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

The young master of the Azure Wave Pavilion? Fu Shaoping understood. The Azure Wave Pavilion was one of the four major sects and had always been a rival of the Crimson Flame Sect. This young master Liu's appearance was not only to maintain order, but also likely to suppress the arrogance of the Crimson Flame Sect.

The disheveled old man hurriedly thanked Young Master Liu. Young Master Liu waved his hand, his gaze lingering on the gray jade slip for a moment, as if he had also noticed something, but he did not ask any further questions. He simply reminded the old man to carefully put away the item before leaving with his entourage.

The commotion subsided temporarily. Fu Shaoping took a deep look at the jade slip and the still-shaken old man, then intensified his connection to the "Netherworld Contract Mark." He had a gut feeling that this jade slip might attract even more attention.

Sure enough, in the following days, Fu Shaoping sensed through the "Netherworld Contract Mark" that at least three other groups of people had approached the disheveled old man in various ways, either to test him or to make a deal, all with their targets vaguely pointing to the gray jade slip. The old man seemed to have also sensed the danger and became unusually cautious, changing the location of his stall several times.

Fu Shaoping did not act rashly. He was waiting for an opportunity, while also focusing more on his own cultivation and observation.

The core of the Ascension Ceremony—the recruitment tests for disciples by the four major sects and three major merchant guilds—is also in full swing. Every day, countless people go full of hope, only to return disappointed. Those who are directly accepted into the inner sect or given intensive training are extremely rare, with only one in a hundred. Even so, this cannot dampen the enthusiasm of the people who flock to the event.

Fu Shaoping would occasionally observe the tests from afar. Spiritual root aptitude, mental fortitude and perseverance, comprehension and supernatural abilities, special skills… the various assessment methods gave him a more direct understanding of the selection criteria of major sects. His own "Green Wood Fire Earth" three spiritual roots were considered good among independent cultivators, but in the eyes of major sects, they were probably only below average. Fortunately, his true reliance was not his spiritual roots.

In the second month of the conference, a minor commotion occurred in Nanfang City. Someone found what appeared to be a fragment of an ancient treasure in the stall area, sparking a small-scale dispute that even attracted the attention of two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Following procedure, Sun Hong's team immediately reported the incident and evacuated the crowd. Ultimately, the City Lord's Enforcement Team intervened to quell the situation.

This incident made Fu Shaoping even more vigilant. The Ascension Ceremony was like a constantly erupting volcano, seemingly bustling and prosperous on the surface, but with turbulent undercurrents beneath, where unexpected dangers could erupt at any moment.

That evening, after the shift handover, Fu Shaoping did not immediately return to the quiet room arranged by the assistant staff (the conditions were much better than the pigeon coop, but it was crowded and noisy). Instead, he wandered around a relatively quiet area on the edge of Nanfang City to sort out his thoughts.

As he passed the entrance to an alley piled with junk, the illusory "Sky-Covering Tortoise Shell" from the Ghost Swamp in his mind suddenly trembled very slightly! At the same time, the "Netherworld Contract Mark" he had left on the disheveled old man sent a clear signal—the old man was nearby, and his condition was very unstable, filled with fear and despair!
Fu Shaoping felt a chill run down his spine and immediately concealed his aura, silently slipping into the depths of the alley like a ghost.

In a corner piled with discarded building materials, he saw a disheveled old man collapsed on the ground. The old man's chest was charred black, and he was barely breathing, clutching the gray jade slip tightly in his hand. Beside him stood two men in black, both masked, and both at the ninth level of Qi Refining. One of them held a short blade that was still dripping blood, while the other was trying to pry open the old man's fingers to take the jade slip.

"Old man, you're asking for trouble! Just hand it over already, why suffer like this?" The black-clad man wielding the short blade spoke in a hoarse voice.

“You…don’t even think about it…this is…an evil thing…you can’t…” the old man said haltingly, but his eyes were unusually stubborn.

"An evil object? Heh heh, that's exactly what we want!" another man in black sneered, increasing the force of his blows.

Just as he was about to succeed, the light at the alley entrance went out.

The two men in black suddenly turned around and saw a young cultivator with an ordinary face, dressed in light blue assistant's robes, standing there, as if he had just walked in.

"City Lord's Assistant? Get out of my way! Mind your own business!" the black-clad man wielding a short blade shouted sternly, his divine sense pressure sweeping over without any concealment.

Fu Shaoping seemed startled, taking a half step back with hesitation and fear on his face. He cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoists, private duels are forbidden here. Could you please..."

"You're courting death!" The man in black wielding the short blade clearly didn't want any trouble. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he moved with lightning speed, his short blade aimed straight for Fu Shaoping's throat! His speed was extremely fast, clearly indicating that he was a skilled assassin!
However, the instant he thrust out his dagger, three almost invisible, dark chains appeared out of thin air around him, suddenly wrapping around the phantom images of his wrists, ankles, and neck! It wasn't a physical restraint, but rather a direct interference and delay to his soul!
"Soul Contract Chains!" Fu Shaoping thought to himself.

