Conflict with Cultivation Families

The mountain forest was serene, shrouded in mist, with rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves above, creating slanted beams visible to the naked eye. ♘♞ ➅➈ş𝐇𝔲𝓧.ⒸＯм 🍮🎄

Zhou Xue walked at the front, while Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu walked at the back. The group of nine walked for nearly two days.

The mountain paths in the forest were difficult to walk on, with many muddy areas. Snakes, insects, and rats could be seen from time to time, making the Fang family disciples extremely nervous. They walked very carefully with every step.

"It's hard to imagine that a sect of immortal cultivation could be hidden in such a remote mountain."

Fang Hanyu sighed softly. The Great Qi Empire is vast, with countless uninhabited mountain ranges like this one, teeming with wild beasts and hiding bandits. Even a martial artist like himself rarely ventures into such places.

Fang Wang could feel that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this area was abundant. The further he went, the more concentrated the spiritual energy became, which made him even more eager to enter the Taiyuan Sect.

At this time.

A series of cries came from ahead, sounding like a woman or a child, which gave Fang Wang and the others goosebumps. However, seeing that Zhou Xue did not stop, they continued to follow.

Fang Wang turned his head to look, but behind him was a thick fog, and he could not see anything beyond seven steps.

He felt something was following him, a feeling that arose only after the crying sound came from ahead.

He remained calm and continued walking forward without panicking.

Soon, the fog ahead thinned and the terrain became flat. The group saw a woman sitting under an old tree. She was dressed in simple clothes, her face covered in dust, clearly a village woman from the mountains. She was holding a child in her arms and sobbing softly.

"Should we go ask her what happened?"

The youngest, Fang Xin, asked. She was a year younger than Fang Wang, thin and frail, carrying two bundles on her back, and drenched in sweat.

Another girl, Fang Ziqing, tugged at her and shook her head.

All eyes were on Zhou Xue. Along the way, Zhou Xue had become their backbone. After all, she had taught them the method of absorbing qi, and even Fang Wang, the strongest among them, relied on her.

Zhou Xue did not stop and walked straight toward the woman.

Hearing the noise, the woman looked up at her, her face covered in tears, her eyes red from crying. She seemed to see a lifeline in Zhou Xue, reaching out her hand and crying out, "Girl, save my child! He's been bitten by a poisonous snake..."

Upon hearing this, some of the Fang family disciples wanted to step forward to help, but they saw a dagger emerge from Zhou Xue's right sleeve and grab it.

The woman also saw the dagger, her face turned pale, and she was about to speak when Zhou Xue suddenly threw the dagger, which flew straight towards her head.

boom!

The woman suddenly turned into a cloud of white mist, and the dagger pierced through the mist and became embedded in the tree trunk.

The white mist dissipated, and the clothes fell to the ground. Two weasels leaped up and landed on a tree trunk in the distance, one large and one small. This scene made everyone in the Fang family stare wide-eyed. Was the woman just now a weasel in disguise?

Zhou Xue remained expressionless, staring indifferently at the two weasels in the tree.

"Impressive skills. You are at least at the fifth level of the Qi Nourishing Realm. Young lady, if you wish to join the Taiyuan Sect, why not go to Taiyuan City?" the weasel said, its voice the same as the woman's from before.

Zhou Xue replied, "Taiyuan City is too far away. It would be more convenient to visit Taiyuan Sect directly. We have come here sincerely to cultivate, and we hope that senior will not play tricks on us any further."

The weasel smiled and, surprisingly, waved its paw in a human-like manner, signaling them to continue on their way.

Zhou Xue turned around and gave everyone a look, then continued to lead the way. As they passed under the tree where the two weasels were, everyone was tense, fearing that they might suddenly jump down and attack.

After walking for a while, Zhou Xue finally spoke up to explain: "Those were two spirits. There are many spirits hidden in the mountains and forests around Taiyuan Sect, some wild and some raised by the sect's disciples. The spirits in the outskirts are responsible for scaring away mortals who accidentally wander in, thus spreading the legends of ghosts and monsters, making mortals afraid to approach."

