Inside the cave.
Qi Shuyu, who had been carefully dressed, carefully examined her radiant reflection in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
Among the female cultivators who came out of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, even the ordinary disciples were never known to be ugly, let alone the outstanding core disciples who were selected from the best. It could be said that each of them had defeated countless opponents and excelled in all aspects, making them unparalleled beauties.
Many of the cultivation techniques passed down by the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, as well as certain special cultivation resources, had the effect of permanently enhancing the appearance and temperament of female cultivators, and could also benefit future generations.
Therefore, as the generations passed, the female cultivators of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had become synonymous with the most beautiful women in the Great Void Starry Sky. Whenever others mentioned this supreme Dao Lineage, their first impression was of beautiful and charming women.
“…Looking at Senior Sister Qi’s appearance, she is not inferior to the several under the Supreme Sect Master’s seat. Why can’t she compete for a position?”
Beside her, a graceful and bright-eyed woman in red smiled gently, and several other senior sisters nodded in agreement. They were all senior core disciples of different factions in the sect, not only excelling in their own cultivation, but also having powerful backers.
Qi Shuyu smiled, “Senior Sisters have the advantage of being favored, and Junior Brother was personally brought in by the Sect Master. We really can’t compare in this aspect.”
“Although that’s true, this decision was made by the high-level elders after discussion. Without special reasons, the Sect Master cannot easily overturn it. Junior Brother’s future achievements are related to the future of the sect. How can it be monopolized by her lineage?”
“Yes, for the stability of the sect, this matter must be fair to everyone. So we should all have a chance. Senior Sister has already received enough benefits, it’s our turn now!”
“That’s right. Before the start of the competition, we should invite Junior Brother to come and have tea with us, to strengthen our relationship. We can’t let Senior Sister monopolize him.”
The female cultivators discussed eagerly, although they did not know much about Qin Muling due to the need for secrecy, their powerful backers were aware of the situation.
Even if those big shots couldn’t reveal too much, a few vague hints at key points were enough for these astute and intelligent senior female cultivators to draw their own conclusions.
So, in this competition, the protagonist had actually become Qin Muling. The winners of each group would ultimately stand before him and become part of his entourage.
And these senior core disciples, who were usually outstanding and had high aspirations, had no resistance to the idea. Whether they became maids or concubines, as long as it benefited their own path to immortality, there was nothing to hesitate about.
After the end of the battle in Linzhou, Qi Shuyu had originally stayed there, but this time, for the competition, she had been secretly called back to the main altar of the sect by her own sect elders.
Not only her, many senior core disciples who had not returned from their travels, or were stationed in important areas, had received secret messages from their own elders and were planning to rush back to participate in the competition.
Qi Shuyu smiled, “So this time, we need to plan carefully. We must not harm our own people. After all, we will all be together day and night in the future. Hmm, have the gifts for Junior Brother been prepared?”
“Of course,”
A dignified and plump woman smiled with curved eyebrows, “I’ve almost emptied out my family’s storeroom. Unfortunately, many resources are not suitable for male cultivators, otherwise I could have brought more.”
“I don’t have many good things at home, but my ancestors gave me a Nine Profound Heavenly Pill, which is a genuine top-grade pill. It will greatly benefit Junior Brother’s cultivation, and he will definitely be satisfied when he sees it.”
“My ancestors gave me four Daoist puppets at the Immortal Ascension Realm. When Junior Brother travels through the Great Void Starry Sky in the future, with these protectors, his safety will be guaranteed.”
“I heard that Junior Brother likes fine wine and food, so I brought a batch of well-prepared ingredients, all from the spirit beasts and birds of the Immortal Ascension Realm, as well as six hundred jars of spirit wine that has been stored in the family’s secret cellar for three thousand years…”
“In fact, these are just material things. The key is to look at ourselves,”
A cold and fair-skinned beauty smiled faintly, “If we can make Junior Brother happy, it doesn’t matter what gifts we have. I heard my ancestors mention that Junior Brother seems to prefer older, plump, and hot-tempered senior sisters, so…”In the center of the Immortal Ascension Platform, Xuebing Xuan looked up at the sky nervously. Rolling black clouds gathered under the drive of the strong wind, layering up above her head. Bright electric dragons snaked and leaped between the gaps in the black clouds, emitting a hint of fierce crimson. Occasionally, the thunderous sound of thunder echoed deep within the clouds.