The man in black froze abruptly, as if stuck in quagmire, his eyes flashing with horror. He had never encountered such a bizarre method that directly attacked the soul!

Seeing that something was wrong, another man in black immediately abandoned the old man, summoned a black banner, and with a gust of cold wind, several ghostly figures rushed towards Fu Shaoping!

Fu Shaoping was already prepared. The Xuan Turtle Shield instantly enlarged, blocking in front of him. The ghostly figure crashed into the shield, emitting a shrill scream, but could not break through. At the same time, he moved like a fish, approaching the black-clad man who was being interfered with by the "Soul Contract Chains." In his hand, a seemingly ordinary fine steel longsword (a cheap magic weapon bought on the spot) appeared out of nowhere, but a wisp of dark "contract power" quietly attached itself to the sword.

"Break!" A flash of sword light, aimed straight at the opponent's weakness exposed by the restraint of his soul—his dantian!
The man in black roared, desperately channeling his inner energy to break free of the chains and defend himself, but the stiffness of his soul made him a beat too slow.

"laugh!"

The longsword pierced his body, and the contractual power attached to it clung to him like a leech, instantly disrupting the flow of his true energy. The man in black screamed and collapsed to the ground, convulsing. Though not dead, he had lost his ability to fight.

Seeing his companion crippled in an instant, the other man in black was both shocked and furious. He shook the black banner violently, and more ghostly figures surged out. At the same time, he retreated rapidly, trying to escape!
Fu Shaoping wouldn't let him escape. With a thought, he activated a rudimentary technique called "Resonance of Resentment" from the Netherworld Contract in his sea of ​​consciousness (this technique can temporarily amplify the negative emotions of living beings within a certain range, especially effective against those who control spirits), mixed with a trace of his own cold soul power tempered by "Netherfire," and swept towards the black banner and the man in black!

The ghostly figures on the black banner seemed to be provoked, letting out chaotic howls and turning against their master! The man in black groaned, his mind injured, and his escape light became disordered. Fu Shaoping seized the opportunity, slamming out the Xuan Turtle Shield, while simultaneously conjuring up the illusory "Soul Contract Chains" again to interfere.

"Bang!" The man in black was struck in the back by the shield, spitting out blood and collapsing to the ground. The black banner also flew out of his hand, scattering like ghostly shadows.

The battle ended in a matter of breaths. Fu Shaoping quickly checked the two men, ensuring they were temporarily incapacitated, and left "Netherworld Contract Marks" on them for tracking. Then, he strode over to the disheveled old man.

The old man was barely breathing. When he saw Fu Shaoping, a pleading look appeared in his cloudy eyes. With his last bit of strength, he stuffed the gray jade slip into Fu Shaoping's hand and said intermittently, "...Black Wind...Gobi...deep...contract...curse...don't let...Crimson Flame Sect...Azure Wave...Pavilion...be careful..." Before he could finish speaking, his head tilted to the side and he breathed his last.

Fu Shaoping silently accepted the jade slip, its surface icy to the touch. He quickly searched the old man's body, finding only a few spirit stones and miscellaneous items, nothing else. He bowed slightly before the old man's remains, then swiftly cleaned the scene, dragging the two men in black and the old man's body deeper inside, covering them with waste materials and sprinkling some odor-eliminating powder. Finally, he erased his traces and vanished from the alley like a ghost.

On the way back to the quiet abode, Fu Shaoping's heart was far from calm. The old man's last words contained a wealth of information: the depths of the Black Wind Gobi Desert, a contract, a curse, the Crimson Flame Sect, the Azure Wave Pavilion… This jade slip seemed to involve more than just a simple struggle for ancient artifacts. Moreover, the cultivation methods of the two men in black did not resemble those of the orthodox Crimson Flame Sect or the Azure Wave Pavilion; rather, they seemed to be… heretical cultivators skilled in assassination and exorcism? Were they a third-party force?
Back in his private room at the meditation retreat, Fu Shaoping activated the protective barrier before taking out the dusty jade slip. The surface of the jade slip was covered in fine cracks, and its spiritual energy was weak. He carefully separated a wisp of his divine sense and probed into it.

The moment the divine sense entered, a cold, chaotic fragment of thought, filled with resentment and curses, surged forth! Simultaneously, some incomplete contract runes and blurry images flashed by:
—The endless black Gobi Desert, with howling winds and sandstorms, reveals the faint ruins of ancient stone temples.

—Deep within the stone hall, on the altar were placed more than one black jade slip resembling the "Netherworld Contract," as well as many more earthenware blood soul bowls, and... a withered ancient cultivator's corpse pierced by countless black chains!

