stones on projections.”
Most people sympathized with Meng Zi’s group, but some kept an eye on them.
For instance, at this moment, the slightly plump Chen Sheng and his two companions were also randomly assigned to this level, as if it were fate.
Chen Sheng had been listening to his senior brother’s transmissions all along.
“Junior Brother, I’m currently watching the projection of your level’s trial. Meng Zi and that female outer disciple also chose this level!”
“This time, you can’t lose to that female outer disciple again.”
Chen Sheng was startled.
He shifted his gaze back to the four injured shadows in front of him.
“Quick, Wuxing!”
The level master position must belong to them!
Among the three of them, they were lucky to have a pill cultivator, Wuxing.
Moreover, Chen Sheng and Wuxing had been sharing the same cave for years, going in and out, and even sleeping together.
When Wuxing recited the formulas and theories of various medicines, he had listened to many of them!
Now, the pill cultivator Wuxing was bound, just like Huangfu Yuan, unable to move.
However, when he looked at the trial question in front of him, he pondered for a moment and then spoke, “Three Revival Pills, one Clear Spirit Pill, one Blood Elixir, one Ice and Snow Elixir, and some Red Lotus Powder!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng quickly rummaged through Wuxing’s medicine bag!
Having lived together for six years, he was very familiar!
“It’s in the Jade Cicada Box.”
“For the Blood Elixir, it’s the one sealed with red clay!”
“The Red Lotus Powder is infused with the fragrance of Spirit Tea…”
As Wuxing gave directions, Chen Sheng searched through the items, and he had more than enough time within the twelve breaths.
Chen Sheng’s confidence soared.
Losing level 349 wasn’t a big deal; getting the level master on level 841 would be an even greater achievement!
Lin Shuang, an outer disciple, even if she was hiding her true strength, had no place in this level that tested elixirs.
Meng Zi was a true sword cultivator.
By the time the fourth round of “Oops, I’m dead” came around, Chen Sheng even had the leisure to ask his senior brother who was transmitting messages, “What level is Lin Shuang on?”
As he asked, a self-assured smile appeared on Chen Sheng’s face. The inner demons that had been haunting him after being defeated by the outer disciple Lin Shuang were gradually dissipating.
But in an instant, his eye twitched.
“Junior Brother, hurry!”
“Huh?”
“When you were in the third round, she was in the first, and when you reached the fourth round, she was already in the third! Hurry!”
“Huh?”
Chen Sheng’s eye twitched as he looked at the four ‘Wuxings’ in front of him.
“Ah, Junior Brother, they’re already in the fifth, no, the sixth round!”
“What?”
Chen Sheng widened his eyes.
His actions of rummaging through the items came to a halt.
“Eleven breaths, twelve breaths… This disciple has met an untimely end.”
“Chen Sheng, Wuxing, Qian Wanjun, failed the fifth round challenge of ‘Oops, I’m dead,’ please restart from the first round.”
The trial cave showed no mercy, causing Chen Sheng to take a step back.
Meng Zi, who had also retreated almost to the stone wall, was similarly stunned, looking at his two teammates.
Four ‘Huangfu Yuans’… Six ‘Huangfu Yuans’… Seven ‘Huangfu Yuans’ successively appeared.
To distinguish their different injuries alone would take three or four breaths.
Then, they had to think about which elixirs to use and search through their mustard seed bags.
However, Lin Shuang had taken out a peculiar, square-shaped ‘medicine chest’ from her mustard seed bag from the first round.
It was transparent and layered.
Each compartment had labels with uses.
The first layer: Emergency and Detoxification
The second layer: Chronic Symptoms
The third layer: Spiritual Qi and Sea of Consciousness Restoration
The fourth layer: Satiety, Speed Enhancement, and Beauty Maintenance
With her hands flying, she hardly even glanced at the medicine chest.
It was as if she remembered the location of each elixir in every compartment.
No hesitation, no mistakes.
【Medicinal power meets the standard.】
【Disciple has been treated.】
【Disciple temporarily avoids death.】
…
【Disciple has been saved from danger.】
【Passage of the seventh round!】
Meng Zi could hardly catch his breath.
When the seventh round came and ten ‘Huangfu Yuans’ fell to the ground, Lin Shuang’s movements momentarily froze.