The terrifying aura of destruction was rapidly brewing and rising. Once it accumulated to its peak, countless calamities would fall like a storm, relentlessly crushing the person crossing the tribulation.
Above the Immortal Ascension Platform, three huge purple clouds quietly floated up and down. The colorful and dazzling light enveloped the space for thousands of feet. On the purple clouds, countless golden lamps, rainbows, celestial bodies, and divine beast shadows were faintly visible, resonating with the profound Dao Rhyme in the void.
After nearly a month of seclusion, the accumulation of Senior Sister’s cultivation had finally reached perfection, and she could undergo the baptism of the Elemental Immortal Tribulation. As long as she successfully passed through it, she would truly become an immortal, condensing complete immortal laws within her body and enjoying tens of thousands of carefree years.
Among the outstanding talents of this generation in the Great Void, there were only a few who had successfully advanced to the Elemental Immortal realm. Most of them were still in the stage of Feather Transformation or Ascension to Immortality. After taking this step, Xuebing Xuan would leave behind the majority of her peers, and they would never have the opportunity to catch up with her in the future.
“Will it be as smooth as last time?” Xuebing Xuan touched the black Daoist robe on her body, which she had taken from Junior Brother. It carried his original aura and could effectively weaken the power of the tribulation on herself.
“Don’t worry, it will be over soon,” Qing Muling said. At this moment, Qing Muling was sitting on the side, enjoying fruits and snacks, and fine wine with great pleasure, showing no signs of nervousness about the impending tribulation.
With the experience of the previous tribulation, Qing Muling no longer took this matter to heart. Although the power of the tribulation at the Elemental Immortal realm far exceeded that of the Feather Transformation realm, his cultivation and luck were far better than before, so it was inevitable that he would pass through it safely.
Moreover, Senior Sister and he had already practiced dual cultivation, sharing luck and fate. In addition, her body was filled with the innate Harmony Dao Rhyme, which could completely weaken the pressure of the tribulation to the limit.
Xuebing Xuan’s suspended heart was slightly relieved, and she began to concentrate and wait for the tribulation to come. As long as Junior Brother was by her side, she really had nothing to fear.
After a long time, with a deafening roar, the first thunder tribulation fell from the high sky and exploded on the Immortal Ascension Platform in an instant.
Under the terrifying shockwave, dense formations and prohibitions lit up one after another, layer by layer dispelling and resolving the destructive energy.
On the many towering peaks in the distance, rays of different colors rose from various caves and gathered one after another, stopping outside the coverage of the tribulation clouds. These were the elders and disciples who came to watch the ceremony, and even some of the senior elders were alarmed.
“…How long has it been? This girl Xuebing Xuan is going to cross the tribulation again? Isn’t that a mistake?”
“Yes, from the Feather Transformation realm to the Ascension to Immortality realm, and then to the Elemental Immortal realm, ordinary cultivators can’t complete it in a thousand or eight hundred years. There are countless people who are stuck at this bottleneck for a lifetime!”
“How did she progress so quickly? There are no signs of instability in her foundation. Even if she is a monstrous talent, this is too unbelievable!”
“What else could it be? It’s nothing more than Qing Muling Junior Brother helping her! As long as he is there, what is a mere tribulation?”
“Does that mean… in the future, she can cultivate to the level of the Supreme Sect Master without any disasters or tribulations? Or even the Quasi Holy Emperor realm? It’s too incredible!”
“With Qing Muling there, this is really not a fantasy. Although it will take a long time, the hope is real.”
“So, this girl’s luck is too good. Why does she get all the good things? It’s so enviable…”
The senior elders discussed one after another. Xuebing Xuan’s current opportunities were something they didn’t dare to think about back then. At that time, in order to cross the Elemental Immortal tribulation, which sister didn’t worry and plan, and invite friends and family to help protect her, to strive for the faint hope of becoming an immortal?
Now, she could just lie down and pass the tribulation, which was simply unfair to others.