One of the young men from the Fang family couldn't help but ask, "Was it just to scare them away?"

"It might also be eaten."

"Although Taiyuan Sect can be considered a righteous sect, there is a gray area between the righteous and the demonic in the cultivation world. You must be careful in your actions in the future." Zhou Xue said with a smile, but her smile seemed sinister to everyone.

After saying that, Zhou Xue continued to lead the way.

Fang Wang remained at the back of the group, but his attention was on those behind him. Even after passing two spirits, the feeling of being watched persisted, which made him dare not let his guard down.

Half an incense stick's time later, the feeling of being spied on still lingered in Fang Wang's mind.

"Don't be nervous, he won't dare to make a move."

A voice reached Fang Wang's ears. He looked up at Zhou Xue at the front with a strange expression.

It seemed that only he could hear Zhou Xue's voice; the others continued walking forward without glancing sideways or turning back.

"This is a sound transmission technique. You can learn it once you enter the Taiyuan Sect. The people following us are probably related to the cultivators you killed. These days, I've been hiding deep in the forest, pretending to study the Soul Burning Banner, but actually leaving traces to attract their attention."

Zhou Xue's words came again, which made Fang Wang frown, not understanding what she was going to do.

"That guy has two magical artifacts in his hands, so there must be someone behind him. I'm worried that the Fang family will face another disaster, so I deliberately lured the person behind him to come and investigate. As long as they know that we have joined the Taiyuan Sect, they won't dare to act rashly. No matter how important that person is, he is only at the Qi Nourishing Realm. It would be a loss to offend such a behemoth as the Taiyuan Sect for his sake."

It turned out to be the case.

Fang Wang thought it made sense, but a question arose in his mind.

Are they really that bold as to follow us here? Aren't they afraid of being discovered by the Taiyuan Sect?

Zhou Xue stopped transmitting her voice, but Fang Wang remained vigilant and did not let his guard down.

By evening, the feeling of being spied on finally disappeared, indicating that the other party dared not advance any further.

In the woods, the group stopped by the stream and lit a fire. Fang Wang sat down next to Zhou Xue to rest, and the others sat around it.

"We'll arrive at the valley town in front of Taiyuan Gate tomorrow. Let me tell you something first. Taiyuan Gate has nine branches, and the entrance exam is estimated to be in six or seven days. With your qualifications, passing the exam shouldn't be difficult. I hope you each join a branch and don't stick together," Zhou Xue said softly.

There are many more people in the Fang family who can cultivate immortality than just them. Zhou Xue simply selected the most talented disciples to come here first and establish a foothold.

Upon hearing that she would be starting her own lineage, Fang Xin's face paled, and she immediately became nervous. The other teenagers and young men, however, were not afraid; instead, they were excited.

Zhou Xue glanced at Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu and said, "After you two enter the assessment, you must not hold back. You must show your talents as much as possible. This will determine your treatment after entering Taiyuan Sect. Those with average talent can only be ordinary disciples. If you want to be promoted, you will need many years of hard work."

"Especially Fang Wang, don't try to play dumb to fool others at this time."

Zhou Xue was very worried about Fang Wang because this kid was too good at hiding his abilities. After her rebirth, she learned more about him and found that not only she, but the entire Fang family, including Fang Wang's parents, did not know that Fang Wang had such high martial arts skills.

She had wondered why she hadn't seen Fang Wang make a move in her past life. Later, she realized that on the night of the massacre, she was powerless and had to flee. She only caught a glimpse of the Taoist in green once. She didn't see many of the Fang family disciples fighting against the Taoist in green. Without sword control, no matter how strong Fang Wang was, he would have died at the hands of the Taoist in green.

Fang Wang said helplessly, "I understand."

It makes him seem like he's some kind of coward.

Zhou Xue continued to give instructions, without specifying the details of the assessment. It was unclear whether this was to hone their skills or if a master from the Taiyuan Sect had overheard her.

Nothing happened that night.

As the moon set and the sun rose, Fang Wang and his companions continued their journey as the first rays of sunlight shone through the morning.