“It’s too late, the seventh round, ten injured, the difficulty in the eighth round will increase…”
Her complexion turned grim.
“It’s too late…”
Meng Zi opened his mouth, feeling that she had already done exceptionally well.
Much better than him. “If we can’t make it, let’s switch to another level.”
“No.”
Lin Shuang took a deep breath.
“We can’t lose here.”
They were already in the seventh round! If they failed at this point, all the time spent on the previous seven rounds would be wasted!
“Senior Brother Huangfu!”
Huangfu Yuan frowned too and looked at the ’10’ of him in front of him. “Junior Sister, I’ll do my best.”
After saying that, he focused his gaze ahead.
But just as he was about to report the elixirs as before, Lin Shuang suddenly took advantage of the completion of the seventh round and swiftly retrieved a thick stack of talisman papers from her mustard seed bag.
She suddenly slapped them towards him, towards his lips!
Huangfu Yuan: “???”
Meng Zi: “???”
In an instant, Huangfu Yuan’s thin lips were covered with speed-enhancing talismans, twelve above and twelve below.
His elixir reporting speed instantly tripled!
“Stop bleeding, Revival, Fire, Burnt Lotus Pill, Pure Yin Pill… Ling Jue Qing Jue, Ba Zi Powder!”
In one go, he rapidly reported the elixirs and his thin lips fluttered, almost sparking.
Meng Zi: “…”
Stiffly turning his head, he saw that at some point, Lin Shuang had also attached numerous stacks of acceleration talismans to his hands and arms.
Like flowing water, her hands moved.
Like flowing water, the elixirs were launched at high speed.
Like flowing water, there was a popping sound of air friction as Lin Shuang’s arms produced up to twelve afterimages each!
Meng Zi was so close that he could see it, no, he could barely see it from behind.
“Seventh round passed in nine breaths.”
“Eighth round passed in six breaths.”
“Ninth round passed in six breaths.”
“Tenth round—”
Ten ‘Huangfu Yuans’ appeared, blinked, and fell to the ground in the blink of an eye.
In just an instant.
Meng Zi hadn’t even seen the last person clearly when he heard the majestic voice coming from the trial cave.
“Tenth round passed in six breaths.”
【Congratulations, Huangfu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang, for breaking the record of the fastest trial of ‘Oops, I’m Dead’ on the 841st floor.】
【Time taken, fifty-two breaths.】
“…”
Meng Zi took a step back.
Huangfu Yuan remained silent, closing his mouth filled with talismans.
Lin Shuang let out a long breath. “Geez, I thought there would be more people in the later rounds, but it’s still ten Senior Brother Huangfu.”
She looked as if she had wasted her energy.
Meng Zi fell into silence. After looking at the ugly first-order acceleration talismans scattered on the ground, he became lost in thought.
Huangfu Yuan stood still, looking dumbfounded as he touched the talisman papers on his mouth.
【Huangfu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang can proceed to the Resting Courtyard to collect the layer master’s reward!】
How did she do it?
The Red List appeared once again.
The onlookers, including Chen Sheng, Bai Yu, numerous inner disciples, and even outer disciple Xu Rui, remained silent.
“Junior Sister Lin, I never expected your talisman skills to be so… exquisite.”
The iron chains on Huangfu Yuan’s body vanished in an instant.
Looking at Lin Shuang, he strangely rustled the twenty yellow talisman papers plastered on his lips.
He chuckled.
A faint red hue seemed to overflow from his phoenix eyes but quickly dissipated. His expression remained neutral, and he used his index finger to remove the twenty talismans from his mouth.
With his eyelids drooping, there seemed to be a hint of trembling at the corners of his eyes.
Lin Shuang turned her head away and coughed, her talisman papers also trembling. Her arms, which had been pushed to the limit due to acceleration, were screaming in pain.
“Senior Brother, you worked hard.”
“I didn’t expect, Senior Brother, that your eye technique was also so refined.”
She turned to look at Huangfu Yuan, her eyes moist at the corners, and provocatively squinted at him.
She had just tried to keep up with his pace and pushed her Fire Eye Golden Pupil technique to the limit. Now, her eyes were slightly red.
But in just a few breaths, Huangfu Yuan, who had observed dozens of people, had clear phoenix eyes and showed no signs of exhaustion.