“This can’t go on!”
It was unclear which senior elder said this without thinking.
The senior elders naturally understood her meaning. With Qing Muling there, the disciples of the sect would probably not have to worry about the tribulation in the future. Once they accumulated enough, they would naturally pass through it.
But for the disciples of other sects, this was indeed somewhat unfair.”Yes! My disciple is about to undergo her Tribulation Crossing soon. I’ll go and speak with the Sect Master later. We must have Qing Muling help her out. The terms are all negotiable!”
“Indeed, Qing Muling belongs to all of us. Since he has the ability, he can help all the core disciples with their Tribulation Crossing in the future!”
“I’m just wondering, my Elemental Immortal Tribulation isn’t far off either. Can I also ask Qing Muling to come over?”
“His cultivation level isn’t sufficient right now. To withstand the tribulation of an Elemental Immortal might be a bit of a stretch for him.”
“Then let’s wait. Once he reaches the Destiny Realm, we can talk about it. If this works out, I’m willing to become his protector…”
Above the Elemental Immortal is the True Immortal, and above the True Immortal is the Mysterious Immortal. Each realm is more difficult to break through than the last, and the tribulations faced during these breakthroughs become increasingly terrifying. Each checkpoint eliminates a vast number of immortals, and the proportion of those who manage to pass through by luck is extremely low.
On the Ascension Platform, Muling was still focused on dealing with the delicacies in front of him, unaffected by the thunder and earth-shattering noises around him.
For him, the tribulation of an Elemental Immortal level was at most a bit longer in duration and more impressive in spectacle, nothing more.
Muling’s divine consciousness sank into the depths of his sea of knowledge, silently probing the new changes within his body. This closed-door dual cultivation session, helping his senior sister break through to the Elemental Immortal realm, allowed him to break through to the True Person Realm as well.
Since he was about to embark on a journey, he needed to adapt to the power of the new realm as quickly as possible.
Deep within the sea of knowledge, the lotus leaf phantom that evolved from the innate Harmony Spirit Seed had increased from four to five petals, becoming solid and stable. Its bright and clear radiance illuminated the entire sea of knowledge, and the rich essence of Dao Rhyme permeated the air, exuding a mysterious aura that was profound and indescribable.
With five Blue Lotus phantoms, the Harmony light that constantly separated and emerged increased in number and size. Each speck of Harmony light contained subtle and profound messages. They silently circled around the innate Harmony Spirit Seed, swiftly drawing fine, glowing trails before merging into Muling’s Divine Soul body, continuously strengthening his foundational endowment.
Using secret methods to reflect upon himself, Muling’s fortune continued to grow rapidly, more than four times that of when he was at the peak of the Spirit God Realm, and there was still no sign of it slowing down.
In terms of fortune, Muling could now be considered the number one person in the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, surpassing the Sect Master, the revered teachers, and even the senior elders.
After reaching the True Person Realm, his innate abilities were correspondingly strengthened and enhanced. For example, the ability to cultivate using the essence of spiritual herbs and medicines could now increase their potency by four hundred years with just one use. Every three days, a maximum of twenty-five uses could turn all the nascent herbs in a garden into sacred medicines. With enough patience, cultivating divine medicines would also be a natural outcome.
Divine medicines are strategic resources and relatively scarce. However, spiritual and sacred medicines are always in high demand, so the trade volume of these two levels of medicinal materials is quite staggering. If the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace could have a massive reserve of these in the future, it would be possible to cultivate even more disciples.
Another ability is the fortune-telling method. As long as the strength of the cultivator being probed is below the Heart Demon Realm, all secrets are essentially exposed before Muling. There’s also the innate ability to discern all kinds of formations, restrictions, traps, and curses, which now covers an area of one hundred and fifty miles, with a significantly raised upper limit.
The new ability awakened at the True Person Realm level is the power of void transference. Regardless of the perilous situation or the shackles of formations and restrictions, one can instantly escape and flee thousands of miles away.
For Muling at this moment, this ability is quite practical. If he encounters a siege by powerful enemies from hostile forces, he can use this innate ability to escape silently, leaving the opponents with no way to respond.