A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 121 Two Conflicts, Things Don't Go as Planned

"Indeed, this time there are not only fewer people, but their cultivation levels are also noticeably weaker. Even minor cultivators who have only reached the sixth or seventh level of basic cultivation techniques are coming to our sect to try their luck. This is not a good sign. Could it be because of the Qingyu Sect, which is thousands of miles away?"

Senior Brother Liu transmitted his voice with a solemn expression.

He needed to inform the sect leader and the four elders about the situation as soon as possible.

but.

The progress of the five-year recruitment program cannot be delayed.

“Junior Brother Zhang, you stay here and keep watch. The recruitment will proceed as normal. I will return to the sect and report everything to our master.”

"Alright, senior brother, go and return quickly."

The pale-faced youth nodded.

With his Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, he has no problem controlling the situation.

Among the crowd participating in this small competition, Han Li, with his powerful divine sense, seemed to be deep in thought after hearing and seeing all of this.

When the White Water Sword Sect first rose to prominence, it received secret support from the Star Palace, making its rise incredibly smooth.

According to intelligence records, at its peak, the White Water Sword Sect had more than ten Core Formation cultivators occupying a water area of ​​20,000 to 30,000 li, controlling a hundred or so islands, and having more than three thousand disciples.

In the last few centuries, the two saints have not appeared, and the star palace has become increasingly low-key.

It is extremely rare for someone to go into seclusion for hundreds of years.

The major powers of the Inner Star Sea, like cats smelling blood, began their investigation. Although they didn't know what had gone wrong with the Twin Saints of Heavenly Stars' seclusion, they grew increasingly restless and impatient.

Various tests are being conducted, all to see how the constellation will respond.

The Inner Star Sea was in turmoil because of this.

In recent years, the higher-ups of the Star Palace have gradually become preoccupied with their own problems, and branch sects such as the White Water Sword Sect have naturally declined as a result.

The number of Core Formation stage cultivators in the sect has shrunk to only five.

The number of disciples has also decreased significantly, with only a little over a thousand remaining.

With its influence waning, its territory has shrunk, and the supply of cultivation resources to its members has become increasingly strained.

"I've only just finished practicing and am about to begin..."

"I hope we don't get into any serious trouble."

Han Li was a little annoyed in the secret passage.

He is currently just a minor cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

This loss of power has greatly reduced his strength, and he has no desire to get involved in a major clash between sects.

Even if the White Water Sword Sect wins in the end, he may not necessarily come out on good terms.

"or…"

"You're not joining the sect for the time being?"

It's not too late to come back in a few years when everything is more stable.

Deep down, he still values ​​stability.

It was at this time, as it was getting late, that the White Water Sword Sect began its grand opening ceremony for recruiting disciples.

The Foundation Establishment stage youth surnamed Zhang stepped forward and spoke in a clear voice:

"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to my Changli Island to study under me. I, Zhang, will now be in charge of the disciple selection process. Please remain quiet and listen carefully to my words, so as not to miss anything..."

The pale-faced young man appeared calm.

The cultivators who had been sitting cross-legged and whispering on the platform below all stood up without the slightest hesitation and pricked up their ears to listen.

Whether they can join a mid-level sect with several Core Formation cultivators depends entirely on the person on the high platform.

Naturally, I can't leave a bad impression on that person.

Han Li, however, changed his plans and did not want to join the White Water Sword Sect at this time, so he remained seated with his eyes closed.

With his displayed Qi Refining Level 12 cultivation, he should theoretically be able to secure a place in a sect like the White Water Sword Sect. But he couldn't very well come here and then bluntly say he didn't want to join, could he?
That would be tantamount to making a fool of the entire White Water Sword Sect.

It's not good to provoke someone at the Core Formation stage.

Left with no other choice, he had to offend the lesser one—the Foundation Establishment stage manager in charge of recruiting disciples. If he could just offend this guy and get him to make things difficult for him, preventing him from joining the sect, then it wouldn't be seen as him deliberately refusing to join.

In this way, when he comes again next time, or even the time after that, no one will talk about him.

around.

When some rogue cultivators saw Han Li's unmoved attitude, they were first taken aback, then filled with schadenfreude:
"What's wrong with this guy? He's so arrogant. He doesn't even stand up to show respect to a Foundation Establishment senior?"

"This person's cultivation level is not low; the basic cultivation technique has already reached the twelfth level. It's a pity, a pity, a pity that he doesn't know how to behave. He might not be able to enter the sect this time."