“Hehe, it’s just some naturally gifted vision.”
“No big deal, Senior Brother, just some low-level talismans with a third-grade rating.”
“…”
“…”
Both of them stopped in their tracks, then simultaneously walked out of the 841st-floor cave.
Meng Zi landed last, and his eye twitched.
He firmly pressed his temple and drew the bright big knife from behind him with a screech.
“You two, stop right there—!!!”
“Huangfu Yuan, Lin Shuang!!”
His roar shook the gate of the cave, causing it to tremble violently.
Dust fell everywhere, stopping Huangfu Yuan and Lin Shuang in their tracks.
“You two—what’s going on! Explain yourselves!!!”
“!”
“…”
Meng Zi roared, and Huangfu Yuan and Lin Shuang both stepped back.
“Hey.”
They retreated to the mountainside, and a faint sigh suddenly rang in their ears.
It seemed like an old man, yet it also seemed like a young man.
One sound made all three of them’s scalps tingle.
The crushing pressure swept over their entire bodies like a tide!
“Who!?”
Meng Zi gripped the knife handle tightly.
Lin Shuang pressed her mustard pouch.
Huangfu Yuan raised his gaze.
The dust shaken down by Meng Zi’s roar fell to the ground one by one.
The scene inside the cave slowly became clear.
There was no one there.
But a watery curtain of light suddenly fell beside the teacup at the entrance of the cave.
Lin Shuang and the others froze.
In the holographic projection of the curtain of light, several disciples of the Clearwater Sect, dressed in their robes, were reduced to pieces in an instant by over ten black threads in the air!
Without even having the chance to scream, they spewed blood, and their elixir fields were extinguished.
The only surviving disciple in the air had his arm cut off, and he screamed in pain and anger. However, he didn’t even have time to glance at the blood clots around him before he fled at top speed!
Let alone saving them, they couldn’t even collect the corpses!
“If the last question just now had been like this, what would you have done?”
The old man in the cave inquired, accompanied by the flow of blood in the water curtain, which exploded in their ears.
Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangfu Yuan exchanged glances.
“In today’s trial, you all passed and became the fastest.”
“But above the Foundation Building, during the Core Formation Stage, the Nascent Stage…”
“The life and death of cultivators are determined by the thought of the powerful.”
“Today, it took fifty-two breaths to save seventy-five people.”
“Tomorrow, with a single thought, how many people will you be able to save?”
The scar on Lin Shuang’s wrist, hidden in her sleeve, suddenly felt a burning sensation.
She clenched her fist abruptly.
In front of the strong, the weak had no way out!
Huangfu Yuan looked at the holographic projection in the cave, where the body parts turned into blood, and his phoenix eyes gradually reflected a bright blood-red color.
Meng Zi tightly gripped the black knife handle, his eyebrows as sharp as blades, glaring at the area behind the watery curtain.
“What do you suggest then, to run away and give up like him?” Meng Zi couldn’t help but shout angrily.
The dignified voice turned into a faint laugh.
“I, at the nine thousand level above the Zhenchuan Stage, am waiting for you to come and answer again!”
All three of them were shaken.
Even though it was approaching noon, Lin Shuang’s entire body was about to enter a state of rest.
But at this moment, she couldn’t help but extend her hand to press on her dantian.
The surging blood and qi were boiling.
It was as if an uncontrollable voice was shouting within her body—Condense the Essence, Refine the Spirit, Enter the Void…
She had to advance layer by layer, rush to the pinnacle of the 9,000 levels of Zhenchuan, and become the strongest!
“Nine thousand levels…”
Meng Zi muttered.
“Zhenchuan changes every ten years, who knows which level you’ll be on.”
But the watery light and shadow disappeared, and there was no response.
In the cave, the oppressive aura that had just made their blood boil dissipated in an instant.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
But in the study of this cave, a jade box on a treasure shelf opened.
Three and a half torn leaves, cut by sharp knife qi, appeared in front of them.
The blade qi evaporated from the leaf, leaving only a row of neat small characters.
—Nine Thousand Soul Refining Levels: Life or Death.
Every word was clear, but the blade edge had not pierced through this thin leaf.
It could be seen how high the cultivator who set this question was.
“The divine thoughts on this are the same as the stone bridge beast carvings we passed by just now.”
