Little Liu stood frozen, muttering after a long moment, "Even a normal woman would be fine. It's better than losing your life, right? I don't have your guts..."
Xu Shan clicked his tongue, saying disdainfully, "Little Liu, do you know why you're more timid than me?"
Little Liu looked up, confused. "I was born this way. What other reason could there be?"
"You indulge your lust too much. Being such a lecher just makes you stumble through your days in a daze."
"You don't take care of your body, so your blood and qi are insufficient. If you're not timid, who is?"
The color suddenly drained from Little Liu's face. He stared at Xu Shan in terror. "How did you know?"
In the Xinglan Sect's Outer Sect, life was either chores or cultivation. The only time for entertainment was during excursions.
Senior Brother is so disgusting, is he actually spying on my private life?
Xu Shan pursed his lips, his expression one of contempt. "How did I know? Everyone in our room knows about your little habits."
"And you have the nerve to ask? I couldn't even be bothered to call you out on it!"
Little Liu was overcome with shame, standing rooted to the spot as his expression shifted erratically.
Xu Shan's tone became earnest. "A young man can't just indulge without restraint. There's still time to get your body back in order. Besides, isn't this just another form of cultivation?"
"It's the same reason I make army stew for you all every day. You must eat the bitterest of the bitter to become the best of the best. If you fear hardship, you'll suffer for a lifetime; if you don't, you'll only suffer for half. Suffer early, enjoy early..."
"Sooner or later, you too will be like me, with the guts to challenge the Inner Sect Trial!"
After that big dose of a pep talk, the color gradually returned to Little Liu's face.
Seeing him still in a daze, Xu Shan clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, hurry up and take the food to our junior brothers and sisters before it gets cold."
If he didn't get going, the basin of 'pig slop' would get cold and congeal, and the disciples would complain even more.
Find the original at "pawread.com".
Little Liu snapped back to reality. So, in Senior Brother's eyes, controlling my urges and eating pig slop is a form of cultivation?
He shot Xu Shan a look of admiration and quickly carried the basin of pig slop away.
Seeing that he had finally fooled his junior brother, Xu Shan felt a hundred emotions well up inside him.
Confined within a sect, he had to play by their rules. Challenging the trial was his only option.
I was a wage slave in my last life, and now that I've landed in a sect of immortals, I'm still destined to be a wage slave!
The only way to escape their game was to start his own business, but with no foundation to speak of, it was all just a fantasy for now.
Still, when he thought about it, the idea had potential. His mind was full of modern thinking, creativity, and humanistic care.
Wouldn't he be able to manage his employees perfectly?
If he really had the ability to start his own business, crushing the competition would be no problem!
Unfortunately, he hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment and couldn't even begin to unravel the secrets of the Qing Seal in his body. It was pointless to overthink it. He could only wait for the right time.
First, he had to deal with the problem at hand!
After sighing for a moment, Xu Shan shook off his distracting thoughts and relit the stove.
He fished a fat fish out of the kitchen's water tank, slammed it onto the cutting board, and began to scale and gut it.
Once the scales were scraped clean, he scored it with a uniform cross-hatch pattern and set it aside.
Xu Shan then turned and found a perfect cut of pork belly, which he finely diced.
He heated oil in the wok, first searing the pork belly, then adding seasonings... With a sizzle, the fat fish went into the wok.
Finally, he poured two ladles of water into the wok, covered it with a lid, and let it simmer over a low flame.
This was Xu Shan's daily routine. He always cooked for his junior brothers and sisters first, only making his own meal at the very end.
He was always so considerate.
After about twenty minutes, the fragrant stewed fish was ready. Xu Shan ladled the fish broth over his rice and began to eat in a slow, deliberate manner.
After eating, he would go to the back mountain for his secret solo training.
Three days left. In three days, he would challenge the Inner Sect Trial!
Although the chances of passing were abysmal, for him, success was not entirely out of reach!
Outer Sect Disciples only cultivated basic techniques to temper their bodies. They weren't even taught how to use spiritual energy. Only by entering the Inner Sect and reaching Foundation Establishment would they have the chance to learn about magical treasures and spells.
And he had a magical treasure!
That washing machine, which he couldn't damage no matter how hard he tried, was his greatest asset.
With his foundation, plus an indestructible 'shield', he might just be able to create a miracle!
.....
Three days passed in a flash.
Disciples gathered outside the trial passage.