— Countless twisted, malicious contract runes swirled around the altar, forming a huge, incomplete "cursed contract field"!
—The final scene shows a terrified figure fleeing, followed by a desperate scream: "...Deceive the heavens... Blood Pact... Backlash... All... Die..."

Fu Shaoping abruptly withdrew his divine sense, cold sweat beading on his forehead. This jade slip was not only a tattered vessel for the inheritance of a contract, but also more like a "recorder," recording a portion of the scene at a terrifying location related to the "Hidden Heaven Blood Pact" (the stone palace deep within the Black Wind Gobi Desert)! There, there might be more fragments of the "Netherworld Contract," or even a complete inheritance of the Netherworld Child, but it was also filled with deadly curses and backlash!
Are both the Crimson Flame Sect and the Azure Wave Pavilion searching for this kind of thing? How much do they know? And which faction do those two black-clad evil cultivators belong to?
Fu Shaoping gripped the jade slip tightly in his hand. It was both a tremendous temptation and a terrifying trap. The Black Wind Gobi Desert was a perilous place several times more dangerous than the Ghost Swamp, ravaged by black storms year-round, with a harsh environment and many treacherous restrictions and eerie presences left behind from ancient times. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators dared not venture deep into it lightly.

With his current strength, venturing into the depths of the Black Wind Gobi Desert would be tantamount to suicide.

but……

He recalled the inheritance of the Netherworld Contract Book and the illusory image of the Sky-Covering Tortoise Shell within his sea of ​​consciousness. Perhaps, once he had established his foundation and gained a deeper understanding of the Dao of Contracts, and was better prepared, he could try to explore the edges?

Right now, the most important thing is to digest this unexpected gain, improve our strength, and safely get through the final stage of the Ascension Tournament.

He carefully put away the gray jade slip and nurtured it together with the "Netherworld Contract Book" inheritance. This thing was of great importance and must not be exposed.

In the days that followed, Fu Shaoping became even more discreet and cautious. Through the "Netherworld Contract Mark," he sensed that the two black-clad evil cultivators had been rescued by their accomplices (he did not kill them to avoid creating a deadly feud and attracting stronger pursuers). The Crimson Flame Sect and the Azure Wave Pavilion also seemed to have strengthened their surveillance of Nanfang City, but they did not find the old man (who was already dead) or the jade slip (which was in Fu Shaoping's hands), and it seemed that the matter was ultimately left unresolved.

The final month of the Ascension Ceremony passed uneventfully. Fu Shaoping diligently completed his assistant duties, refraining from actively seeking anything that might cause trouble. His composed performance earned Sun Hong's approval, and his monthly salary was paid in full.

On the eve of the conference's conclusion, with the coordinating work nearing its end, Sun Hong gathered his team and informed them of some news: To recognize the hard work of the coordinators, the City Lord's Mansion, the four major sects, and the three major merchant guilds were organizing a special "Mini-Competition," open to all coordinators on a voluntary basis. The top 100 participants would receive generous extra rewards, and the top 10 would have the opportunity to enter the outer perimeter of the "Heavenly Palace City Secret Vault" and select an item!

"The Heavenly Palace City Treasury!" The team members immediately became excited. That was a place that housed all kinds of treasures, cultivation techniques, and materials accumulated by the City Lord's Mansion over hundreds of years. Even just the outer area was enough to drive Qi Refining cultivators crazy.

Fu Shaoping's heart skipped a beat. Could the secret vault contain the Foundation Establishment Pills, Foundation Establishment Techniques, or other rare items that could aid in Foundation Establishment that he needed?
Risk and opportunity coexist once again. The competition will inevitably attract many powerful figures, perhaps even those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining or half-step Foundation Establishment. If he participates, his strength will inevitably be exposed more.

But... the opportunity to access the "Heavenly Palace City Secret Treasury" is extremely rare. Perhaps, this is the most direct and relatively safest way for him to obtain Foundation Establishment resources.

"I'll sign up," Fu Shaoping said calmly, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

As the Ascension Ceremony draws to a close, a new contest is about to begin. And it's time for his hidden strength to finally be revealed.

When Sun Hong saw Fu Shaoping sign up, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Mo Chen, your cultivation is solid, you act with composure, and you also have outstanding combat skills. You may be able to achieve a good ranking in the competition. But be careful, as the assistants participating in this competition include many powerful outer disciples from the four major sects who were not selected for the inner sect, as well as some rogue cultivators with deep backgrounds. The competition will definitely be fierce."

"Thank you for the reminder, Captain Sun. I will be careful," Fu Shaoping said, cupping his hands in greeting.

The preliminary competition is scheduled for the third day after the official conclusion of the Ascension Tournament, to be held in the City Lord's private "Martial Arts Training Ground." Nearly four hundred assistants have registered. The competition will be a single-elimination tournament, with random draws, and winners will advance until the top ten are determined. (End of Chapter)