Huangfu Yuan picked up one of the withered leaves and examined it closely.
“This should be a third-grade spirit treasure. It’s said that when disciples perform exceptionally well, the elders in charge of setting questions will leave behind guidance for traversing Zhenchuan.”
Meng Zi, who had just seen fellow sect members die tragically and was still filled with anger, suddenly had stars in his eyes.
“A third-grade spirit treasure? Huangfu Senior, how much can we sell this for at Rong Bao Pavilion?”
Lin Shuang’s eye twitched.
Huangfu Yuan seemed to have forgotten what he originally wanted to say.
He turned away and smiled as he explained to Lin Shuang, “Junior Sister Lin, Zhenchuan’s cave changes every year.”
“Disciples may not enter the same trial for a hundred years.”
“This guidance leaf is for us to use in the future. When we reach the Soul Refining stage, have the power to ascend above the 9,000 levels, and activate the spiritual energy, it will directly guide us to the challenge set by this elder – ‘Life or Death’.”
Lin Shuang immediately understood, “A guide token, exclusive to Zhenchuan. Did it also bind our in-game IDs?”
Huangfu Yuan was taken aback.
But he quickly nodded with a wry smile, “Junior Sister means, it’s bound to our unique aura as passing disciples, right? Yes, that’s right.”
“Junior Sister Lin is indeed sharp.” Huangfu Yuan nodded elegantly.
Lin Shuang modestly smiled.
“Hey, hey, hey, are you two just going to ignore me?” Meng Zi paced back and forth between the two of them with his big knife.
“Okay, I get it. We can’t sell it! We can only use it ourselves! This stingy elder, why is he so miserly?”
“Hey! You two, can you look at me when you’re talking? Where are we going for the next level?”
“Not right… you haven’t explained everything to me yet—”
Huangfu Yuan and Lin Shuang moved in harmony towards the exit of the cave.
“Junior Sister Lin, how about taking a break?”
“Sure.”
“Why take a break? Are you two mortal warriors?” Meng Zi grumbled.
While the three of them were talking, they entered the teleportation array outside the cave and arrived in the middle layer—the Zhenchuan Resting Courtyard.
“Would you two like to take a look at the cave… oh, it’s you.”
A woman in pink approached them with a smile, but as soon as she saw the faces of Lin Shuang and the others, she was taken aback.
“You guys are pretty lucky.”
One in cyan, an outer disciple.
One with an illness, a coughing disciple.
Only one was a normal Essence Foundation Establishment Stage Sword cultivator.
And they had reached the 800th level of Zhenchuan.
The woman in pink looked closely at Lin Shuang and then took out the seventh and eighth jade slips strung together from her waist.
“Little sister, want to take a look at cave number 800?”
“After entering the inner sect, you can’t stay at the mountaintop. The price of the cave remains the same for a consecutive hundred years!”
“I’m not lying, strike while the iron is hot.”
Lin Shuang halted her steps and seemed somewhat interested, “How far is cave number 800 from the Transmission Hall to the Grand Martial Hall?”
The woman in pink remained silent for a moment.
Meng Zi chuckled, “About an hour on a flying sword.”
“Ah!”
Lin Shuang looked at the woman in pink in distress. Cave number 300 from before was just a ring further away, wasn’t it?
Five rings.
Really, whether it’s five rings or six, they both meant a journey of more than two hours round trip.
Lin Shuang grimaced in pain.
Huangfu Yuan also showed disdain, “Let’s go. Those places don’t even have immortal cranes perching… not to mention fire spirit chickens are unwilling to land there.”
A vein on the woman in pink’s forehead popped up, but she forced a smile.
“If you continue upwards, you’ll reach the thousandth level.”
“There may be casualties. For ordinary disciples with low combat power, I wouldn’t recommend going any further. Right now, you can buy cave number 800—”
But before she could finish, Lin Shuang and her group had already left.
“Thank you, I’ll come take a look next time.” Lin Shuang waved politely.
The woman in pink took a deep breath.
Just as she was about to turn around in anger, she looked up and saw the two beast heads on Lin Shuang’s chest, faintly showing the water patterns. She was stunned.
One beast head embroidered with 349, and the other with 841.
These were the marks of the two fastest completions of the Zhenchuan trials!