On their journey thereafter, they encountered many strange creatures: spiders the size of human heads, man-eating trees that waved, wild goats with human-like faces, black cats with five tails, and so on. According to Zhou Xue, these were the lowest level of monsters, not yet at the level of spirits or monsters. The characteristic of spirits and monsters is that they can speak human language.

Besides the monsters, they also saw many brightly colored flowers and fruits that looked extraordinary, but after Zhou Xue told them that they were highly poisonous, they dared not touch them.

It wasn't until after noon that they finally arrived at the valley Zhou Xue had described. At the valley entrance stood a massive gate with a plaque hanging above it:

Taiyuan Town!

The valley was filled with pavilions and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. The surrounding mountains were majestic, which inexplicably reminded Fang Wang of the Five Finger Mountain, where Taiyuan Town was trapped.

With no one guarding the mountain gate, Fang Wang and his group entered the town directly. There were many people coming and going on the street ahead, and they all looked like extraordinary people. Some even rode cranes and flew out of the town, quickly flying to the high mountains. This made the Fang family disciples yearn for it and become excited.

At this moment, they finally felt like they were truly experiencing the path of cultivation.

Along the way, Fang Wang also observed his surroundings. There were various shops on both sides of the street, selling pills, magic tools, talismans, cultivation methods, spells and so on. There was even a rare item pavilion. Although most shops were not crowded, they still showed a strong atmosphere of cultivation.

Zhou Xue led them to an inn to check in. After paying the money, the waiter led them upstairs. Except for Fang Xin and Fang Ziqing, everyone else had their own room.

"Tsk tsk, the Taiyuan Sect even accepts money?"

Fang Wang sighed inwardly. Although he found it strange, he noticed that Zhou Xue had paid a considerable amount of silver, which suggested that the Taiyuan Sect also needed to get involved in worldly affairs.

Fang Wang entered his room, closed the door, went to the bedside, tidied up briefly, and then began to meditate.

With six or seven days left, he didn't want to wander around aimlessly; instead, he wanted to improve his cultivation as much as possible.

His Xuan Yang Nerve has reached its peak, but spiritual power needs time to accumulate. Since Zhou Xue said not to hold back, he must do his best.

Thus, Fang Wang remained secluded at home, and the other members of the Fang family dared not disturb him easily.

Six days later.

At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), when the sky was bright, a bell rang out, echoing through the valley, deafeningly loud, and waking Fang Wang.

"Are they here?"

Fang Wang thought to himself, a smile appearing on his face.

Last night, he finally broke through to the seventh level of the Qi Nourishing Realm. Even with the power of the Great Perfection of the Profound Yang Scripture, it took him more than a month to reach the seventh level of the Qi Nourishing Realm. If he had started cultivating from the first level of the Profound Yang Scripture, it would have been hard to imagine how long it would have taken to reach this level.

"Come out quickly, the entrance exam is coming!"

Zhou Xue's voice came from outside the door, and Fang Wang picked up his sword and got off the bed.

He didn't need to wash or eat after absorbing Qi to temper his body, so he didn't need to make any further preparations, and he looked very clean and refreshed.

After about half an incense stick's time, Fang Wang and the others walked out of the inn led by Zhou Xue and found that many other people were doing the same thing, and groups of people on the street were walking in the same direction.

Fang Wang asked curiously, "You mentioned Taiyuan City earlier. What's the difference between Taiyuan City and Taiyuan Town?"

Zhou Xue replied, "Taiyuan City is the external city of Taiyuan Sect, facing the entire cultivation world, while Taiyuan Town is a mortal town cultivated by Taiyuan Sect itself. The mortals living here are responsible for mining various resources for Taiyuan Sect disciples. Almost everyone who can come to Taiyuan Town has a cultivation background and comes from cultivation families from all over the country. Without a background and intelligence, they would not be able to discover this path."

"Simply put, in Taiyuan City we compete with ordinary people, but here we compete with aristocratic families with cultivation backgrounds. Of course, passing the test here brings even more benefits."