Chapter 1707: Choice and Trial

At this moment, Fairy Ning Ke began to answer Li Yan’s questions.

“During my past travels, I saved the life of one of their Earth-rank Alchemy Grandmasters. Of course, she does not know my identity, only that I am a rogue cultivator. Later, she invited me to join Huangqi Valley, but I used other excuses to refuse. Now, if we want to get news of the Hazy Moon Purity Immortal Grass, I can use that favor to have you enter as a disciple. Furthermore, based on one of the entry conditions, your current cultivation is exactly at the upper limit. A rogue Spirit Transformation cultivator entering their sect is plausible. You would be someone who has long been unable to advance to the Void Refining stage and seeks an opportunity within a sect to achieve a breakthrough.”

“However, if you were a Void Refining cultivator, you would be a true mid-tier cultivator in the Immortal Spirit Realm. Even if you entered Huangqi Valley, you could only be a Guest Deacon, and such deacons generally only manage the outer sect. Entering the Inheritance Ancient Hall wouldn’t be impossible, but compared to true disciples, the recognition required is much harder. The other conditions involve having alchemy talent, primarily based on spiritual root attributes. We are what people call ‘miscellaneous spiritual roots,’ possessing all five elements. Alchemy sects only recruit disciples with Fire or Wood spiritual roots. Fire-attribute cultivators produce pills most easily, while others, though they can use Fire-attribute techniques like Fireball, find their effectiveness lacking. Wood-attribute cultivators have their own unique advantages—the pills they refine contain vibrant life force, making them excellent choices for healing and longevity pills.”

“Naturally, if a disciple possesses both Fire and Wood attributes, they will be even more at home. Since you are already a Spirit Transformation cultivator, they will not scrutinize your spiritual root attributes too closely. You only need to display Fire or Wood spiritual Qi. It is best not to display both simultaneously; otherwise, with such attributes, you would have been snatched up by an alchemy sect long ago—why would you still be a rogue cultivator? To prevent them from actually testing you, you can circulate the Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis to retain about three attributes, preventing them from detecting your miscellaneous roots. Explaining how you reached the Spirit Transformation stage with miscellaneous roots would be troublesome. While the Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis cannot hide from everyone, for things like testing roots, they either use a specialized treasure or a Spirit Transformation or Void Refining deacon. You should have a chance to quietly obscure the truth in either case.”

“Once you enter Huangqi Valley, no one can guarantee whether you will successfully obtain the Hazy Moon Purity Immortal Grass. While keeping your identity hidden, you must find a way to enter the core elite disciples. Your Master guaranteed previously that you have the ability to do this, but your Second Martial Uncle and I are still worried. Once you are exposed, my identity will be exposed as well. I certainly wouldn’t be able to interact with them in the future, and your life might not be spared. Although Huangqi Valley does not actively hunt the Five Immortals Sect, it’s hard to say what they would do to a cultivator who sneaks in with ulterior motives. Therefore, before you leave, your Second Martial Uncle will act to re-seal all your memories regarding the Five Immortals Sect. I heard Qianchong helped you with this before, but that was just a wisp of his Divine Sense. With your Second Martial Uncle acting, to put it bluntly, if a Grand Ascension cultivator tries to break it by force, the most likely result is your immediate death.”

Fairy Ning Ke and Shi Ligui shared the same thought: Li Yan had finally reached the sect and his strength was not high. He needed to cultivate properly and gain experience once he reached the Body Integration stage.

“We know your stance now. My final suggestion is for you to cultivate properly in the sect and leave the search for the Hazy Moon Purity Immortal Grass to your Martial Aunt and Martial Uncle. As long as they promise, they will not break their word, and with their cultivation, the hope of finding it is very high. Before long, I, like your Martial Uncle Qianchong, will need to enter seclusion. We have been delayed too long and cannot remain stuck here. In the future, if you have any needs regarding cultivation or resources, you can go directly to your Second Martial Uncle. His guidance is far better than mine. Cultivating while waiting for news is the best plan. If you ultimately insist on going out, your Martial Aunt and Martial Uncle do not quite believe in your capabilities. We have discussed it, and your Second Martial Uncle will take you out for a period. He will personally assess your abilities to see if you have a chance of surviving in Huangqi Valley. If you do not earn their approval, Martial Aunt Ning Ke will not help you enter, even if you choose to go. Instead, she will only help you continue searching for the herb. These are our requirements; can you agree?”

Dong Fuyi interjected again, relaying the plan they had devised. He had already guessed Li Yan’s decision, but he also considered the sect’s interests. There had to be a balance—a balance that Li Yan would accept.

Upon hearing Dong Fuyi’s words, Li Yan realized his Master would also be entering a long-term seclusion soon. It made sense; when he left the sect, Martial Aunt Ning Ke was only at the Void Refining stage, and now she was at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. His Master had suffered a non-negligible injury killing a cultivator from the Yin-Yang Primordial Chaos Sect in the lower realm, a fact he mentioned with gloom. Suppressing one’s cultivation for too long was not good for a cultivator; many insights would weaken or vanish.

Regarding Dong Fuyi’s final requirement, Li Yan did not hesitate.

“This disciple has no objection. If Second Martial Uncle sets the trial at a certain difficulty, I am confident I can pass.”