The expression on the woman in pink’s face changed rapidly.
[Reward Settlement for Level 841:]
Lin Shuang and the others went to check their rewards.
[841 Contributions have been distributed.]
[As for the fastest completion of this level, reward settlement—]
In a flurry of movement, the stone monument spewed out another long string of game-completion coupons, which shot toward Lin Shuang and her group.
Lin Shuang reached out and found an additional withered leaf compared to last time.
—9999 spirit stones, can be used for caves numbered 1 to 800…
—2000 spirit stones, can be used for inner sect spiritual energy expenses… and other living expenses;
—1000 spirit stones, can be used for second-tier treasures from the Heaven and Earth treasures… and other purchases;
—500 spirit stones, usable by the entire sect.
All three of them had glimmers in their eyes.
On this level, there were discounts available for the entire sect.
As they progressed up the levels, the rewards had upgraded.
Lin Shuang silently manipulated the water patterns on the stone monument and checked for other items that could be exchanged.
– “Headmaster Lv’s Notes, Volume Two of the 132nd Generation of the Clearwater Sect (with signature)” – 200 spirit stones
– “Headmaster Lv’s Sayings (abridged)” – 500 spirit stones
– “How to Cultivate in Pairs (incomplete)” – 1000 spirit stones
– …
– “Shao Ke’s Second Volume of Creating Seals with You” – 1000 spirit stones
Lin Shuang’s eyes glittered; it seemed that inspirational literature had also leveled up. As for Shao Ke’s talisman crafting manuals, they appeared every five hundred levels.
If they followed this pattern, “Creating Seals with You,” Volume Twelve, could be exchanged for a level six thousand?
While she was contemplating this, Huangfu Yuan had already exchanged for a copy of “Headmaster Lv’s Sayings (abridged)” with great interest, which cost only 500 spirit stones, quite affordable.
Normally, these kinds of texts, which contained the wisdom of predecessors, were only available to those who had made significant contributions to their sects. Lin Shuang hadn’t even considered buying them from Rong Bao Zhai.
Huangfu Yuan received the book and opened the first page.
Lin Shuang and Meng Zi both leaned in curiously to take a look.
[Chapter One: How to Cling to an Elder’s Thighs]
“!”
All three were dumbfounded.
They hadn’t expected the current Clearwater Sect’s Headmaster to be this kind of Headmaster Lv.
Huangfu Yuan’s eyes flickered, and he quickly turned to the next page.
[You fool; do you want to take shortcuts?! Thighs, thighs, I’ll twist your legs off and make you sleep while hugging them!]
With a puff, the insulting words turned into water swords and shot out from the book.
Huangfu Yuan’s hand trembled.
The water sword splashed out with a whoosh, like a rushing stream, spraying onto Meng Zi’s face nearby.
Meng Zi: “…!”
Lin Shuang: “…”
Huangfu Yuan swiftly closed the book. “Well, it’s quite good, this collection of sayings.”
Meng Zi gritted his teeth.
He’d remember this.
Headmaster Lv, he’d remember it!
In the future, he absolutely wouldn’t buy books written by Headmaster Lv; they were all just scams.
Are you buying this to wash your face?
And Huangfu Senior…!
“Let’s go, let’s go up a few more levels!” Meng Zi took a deep breath and held back his words.
But Huangfu Yuan’s expression turned apologetic. “I’m sorry, Junior Brother, I’m a bit tired.”
He lowered his phoenix-like eyes.
Five hundred levels was the annual record for the frail Huangfu Yuan in the past.
“Then let’s take a break.”
Lin Shuang pressed her chest, which was pounding. She needed some adjustment too.
“It’s also my lunchtime now.” With that said, she took out her wooden lunchbox.
Meng Zi: “!”
Huangfu Yuan: “…?”
Lin Shuang calmly returned to the tea table where they had rested earlier and took out a square meal cloth with red and white checkers from her mustard seed bag.
With great ceremony, she spread it out on the table, then arranged three bowls, three plates, and three pairs of chopsticks.
She also very ceremoniously opened the lunchbox containing today’s meal.
Inside were five Qi-blocking Pills, arranged in the shape of a smiling face.
Huangfu Yuan: “…”
Meng Zi: “…?”
“Oh, by the way, mealtime is also a time for building friendships.”
“??”
