Boom!
The stone gate to the forbidden grounds in the back mountains of the Xinglan Sect shattered with a deafening roar. Dust billowed, and rubble flew everywhere.
An exquisitely beautiful figure flew out from within...
"Pfft!"
The moment she steadied herself, a mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips.
Her body went limp, and she slowly crumpled to her knees in a most ungraceful manner.
Ye Qingbi's eyes were wide with terror as she gasped for breath, the fine hair at her temples soaked with sweat.
The sensation just a moment ago had been far too terrifying!
She had been in seclusion, attempting to break through from the Golden Elixir Realm to the Nascent Soul Realm.
As her Golden Elixir was transforming into a Nascent Soul, her consciousness had begun to fade. But then, an odd sensation had suddenly appeared.
It was as if... someone had run her through with an iron sword!
Cultivators at the Golden Elixir Stage and above could, to some extent, sense subtle premonitions or dangers due to their powerful spiritual sense.
But she had never experienced a premonition so clear, so real!
"Cough, cough!"
Ye Qingbi coughed and panted, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. She felt a wave of relief.
It was a good thing that strange premonition had appeared, pulling her sinking consciousness back. Otherwise, this breakthrough would have likely failed, resulting in a severe loss of vital energy, or even death.
If she had died, the Xinglan Sect, which she had built with her own blood and sweat, would probably not have survived.
As Ye Qingbi knelt there, lost in thought, her spiritual sense twitched, and she immediately rose to her feet.
With a sweep of her right hand across her face, the dust and bloodstains vanished.
She was once again the cool, otherworldly fairy.
Several cultivators, riding on flying swords, arrived from the horizon and landed before Ye Qingbi in an instant.
They said respectfully, "We welcome the Sect Master out of seclusion!"
Seeing that several important sect elders were present, Ye Qingbi parted her lips and asked, "Has anything major happened in the sect?"
"Reporting to the Sect Master, all is well within the sect. We were wondering if the Sect Master has successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm?" The elders' eyes held a mixture of worry and hope.
The front of the Sect Master's robes was stained red with blood; she had clearly suffered a significant internal injury.
Ye Qingbi nodded slightly. "I have broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm. The Xinglan Sect is now qualified to participate in the Water Realm's Centennial Grand Tournament. Send out invitations to the other sects at once for a meeting at our gates."
She succeeded! A thrill of excitement ran through the elders.
Among the seven great cultivation domains of the north, there were countless minor sects. To be able to participate in the Water Realm's Centennial Grand Tournament meant the sect had taken a step up!
Although their strength was still meager, they were no longer an unknown entity.
Just as an elder was about to ask another question, the melodious chime of a bell echoed from the distance.
Dong~~~
Everyone turned to look. A faint smile touched Ye Qingbi's lips. "It seems another Outer Sect Disciple has passed the trial."
No sooner had she spoken than a second chime rang out!
Dong~~~
The elders exclaimed in amazement.
"Two chimes! An Outer Sect Disciple actually managed to last for the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn?"
"Impressive. To last that long, he must have excellent comprehension and has likely gained some insight into manipulating spiritual energy on his own."
"If I recall correctly, this is the first disciple since the founding of the Xinglan Sect to last for a full stick of incense, isn't it?"
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Dong~~~!
Before the elders could finish their discussion, a third chime rang out, cutting their conversation short!
Everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost!
Three chimes... That's absolutely impossible! The bell would only ring a third time if the Sect Master's clone was defeated.
But this third trial was designed to be an impossible challenge, merely set as an aspirational goal for the Outer Sect Disciples.
Of course, the Cultivation World was never short of peerless geniuses, but if such a person truly existed, they would have been brought into the Inner Sect for special training long ago. How could they possibly be taking a trial in the Outer Sect?
The group exchanged glances, and Ye Qingbi also frowned in thought.
"Perhaps... my clone sensed my breakthrough and was affected. Elder Jin, go and see. I'll leave this disciple's guidance to you. Whether he passed through skill or by a fluke, handle it according to the rules."
"Give this Foundation Establishment Pill to him." Ye Qingbi handed over a pill.
Jin Yangqiu took it and forced a smile, accepting the task.
It was highly likely, as the Sect Master had said, that the main body and the clone were connected. The trial clone must have been affected during her breakthrough, allowing the disciple to get lucky.
But could a disciple who passed by getting lucky really have good aptitude?
"I'll go take a look right now," Jin Yangqiu said, then summoned his flying sword and departed.
...
Outside the trial passage, Elder Cao and the crowd of Outer Sect Disciples were completely petrified.
Elder Cao, in particular, wore an expression of utter shock.
"He passed! Senior Brother Xu actually passed!" After a long silence, an Outer Sect Disciple finally reacted. "But why did the bell ring three times?"
Elder Cao stiffly turned his neck and murmured in a trembling voice, "Three chimes means the clone was defeated... He managed to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator while only at the Qi Refining stage? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar!
Countless Outer Sect Disciples felt a jolt run through their bodies.
An Outer Sect Disciple defeating the Sect Master's clone to enter the Inner Sect... What kind of genius was this?
Even those who had been fed pig slop by him found their resentment vanishing completely.
The news of this victory was like a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of all the Outer Sect Disciples.
If someone can do it, then I must have a chance too!
In the crowd, Little Liu's eyes lit up as he stared blankly at the entrance to the passage.
Resisting my urges and eating pig slop... it actually works!!!
...
Inside the trial grounds, Xu Shan was hugging a washing machine, giggling foolishly, though a hint of worry lingered in his eyes.
This washing machine of his really did have a special ability. When the clone dove into it, her spiritual energy was drained away at a frantic pace. She would have been sucked dry in a matter of breaths if he hadn't reacted quickly!
The items from the Qing Seal must all have other special abilities. His chances of survival in the future would be greatly increased.
The only problem was that this ability was too bizarre, and it would take a lot of time and research to learn how to use it properly.
But... no one would find out that he'd stabbed the fairy Sect Master in the... uh... rear end with his sword, right?
If the Sect Master could sense it, wouldn't he be finished?
Probably not. Otherwise, the clone wouldn't have been so ferocious and attacked the trial disciple so ruthlessly...
There was no point in overthinking it. Xu Shan used his sword as a crutch and struggled to his feet.
His body was covered in wounds, all of them cuts from the shattered sword qi of the clone's first attack. The worst were on his ankle and right arm.
In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten the pain, but now it was all coming back to him.
At the far end of the trial grounds, a stone door in the rock wall had silently opened.
Though exhausted and in extreme pain, Xu Shan's eyes shone with immense hope. He staggered step by step toward the light of the doorway.
The Inner Sect... that was the Inner Sect. As long as he crossed that threshold, he would be a true cultivator!
...
Jin Yangqiu waited quietly outside the passage, accompanied by another disciple who stood with a lazy posture.
A short while later, a figure slowly emerged from the passage.
The person who emerged was pale, his clothes tattered and stained with streaks of blood.
A gentle breeze lifted the loose strands of hair at Xu Shan's temples, adding a touch of melancholy to his handsome, weary face.
Hope immediately sparked in Jin Yangqiu's eyes!
What a handsome disciple! To think such a talent had gone undiscovered in the Outer Sect. His bearing was not that of a mere mortal!
That's it! It seems there was no issue with the trial clone. He must have passed the trial on his own merit!
...
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