"It's probably for the best that he can't join the sect. After all, the number of spots for the minor recruitment has always been limited, ranging from ten to twenty. This person was originally a strong competitor for us, but now that he has offended a Foundation Establishment stage senior from the White Water Sword Sect, perhaps he won't be able to join? The vacant spot will essentially be given to us..."

"Yes, yes, that will definitely make things easier for us."

Han Li heard every word of the telepathic exchanges between people at the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining, but he found them annoying.

These people are really a bunch of adorable little idiots who don't understand the situation.

Immediately, he opened his eyes and looked at the Foundation Establishment stage manager in charge of recruiting disciples, noticing a fleeting displeasure in the man's eyes. Clearly, this young man had also heard the deliberate whispers among the others.

Seeing this, he thought to himself, "It's done."

Five or ten years is all it takes.

It would be better to rejoin the sect at a different time.

On the high platform, the pale-faced youth from the White Water Sword Sect also spoke solemnly at the opportune moment:
"I presume you all have prior knowledge of the standards by which our sect accepts disciples?"

In the room, everyone nodded in agreement.

"Then I will not say any more here. Next, those who have dual spiritual roots, special physiques, have cultivated the basic cultivation technique to the sixth level, and are under the age of twenty, may stand on the right first."

Spiritual root aptitude, basic cultivation level, and age are the three major factors for a sect to recruit disciples.

Upon hearing this, only two people in the room stood up.

One male and one female.

They are all young people.

Upon seeing that the two not only possessed excellent spiritual roots and physiques, but also had cultivation levels exceeding the tenth level of Qi Refining, and appeared to be only in their early twenties, the pale-faced youth on the high platform softened his expression and smiled more broadly.

"Alright, please take your seats to the side and wait for the subsequent tests."

The young man pointed to the fifteen prayer cushions on the side.

That was prepared by the White Water Sword Sect for cultivators who were about to begin their training.

As for why there are only fifteen?
Because cultivation resources are scarce, we can't recruit too many from outside. We can only select the best candidates.

After the two were seated, the pale-faced young man spoke again:
"Now, fellow Daoists who have cultivated the basic techniques to the eleventh level or above, regardless of age or spiritual aptitude, please step forward."

Thirteen people stepped forward.

This includes Han Li.

"Well, as long as your backgrounds are not problematic, you can join our sect."

"As for the remaining fellow Daoists?"

"According to the rules, fifteen people are enough for the small recruitment every five years. Other fellow Daoists who have come from afar must undergo a test if they wish to join our sect. Only those who pass the test will be accepted into our White Water Sword Sect. Otherwise, please cultivate diligently for a few more years."

The pale-faced youth said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the once quiet square erupted into a commotion among the cultivators.

Apart from a few individual cultivators, most of the independent cultivators showed expressions of disappointment.

Everyone originally thought that since the White Water Sword Sect had been declining in recent years, the threshold for recruiting disciples should have been lowered accordingly.

Unexpectedly, it was still as strict as before.

After being eliminated, everyone was quite disappointed.

Just then, a middle-aged man stepped forward from the crowd, bowed respectfully to the young man on the platform, and said:

“Senior, although I am thirty-eight years old and my cultivation is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, I am far from meeting the entry standards of the White Water Sword Sect. However, due to certain reasons, I only learned a few years ago that I possess spiritual roots, and that I have both metal and water spiritual roots. I humbly request that you open the door for me and allow me to enter the sect.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked on with envy.

"What's your name?"

"The younger generation is encouraged to join in the fun."

"Are you sure you're a cultivator with dual spiritual roots?"

"Yes, senior. I guarantee it with my own life."

"Okay, check it out for me."

The young man jumped down from the platform, came to the middle-aged man's side, and grabbed the man's wrist.

Before long, his eyes lit up:
"Not bad, not bad, it truly possesses both metal and water spiritual roots. Although it's a bit old and its cultivation level is a bit low, its spiritual root aptitude is excellent enough, and it still has a great chance to reach Foundation Establishment or even Core Formation in the future..."

The young man then looked at the futon where Han Li was seated.

He then spoke up:
"What do you call fellow Taoist?"

"This junior is Han Li."

"Is Fellow Daoist Han's spiritual root aptitude not very good?"

Han Li had initially thought he couldn't escape the challenge of joining a sect, and planned to flee as soon as possible after joining to avoid the petty squabbles of the two major sects. Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the worse, and it seemed he was about to be harassed?
OK OK.

It's good to be made difficult.