“So, Meng Senior Brother, I can now answer your question.”
Lin Shuang glanced at the tomato-shaped hourglass on the tablecloth and carefully divided one of the thumb-sized Qi-blocking Pills into four pieces using her chopsticks.
With a cup of spirit tea, she happily ate one-fourth of it.
“I don’t have any secrets.”
“Entering Zhenchuan, I just want to compete for a spot as an elite inner disciple.”
Huangfu Yuan raised a teacup to his lips, and the tea lid clanged disharmoniously.
“What?! An elite inner disciple, you?”
Meng Zi choked, and the bit of Qi-blocking Pill he had just swallowed went down the wrong way.
The nearby pink-robed woman, with several pieces of jade slips for her cave mansion hanging from her waist, blinked in disbelief.
Meng Zi forced a smile.
He had misunderstood her before.
He used to think that she was lazy and had low cultivation.
Now he realized that she was sick.
At that moment, he picked up the bamboo chopsticks in front of him and drew a triangular-shaped mountain with them on the red and white checkered cloth.
One-third and two-thirds of the way up, his chopsticks traced across the mountainside.
“This is Zhenchuan.”
“We are currently here.”
He circled the area from the mountain’s base to one-third of the way up with his chopsticks.
Meng Zi’s eyebrows jumped.
“Going higher, from three thousand to six thousand, only advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators can go.”
“Beyond six thousand, it’s for advanced Foundation Establishment to Core Formation disciples…”
With that, Meng Zi tossed his chopsticks away dejectedly.
He picked up one of the Qi-blocking Pills and bit into it with a crunch.
“Elite inner disciples can’t be obtained just because you want to be one. Do you think there’s no one above the three thousandth level in Zhenchuan?”
Lin Shuang listened, and even the speed of her flipping through the book of quotes slowed down.
She found it quite enjoyable to listen to.
“Senior Brother, you’re right. But after what happened just now, I realized my mistake and adjusted my original goal.”
You’re spot on!
Meng Zi crunched the Qi-blocking Pill. “Knowing when to retreat, I’ll give you that.”
“Let me tell you, inner disciples who challenge up to the ninth thousandth level are almost a hundred years old.”
“Got it.”
Lin Shuang’s eyes sparkled.
She crushed the last few pieces of the Qi-blocking Pill into powder, gathered them with her chopsticks, scooped them up with a small spoon, and swallowed the entire mixture.
She wiped her mouth clean and then took out her paper and ink, and the brush danced nimbly.
Long-term plan: Zhenchuan 9,000 levels, life or death.
Medium-term plan: Zhenchuan 6,000 levels.
Short-term plan: Zhenchuan 3,000 levels.
After finishing writing, she nodded, “Long-term plan, over ten years; medium-term, five to ten years; short-term, one year.”
Just as Meng Zi was about to mock, she continued writing.
Current plan for entering Zhenchuan:
1. Become an outer sect elite.
2. Become an inner sect disciple.
3. Become an inner sect elite (?? Got new information, to be corrected).
Meng Zi stared, “What does this mean?”
Huangfu Yuan approached with his hands behind his back and quickly noticed, his thin lips twitching. “One arrow, three targets… Sister, coming to Zhenchuan… I see now.”
Lin Shuang gave Huangfu Yuan a look that said “You understand me.”
Meng Zi: “??? Wait a minute, what does this all mean?”
The pink-robed woman quietly approached, holding the jade key to her cave mansion.
Lin Shuang continued writing.
[Plan Adjustment]
This line was underlined.
“After the two layers of trials just now, the information provided by Senior Brother, and the advice from the elder, I have made new additions and adjustments to my plan.”
Lin Shuang finished speaking, and the delicate small characters leaped onto the paper.
“Before, I was wrong, short-sighted, only focusing on the short-term goal of becoming an inner sect elite.”
“Hurrying to save one or two years in the near term, but forgetting the long-term goal of five to ten years – reaching the level of Refining the Spirit, passing the 9,999 levels of Zhenchuan. As long as you don’t reach the top, the inner sect disciples must participate in the assessment every ten years.”
Hearing about passing 9,999 levels, the pink-robed woman stared at her as if she was crazy.
Lin Shuang continued, “Thanks to the advice of the elder on the 841st level just now… Now I need to consider the long-term goal and readjust the plan.”
