Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

The Ascension Ceremony! Held once every ten years! Participants include the Four Great Sects and the Three Great Merchant Guilds! Monthly stipend of five hundred spirit stones!

Fu Shaoping's gaze sharpened. This was an excellent opportunity! Not only would he gain a substantial and stable income, but he would also have close contact with the top forces in Tianque City, learn about the latest developments in the cultivation world, and perhaps even find some fortuitous opportunities. His role as an assistant also provided him with a relatively legal and safe platform for observation and activity.

While risks certainly exist—with so many people around and the possibility of exposure—given his current strength and numerous methods of concealment, he should be able to handle the chaotic situation of the Qi Refining stage cultivators with care and caution.

More importantly, he needs to find an opportunity to establish his foundation. The Azure Profound Breathing Technique only leads to the early stages of Foundation Establishment, and it lacks crucial Foundation Establishment insights and resources (such as Foundation Establishment Pills). During the Ascension Conference, various forces will gather, and he might be able to learn about Foundation Establishment techniques, elixirs, and even other secrets that aid in Foundation Establishment.

Without hesitation, he immediately went to the recruitment point to sign up.

The registration area was located near the central square of Tianque City, and was managed by cultivators from the City Lord's Mansion. A large number of people were registering, forming a long queue. Fu Shaoping observed that most of the cultivators registering possessed sharp auras and were quite young, clearly hoping to make a name for themselves at the grand event.

When it was Fu Shaoping's turn, the cultivator in charge of registration (Ninth Level of Qi Refining) routinely inquired about his basic information ("Mo Chen," a rogue cultivator, Eighth Level of Qi Refining) and checked his cultivation level and age (his bone age was less than thirty, which was considered very young in the cultivation world). When he mentioned that he had some knowledge of alchemy (and showed a high-grade Qi Nourishing Pill), a hint of surprise flashed in the registration cultivator's eyes, and his attitude became noticeably warmer.

"Fellow Daoist Mo is young but possesses solid cultivation and alchemy skills. Passing the preliminary review should not be a problem." The registering cultivator handed him a numbered jade token. "Three days later, take this jade token to the 'Martial Arts Arena' on the west side of the City Lord's Mansion to participate in the second round of testing. The second round will assess your combat ability, adaptability, and teamwork."

"Thank you." Fu Shaoping accepted the jade token, cupped his hands in greeting, and left.

The second round of interviews... he needs to show some of his abilities, but not too much attention.

He returned to the "pigeon coop" and began preparing for the retest three days later. He needed to plan how to showcase his abilities "just right"—his Qi cultivation at the upper-middle level of the eighth level of Qi Refining, his good combat reaction (he could slightly demonstrate the predictive power brought by the "Mysterious Contract True Explanation" and the slight interference effect of the "Soul Contract Chain"), and his identity as an alchemist (which he could reveal appropriately).

As for the sinister methods and powerful magical artifacts such as the Xuan Turtle Shield in the "Netherworld Contract," they must never be exposed.

Three days passed in a blink of an eye.

On the day of the second round of examinations, the "Martial Arts Arena" on the west side of the City Lord's Mansion was bustling with activity, gathering over a thousand late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who had passed the initial screening. The second round of examinations was not complicated, consisting of three stages:

1. Cultivation and Foundation Test: The purity and total amount of true qi are tested using a specially made "spirit-testing pillar". Fu Shaoping controlled the output, keeping the result at the upper-middle level of the eighth level of Qi Refining, neither outstanding nor lagging behind.

2. Real-world simulation: Enter a simulated scenario of "handling conflicts among cultivators" or "dealing with attacks from low-level demonic beasts." Fu Shaoping, relying on his "Contract Identification Technique" to anticipate energy flow and the opponent's intentions, and occasionally using the illusory "Soul Contract Chains" (disguised as ordinary divine sense interference techniques) to disrupt the "opponent," easily and "just right" resolved the conflict, demonstrating composure and effectiveness.

3. Collaboration and Adaptability: Participants were randomly grouped to complete small tasks requiring teamwork. Fu Shaoping cooperated discreetly, contributing when needed and assisting when necessary, without vying for attention, yet ensuring the tasks were completed smoothly.

His overall performance was just as he had hoped—solid, reliable, skilled (in alchemy), and unassuming.

Ultimately, he stood out from thousands of competitors and, along with more than three hundred other cultivators, successfully obtained the qualification of "Assistant of the Ascension Conference".

When Fu Shaoping received the pale gold waist token that represented his qualification, as well as the advance payment of his first month's salary (three hundred spirit stones), he knew that he had finally found a relatively stable foothold in the behemoth that was Tianque City.

For the next three months, he will delve into this once-a-decade grand gathering of cultivation cultivators in this entirely new capacity. Opportunities and challenges await him quietly beneath the clamor and brilliance.