The vast majority were just there to watch the excitement. No one wanted to miss a spectacle that only happened once every twenty years.
At the very front of the crowd were the disciples waiting to take the challenge. There were men and women, and Xu Shan was among them.
All four of them had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, stuck on the final step before the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The Outer Sect's Elder Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, calling out the names. "Liu Yun, Qi Yuyan, Tai Xue... Xu Shan."
With that, Elder Cao turned sideways and pointed into the trial passage. "Once you enter this place, you must fight a clone of the Sect Master! This clone was formed from a drop of his essence blood and is at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, but its swordsmanship and Daoist arts are far beyond those of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you can last for half an incense stick's time against the Sect Master's clone and hear the bell ring, you will have passed!"
"Outer Sect Disciples only cultivate spiritual energy but do not learn how to use it. Only those with exceptional comprehension who have figured out how to wield spiritual energy on their own have a chance of passing the trial."
"I will warn you beforehand: the clone does not know how to hold back. Therefore, this trial is extremely risky. If you withdraw now, you can return to the mortal world and live out your life in peace. But if you suffer a lasting injury or perish, the loss will far outweigh any gain."
"However, if you are lucky enough to pass, you will make a great name for yourself in the Inner Sect and receive an extremely precious Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward."
The moment the words "Foundation Establishment Pill" were spoken, the crowd erupted, and Xu Shan's heart pounded.
This was it!
Although the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement and the Foundation Establishment Stage sounded like they were just a single step apart, crossing that gap was like traversing an insurmountable chasm.
Countless cultivators were stuck before this threshold. It could be said that only by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage could one truly be considered to have set foot on the path of immortality!
"What if you last longer than half an incense stick? What happens if you defeat the clone?" Xu Shan blurted out.
Elder Cao, who had been observing the disciples' reactions, saw Xu Shan speak, and a sneer appeared on his lips.
Ever since the trial was established with the founding of the sect, no one had ever defeated the trial clone. The ones who passed had, at most, lasted for half an incense stick. To dare ask such a question was the height of ignorance!
"I advise you not to get ahead of yourselves. I know you've all made many preparations for this final attempt, but let me remind you, don't try to be clever! The difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining is like that between heaven and earth. In a trial forty years ago, an Outer Sect Disciple had someone forge a hollow iron ball, intending to hide inside it to wait out the time. The moment he got in, he was vibrated into a pulp. They couldn't even piece him back together."
Elder Cao continued his pacing.
"A couple of days ago, I happened to see another disciple like that. He was in the back mountains, practicing with an iron box, apparently planning to use it to block attacks. If he had made a shield, I would have at least called him clever, but instead, he resorted to such a foolish act... I advise anyone with such ideas to withdraw now while you still can."
Three dark lines appeared on Xu Shan's forehead...
A box?
Isn't he damn well calling me out? Did he see me practicing my blocking with the washing machine in the back mountains?
And here I thought I was being discreet...
But on second thought, the usually expressionless Elder Cao was actually being kind of nice, giving him a heads-up.
"I'll ask one last time. Does anyone wish to withdraw?"
The four of them stood with their chests puffed out. No one responded.
Elder Cao raised an eyebrow, walked over to Xu Shan, and whispered, "Xu Shan, why can't you understand what I'm saying? Your aptitude is the worst here. You work hard, but with your low-grade Spiritual Roots, this is pretty much the end of the line for your cultivation. Why not quit while you're ahead and go enjoy your life?"
"I never thought the Elder cared so much about me. In that case, I have even less reason to withdraw!" Xu Shan declared righteously.
"Who cares about you? I've seen off countless batches of disciples, and you lot are the worst I've ever seen! With your aptitude, it's absolutely impossible for you to pass the trial. If you get seriously injured, I'll have to waste pills to heal you. Do you think those pills are free?"
Fuck you, Cao! You old dog, you're just trying to save money?
Xu Shan's muscles tensed as he cursed inwardly.
Elder Cao gave him a casual glance and added, "Actually, I am looking out for you. We won't even talk about your aptitude. Just based on your intelligence, it's very dangerous for you to go in. Are you really not afraid of death? And why didn't you bring that busted-up box of yours today?"
Now he's insulting my intelligence? I'm going to pass this trial today with that very busted-up box!
Xu Shan's expression grew cold. His muscles relaxed, and he cupped his fists, saying calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Elder. My mind is made up!"
......
Proofreader: Peter Pan