[New addition to this Zhenchuan plan:
Goal 4: Obtain more Zhenchuan Guidance Leaves (possibly attracting the favor of inner sect elders) – Maintaining important long-term connections, increasing the possibility of obtaining rare techniques and spiritual treasures.]
Even the eavesdropping pink-robed woman couldn’t help but exclaim, “Zhenchuan Guidance Leaves, do you think you can just take them?”
But Lin Shuang ignored her, and so did Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan.
All three were focused on the words “favor of inner sect elders” and “rare techniques, spiritual treasures,” their eyes glinting.
Meng Zi raised an eyebrow, “It’s not impossible, familiarity breeds success.”
Huangfu Yuan lightly pursed his thin lips, “Obtaining the Guidance Leaves on the 841st level suggests that the way to acquire them is by achieving outstanding results in the annual clearances.”
841st level Zhenchuan Guidance Leaves…!?
The pink-robed woman widened her eyes and looked at Lin Shuang and the others. “Did you get a Guidance Leaf?”
But no one answered her.
Lin Shuang continued to write.
[Goal 5: Fastest clearance (more rewards, more spirit stones, more resources), which can save future cultivation time.]
Meng Zi’s eyes lit up with admiration.
Huangfu Yuan, on the other hand, wasn’t very interested.
“Do you think the fastest clearance is that simple? You’ve only cleared two levels!”
The pink-robed woman was getting angry.
But still, no one replied.
Lin Shuang had already reached the end.
[Goal 6: Utilize trials for cultivation – effectively choose layers for training, integrate personal cultivation plans with trial content, not only advancing on two fronts but also maximizing the chances of opportunities to shorten the time needed for long-term goals (clearing Zhenchuan 9,999 levels).]
The pink-robed woman’s face was full of incredulity. “Throughout history, do you know how many people have cleared Zhenchuan? Not a single one!”
But they continued to ignore her.
Lin Shuang finished writing, silently recited it once in her mind, and was quite satisfied with herself today.
No one’s plan is perfect, adapting to changing circumstances is the key.
“By the way, do you two senior brothers have any additions?”
The pink-robed woman’s veins on her forehead were about to burst.
Meng Zi’s peach blossom eyes were full of strangeness. “Lin Shuang… You, who progress much slower than others, are thinking about these things?”
Little Bai, it seems like you’ve misunderstood her.
Have you really seen through her?
He frowned, and every item in her long-term and short-term plans made his heart race.
Spirit stones, spirit stones, all are spirit stones!
“Lin Shuang, to be honest, I’m also very tempted.”
“But for the last point, Zhenchuan changes the location of each cave mansion every time it opens. Disciples don’t know which trial corresponds to which layer this year. Disciples can’t choose to enter trials that suit their strengths. So, your idea of selecting trial content and integrating it with your cultivation is impossible.”
The pink-robed woman nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, don’t think you can cheat—”
Huangfu Yuan held a tea cup with a faint glint in his phoenix-like eyes.
But Lin Shuang pressed the paper on the tea table with one hand.
“No, it’s not random. We have a way to select.”
“???”
“Xiao Ai, play the recordings of the trials since we entered Zhenchuan.”
“!”
【Huangfu Yuan… cleared the 841st level of Zhenchuan River Trial!】
【Ah, I’m dead: Completed in 52 breaths.】
【Muhe… cleared the 1,222nd level of Zhenchuan River Trial!】
【Read Ten Thousand Books: Completed in 189 days.】
【Liu Shan, Xu Shanyun… cleared the 307th level trial!】
【Chinese Zodiac: Completed in 93 days.】
…
【Eight Trigrams Killing Formation: Completed in 13 days.】
One after another, the red-listed information was immediately replayed.
…
The pink-robed woman was dumbfounded.
Huangfu Yuan’s thin lips curled up.
Meng Zi’s big knife in his hand trembled slightly.
“See, now you know?”
Lin Shuang lowered her head and quickly drew up an Excel summary table.
“Read Ten Thousand Books… Eight Trigrams Killing Formation… Circle the projects you are confident in and the ones you want to experience!”
Exams also have some tricks. Start with what you are good at to boost your confidence.
Activate the brain and breakthrough like a powerful force.