His life in Tianque City is about to enter an even more magnificent phase as the Ascension Assembly approaches. The two ancient contracts hidden deep within his consciousness will also begin to quietly exert their effects at this grand event.

The day after Fu Shaoping received his assistant's badge, he was notified to report to the "Foreign Affairs Department" of Tianque City. Unlike the dilapidated and chaotic outer city, the area under the jurisdiction of the City Lord's Mansion was magnificent and solemn, with palaces and pavilions standing side by side, and the concentration of spiritual energy was also significantly higher. The Foreign Affairs Department was responsible for all external coordination, guidance, and security maintenance during the Ascension Conference, and it was a large-scale department.

He was assigned to the third squad of the "Southern Market and Surrounding Guidance Area". The squad leader was a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator named Sun Hong, around forty years old, with a kind face and a steady aura. He was said to be an elder of the City Lord's Mansion. The team consisted of eight people, including Fu Shaoping, most of whom were at the Qi Refining Level 7 to 8. There were two female cultivators, one skilled in lightness techniques and the other seemingly knowledgeable in some rudimentary healing spells.

Sun Hong gave a brief speech, emphasizing that the Ascension Conference would be a mixed bag, with all sorts of people gathering. Their team's responsibility was to maintain order at the entrance to Nanfang City and the surrounding streets, guide cultivators who came to participate in the conference or watch the ceremony to designated areas, handle minor frictions, and report any major incidents immediately. They were not allowed to intervene without authorization.

"Remember, observe more, listen more, speak less, and mind your own business. Follow the rules strictly, do not show favoritism, and do not have conflicts with the participating cultivators or guests. We are here to maintain order, not to enforce the law, and certainly not to referee the dueling arena." Sun Hong's gaze swept over the crowd, pausing especially on the faces of several of the younger-looking team members. "The monthly salary is generous, but the work is also heavy, so stay alert. Starting tomorrow, familiarize yourselves with the terrain of Nanfang City and the conference procedures."

Fu Shaoping nodded silently. This arrangement suited him perfectly. Nanfang Market was a huge trading area temporarily opened during the Ascension Conference. Located in an open area outside the south gate of Tianque City, it was adjacent to the temporary residences of the four major sects and three major merchant guilds. It had the largest flow of people and was also the most chaotic. But chaos often meant opportunity; he could access a large amount of information about cultivators and items. Over the next few days, the team familiarized themselves with the layout of Nanfang Market, the locations of the temporary residences of the major forces, and the procedures for dealing with various common emergencies. With the keen perception brought by the "Contract Identification Technique," Fu Shaoping had an insight into the surrounding environment and the emotions and intentions of others far beyond that of ordinary people. In several simulation exercises, he discovered potential conflict points in advance and subtly reminded his teammates to resolve them, which made Sun Hong look at him with new respect.

Ten days later, the once-in-a-decade "Ascension Ceremony" in Tianque City officially kicked off!

As if overnight, the entire Tianque City was in an uproar. Rogue cultivators, members of small families, and peripheral disciples from all over Zhao Kingdom, and even neighboring border states, poured in like a swarm of locusts crossing a river. Inns throughout the city were already full, and countless temporary tents were erected outside. In the sky, various colored lights darted about, and occasionally a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator would fly by on a magical artifact, eliciting envious gasps from the ground.

The South Market was bustling with activity, teeming with people. Tens of thousands of stalls sprang up like mushrooms after rain, selling a dazzling array of goods: from low-level magical artifacts, talismans, elixirs, and spiritual herbs and ores, to broken antiques, counterfeit "treasure maps," and all sorts of strange and unusual materials from demonic beasts—everything imaginable was available. The cries of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, the arguments, and the glow of appraisal spells intertwined to create a vibrant and bustling scene of a cultivation marketplace.

Fu Shaoping and his teammates, dressed in matching light blue assistant manager uniforms with pale gold waist badges, were stationed near several main entrances and main roads in Nanfang City. His task was to guide the flow of people, answer simple inquiries, and keep an eye out for any unusual activity.

In the crowd, he saw young, unaffiliated cultivators with hopeful expressions, shrewd merchants, pretentious swindlers, and also masters with concealed auras and sharp eyes. The air was filled with a mixture of emotions—excitement, anxiety, greed, and caution—like a giant melting pot.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask how to get to the Xuantian Sect's disciple recruitment test site?" A young man who looked to be only at the fourth level of Qi Refining asked Fu Shaoping nervously.

Based on his memory, Fu Shaoping pointed to a clearly separated area deep within Nanfang City, where banners fluttered and faint array lights emanated: "Pass through that 'Hundred Arts Display Area' ahead, the tallest sword flag on the left embroidered with cloud patterns is the temporary headquarters of the Xuantian Sect. The testing point is on the outskirts of the headquarters, and there are signs."