Hearing Li Yan’s words, Shi Ligui and Ning Ke glanced at him.

‘This disciple is something else. The moment a trial is mentioned, he immediately sets a condition for us, hinting that we cannot deliberately make things difficult!’ Shi Ligui’s voice echoed in Dong Fuyi’s heart, though the elders’ expressions didn’t change.

“I will set the trial based on the dangerous situations you might encounter and the probability of being exposed,” Shi Ligui nodded.

“May I ask Martial Aunt, if I join as a Spirit Transformation cultivator, will they not suspect I am there to steal their techniques?” Li Yan did not dwell on the trial but returned to the plan. He had to be prepared. If he joined mid-way with that level of cultivation, they would surely be guarded against him, and he would be restricted everywhere. The difficulty of entering the core disciples would be even higher.

“There will certainly be precautions, but I saved that Earth-rank Grandmaster’s life. She will naturally do her best to help. Whether she believes what I say or not, out of gratitude, she will handle it in her own way. Once you enter the sect, based on the Fragmented Poison I saw, you will certainly be among the best of your level. If you condense those poisons into mist, liquid, or pills, entering the core elite disciples shouldn’t be a problem. You just need to seize the right timing so you don’t appear too conspicuous.” Fairy Ning Ke’s ethereal voice rang out again. She continued, “Hand Miss Bai over to me. Before the herb is found, she will stay with me. I will do my best to seal her life aura so she can remain in this world for as long as possible!”

Seeing Li Yan had made his decision, Fairy Ning Ke said no more.

“Thank you, Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt!”

Li Yan had no objections. Having a Tribulation Transcendence powerhouse proficient in the Law of Life act meant that even if her Nascent Soul lifespan was exhausted, her life could be extended, giving them more time. By going to Huangqi Valley while his elders searched outside, the chances of finding the Hazy Moon Purity Immortal Grass would double. As for the unpredictable dangers of infiltrating another sect, Li Yan hardly gave them a thought. He had done such things more than once; he was all too familiar with it.

…

Thus, starting from the next day, Shi Ligui took Li Yan out for a trial. Ling Yao also seized the opportunity and insisted on coming along. Since Shi Ligui had promised Dong Fuyi, and this was his direct Martial Nephew, he had to ensure everything was handled correctly to prevent any regrets. Simultaneously, allowing Ling Yao to go was a chance to increase the difficulty for Li Yan.

After the three went out, Shi Ligui hid in the shadows. He told them that unless they encountered a true life-and-death crisis, he would not act. Even if they were severely injured, they had to think of how to escape and heal on their own. If he felt Li Yan was insufficient, he would take them back immediately. Li Yan was not to mention Huangqi Valley again; going there would be seeking death. Li Yan was also charged with looking after Ling Yao during this journey.

During this time, Shi Ligui didn’t just follow secretly; he deliberately manufactured many troubles. This gave Li Yan an immense headache. He was even targeted by Void Refining cultivators several times…

However, after only three months, Shi Ligui appeared and took the two back. Ling Yao still looked like she hadn’t had her fill of fun. This left Shi Ligui somewhat helpless; Ling Yao had no idea how many times her life had been in danger during those three months. Many crises could have killed her without her even realizing it, yet Li Yan had quietly neutralized them one by one. Li Yan had even encountered a late-stage Void Refining cultivator, but instead of fighting head-on, he used methods to divert the trouble to others… Those with ill intentions toward the two would also lose their trail without knowing why…

All of this allowed Shi Ligui to see the boy’s methods. Li Yan’s responses were so ingenious that even he felt a sense of admiration. Looking at his own disciple, though she was vigilant enough, her experience was not on the same level as Li Yan’s; the gap was vast. Li Yan was deep and experienced; if he wanted to harm Ling Yao, despite her being a Void Refining cultivator, she might have stepped onto the path of reincarnation while still bowing to thank him. Ultimately, Shi Ligui felt that with Li Yan’s schemes, he would live quite comfortably in any sect.

Thus, after three months, he brought them back. With Li Yan’s consent, he performed the Kui Water branch’s secret technique. Under Li Yan’s own guidance, his memories regarding his techniques and the Five Immortals Sect were sealed in a specific area of his Consciousness Sea. With a Tribulation Transcendence old monster acting, Li Yan felt completely at ease. This was currently his greatest weakness. According to his Second Martial Uncle, that part of his Consciousness Sea could only be used normally by himself; even a Grand Ascension cultivator might not be able to break the seal before Li Yan died. A Tribulation Transcendence cultivator might not even find the seal; soul-searching would only reveal his relationship with the Wangliang Sect. This wasn’t to say Shi Ligui was invincible in the Immortal Spirit Realm, but rather that Five Immortals Sect cultivators could clash with enemies a realm above them. Furthermore, he was using a secret technique that sect elders must perform before a disciple went out for experience. This was a major reason why the Five Immortals Sect had remained hidden. It wasn’t that no disciples had died or been captured over the generations, but in the end, very few people could extract relevant information. And for those who did, the Five Immortals Sect would stop at nothing to eliminate them in secret. The chance of outsiders getting news was almost zero—almost, because no one can predict all the methods of cultivators.