“…”
“If you guys don’t have any ideas, how about we go for ‘Reading Ten Thousand Books’?”
【Muhe… cleared the 1,222nd level of Zhenchuan River Trial!】
【Read Ten Thousand Books: Completed in 189 days.】
Lin Shuang pointed to this item.
“From the time it takes to clear, and with the time-boosting array attached, it’s probably a one-hundred-to-one-time exchange. From the title, it seems like it’s for disciples to comprehend and send techniques.”
Lin Shuang’s face was radiant.
“Cultivation, earning time, setting records, gaining techniques, and winning the favor of the elders—all in one go… No, this is like a bountiful harvest!”
“!!”
The pink-robed woman was dumbstruck.
When the three of them left, the outer sect steward, Xu Rui, along with Zhao Keran, Zhou Xuanwu, and Chen Sixin, arrived to report. The pink-robed woman still hadn’t fully recovered.
“Elder Min, we have come to Zhenchuan to assist under the orders of our teacher, Li Dao.”
The pink-robed woman: “…”
She heard the voices and gradually regained her spirit. Her expression was peculiar. “You… are the outer disciples who came with Lin Shuang?”
She could hardly recognize the outer disciples!
Outer disciples, were they this audacious now?
The pink-robed woman looked at Zhao Keran and the others with a somewhat sharp gaze. “Below Zhenchuan 3,000 levels is under my jurisdiction.”
“You guys, clean the cave mansions after the trials, manage inappropriate remarks from disciples during the trials, and bring disciples who have passed to me to check their rooms. Understand?”
If Meng Zi were here, he would probably be quite surprised.
This pink-robed senior, she wasn’t a retired elder as he had thought, but one of the chief inspectors responsible for overseeing the first 3,000 levels of Zhenchuan!
“By the way, you’re free to do as you please during your free time. If there’s no one going to the trials below a thousand levels, you can try them out.”
“But as working Dao disciples, there won’t be any rewards. Understand?”
She finished speaking in one breath, not allowing anyone to interrupt, a stark contrast to her previous friendly demeanor when “selling rooms.”
Zhao Keran quickly took note, raised his hand boldly, and asked, “What do you mean by managing inappropriate remarks from disciples during the trials?”
“Like this—”
The pink-robed woman casually cut to a 600th-level trial and stood up in a panic.
“Oh dear, I forgot to lift the mute on the disciples!”
“…”
She hurriedly shot spirit symbols behind the jade table, fumbling through the operations.
In an instant, several projections floated up from behind the jade table.
The appearances of disciples who had cleared multiple levels simultaneously appeared.
Moreover, a large amount of text floated through these layered projections.
“Ah, I can suddenly leave messages in the projections?”
“Wow, finally! The room manager remembered us! I’ve suffered in silence for so long…”
“Darn it, I’ve been patient for so long. Has anyone seen a female outer sect disciple? I’m really curious, where is she now?”
“We can finally chat with fellow junior brothers and sisters from hundreds or thousands of levels away in Zhenchuan here. Farewell, I’m off to the 4,000th level. Welcome everyone to watch and cheer for me.”
“Who wants to watch you? Quickly look at the 1,222nd level’s projection! Two outer sect disciples, Lin Shuang, and frail Senior Brother Huangfu, were snatched away!”
Zhao Keran and the other outer sect disciples were dumbfounded.
The pink-robed woman was wide-eyed.
*
Inside the projection stone, Lin Shuang and her two companions had already been transported to a sea of books.
[Level 1,222: Reading Ten Thousand Books]
“I’ve read ten thousand books in the mist, and I’m still an illiterate.”
This extended subheading was rather ominous.
Lin Shuang was utterly confused.
Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan also had wry smiles.
Sending techniques, she might have overthought it.
“Trial in this stage: Memorize any technique, recite it without a single mistake, and cultivate it to the second level to pass.”
“!!!”
They were really sending it!
Author’s Note:
Huangfu Yuan: Junior Sister, I can’t go on… Huh? Mastering the elders’ connections? Let’s go.
Lin Shuang: I guessed the topic, it’s my ace in the hole.
“Zhao Sect Leader’s Notes 23”: Don’t worry, my notes won’t spew water swords.
Zhou Xuanwu: But they might make you burst into laughter.
Zhao Keran: …