After thanking him, the boy hurriedly squeezed into the crowd.

Fu Shaoping had to answer similar questions dozens of times a day. He always remained patient and calm. This earned him the favor of many independent cultivators and allowed him to naturally observe passersby.

Using the "Netherworld Contract Mark," he subtly left extremely faint, almost imperceptible marks on several cultivators who appeared to possess considerable luck or strength, or who carried special items (or on their belongings). This was not malicious; he was merely testing his magic and establishing a potential "information source" for himself. As long as these individuals remained within a certain radius of Tianque City, he could vaguely sense their location and approximate condition.

On the afternoon of the third day, Fu Shaoping was mediating a quarrel caused by a stall occupying space when suddenly, a strange fluctuation came from the "Mingqi Mark" on a disheveled old man selling ancient book fragments not far away—it was a strong vigilance and a trace of deeply hidden panic.

He glanced at it discreetly. Before the stall stood three cultivators dressed in the outer sect robes of the Crimson Flame Sect. The leader, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, was arguing with the old man about something, holding a dusty jade slip. The old man's face flushed red, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

Fu Shaoping's heart stirred slightly. People from the Crimson Flame Sect? He recalled Zhou Yan and the others' coveting of the *Netherworld Contract* during the Ghost Swamp quest. These three, though only outer disciples, were here, and even argued with an old man selling incomplete scrolls…

He spared a sliver of his attention, using the noise of the crowd and his own "Contract Identification Technique" as cover, to quietly sense the jade slip being contested. The jade slip itself possessed weak spiritual energy and appeared ordinary, but its internal structure held an extremely subtle and distorted trace of a contract, faintly resonating with a distant connection to the "Netherworld Contract Book" inheritance within his sea of ​​consciousness! This was definitely no ordinary ancient book fragment!
"Old man, this jade slip is clearly something lost by a senior of my Crimson Flame Sect. It has a special mark of our sect on it! Where did you get it? Tell me the truth!" The Crimson Flame Sect disciple at the ninth level of Qi Refining shouted, his voice attracting the attention of many people around him.

The disheveled old man became agitated: "Nonsense! I found this jade slip outside the ancient cultivator's meditation cave in the 'Black Wind Gobi' in the north! How could it belong to your Crimson Flame Sect? You're trying to steal it!"

"Black Wind Gobi?" The Crimson Flame Sect disciple's eyes flashed, and he sneered, "That's even more of a coincidence! One of our sect's seniors disappeared in the Black Wind Gobi decades ago! You must have murdered our senior and stolen his belongings! Come back to the camp with me and explain yourself!" He then moved to grab the man.

The surrounding crowd erupted in uproar, but most dared not speak out. The Crimson Flame Sect was one of the four major sects of Tianque City, wielding immense power.

Fu Shaoping frowned slightly. The excuse was clumsy, but it was enough to deal with a rootless, unaffiliated Qi Refining Level 6 rogue cultivator. Their target was clearly the jade slip bearing the peculiar remnants of a contract. Could it be that the Crimson Flame Sect had intensified its search for artifacts related to "contracts" after the Ghostly Swamp incident?

He was hesitating whether to secretly help the old man (by creating some chaos), or at least find out the details of the jade slip, when suddenly, a clear voice came from another direction:

"Wait a minute."

The crowd parted, and a young man in his early twenties emerged, dressed in a moon-white robe and with a jade pendant at his waist. His cultivation was clearly at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining (the twelfth level of Qi Refining), his aura harmonious and subtly showing signs of Foundation Establishment. Behind him were two steady attendants, both at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

"Fellow Daoist of the Crimson Flame Sect," Young Master Yuebai said with a gentle smile, but his tone left no room for doubt, "During the Ascension Assembly, Heavenly Palace City has decreed that disciples of all sects are prohibited from bullying rogue cultivators or disrupting the order of the market without cause. Since this old man claims that the jade slip came from the Black Wind Gobi Desert, and your sect's senior disappeared in that same place, why not entrust this jade slip to the Assembly's 'Justice Office' for temporary safekeeping? After the Assembly concludes, the City Lord's Mansion and your sect can jointly investigate. What do you think? If this old man's claims are untrue, the city rules will take their course; if your sect has genuine doubts, you can appeal through proper channels. Arresting someone in the street might cause controversy and damage your sect's reputation."

These words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, invoking the rules of the conference and the City Lord's Mansion, and even highlighting the word "reputation." The Crimson Flame Sect disciple's expression changed, clearly recognizing the extraordinary status of this Young Master Yuebai. He gritted his teeth and said, "So it's Young Master Liu of the Azure Wave Pavilion. Since the Young Master has come forward, my Crimson Flame Sect will naturally give him face." He glared fiercely at the old man, then greedily glanced at the jade slip, ultimately not daring to press the matter, and left dejectedly with his subordinates. (End of Chapter)