"Senior, I am a pseudo-spiritual root of four elements."

Han Li readily admitted this.

"Pseudo-spiritual root?"

A look of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"It's actually a pseudo-spiritual root?" The pale-faced Foundation Establishment youth was also very surprised.

Then, with a profound meaning:

"To have cultivated to the twelfth level of Qi Refining with merely a pseudo-spiritual root, fellow Daoist, truly possesses great ambition, perseverance, great opportunity, and great capacity. I'm sure you'll be able to pass the three trials set by my sect..."

What does this mean?
Why did they not only not make things difficult for him, but instead praise the guy who hadn't stood up to show respect?
The crowd did not understand his meaning.

However, the wise ones soon understood.

The pale-faced youth continued:
"Fellow Daoist Han, this Fellow Daoist Zeng possesses dual spiritual roots, an exceptional talent whose future achievements are undoubtedly limitless. However, our sect's recent rule for accepting disciples is that after fifteen people are accepted, subsequent disciples must undergo rigorous trials. At present, we certainly cannot add a sixteenth person. Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Zeng's cultivation level is ultimately too low, merely at the sixth level of Qi Refining; he will most likely not be able to pass those three trials smoothly in one go..."

If you can't pass the test, you naturally can't get started.

"It would be a real pity to leave such talent untapped for several years."

"I think it would be better if Fellow Daoist Han went to participate in the three trials in place of Fellow Daoist Zeng, and Fellow Daoist Zeng could take this seat for the time being?"

"In that case, the two of you have mutually benefited! Once Fellow Daoist Zeng's cultivation has reached a certain level, he might even be able to help Fellow Daoist Han! At that time, another wonderful story will be told..."

The young man surnamed Zhang's analysis was very logical and well-reasoned.

Even Han Li couldn't help but look at him with admiration.

To be able to articulate the deliberate act of making things difficult for someone so convincingly that it's captivating, this person is truly talented.

After all, most cultivators with four pseudo-spiritual roots who struggle to establish their foundation would be willing to befriend a cultivator with two spiritual roots who has a brighter future.

Han Li immediately prepared to take advantage of the situation and back down.

just.

Before he could nod.

Laughter could be heard from afar:

"What kind of White Water Sword Sect is this, bullying newcomers like this?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw three streaks of light rapidly approaching from five or six miles away in mid-air.

"They are cultivators from the Qingyu Sect."

Someone spoke up in surprise.

This person had sharp eyes and spotted the newcomer's clothing from afar.

They recognized it as the standard robe of the Qingyu Sect, which was located thousands of miles away from Changli Island.

"This aura... belongs to Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"There are also seniors in the late Foundation Establishment stage."

The rogue cultivators exclaimed in surprise, their expressions filled with shock.

Han Li remained silent, trying to minimize his presence.

However, the pale-faced youth from the White Water Sword Sect remained unfazed and fearless when facing three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Clear Rain Sect.

“Fellow Daoist Ku, and the other two fellow Daoists, this is Changli Island of my sect. What is the purpose of your Qingyu Sect’s uninvited visit?”

This composure caused the cultivators present to look at each other in bewilderment, while it put the spirits of the cultivators who had just joined the White Water Sword Sect uplifted and put their minds at ease.

Only Han Li noticed that the young man surnamed Zhang clenched his fists tightly for a moment, appearing extremely nervous.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, rest assured, we did not come uninvited without reason, but to deliver a challenge."

The middle-aged man, led by Qingyuzong, smiled and said.

He then took out a letter from his pocket, which was the so-called challenge letter from the sect:
"White Smoke Island, ten thousand miles north of Changli Island, is now within ten thousand miles of Feixia Island, where my Qingyu Sect is located. According to the rules of the Star Sea, we are qualified to challenge the original island controllers and compete for the ownership of the islands."

"You want to take over White Smoke Island?"

The pale-faced youth was shocked and could no longer maintain his composure.

Although White Smoke Island is not large, only about twenty miles long, it is not abundant in spiritual herbs.

However, the island has a small spiritual vein and a rich mine that can regularly produce mid-grade spirit stones.

It is no exaggeration to say that this mining island is one of the main resource points on which the sect relies for its survival.

If White Smoke Island is lost and taken over by the Clear Rain Sect, the sect's situation will definitely deteriorate significantly.

"How could that be? Ever since the sect's prospecting team discovered the existence of a spirit ore vein underground on White Smoke Island a hundred years ago, the area has been closed to the public. Only the Foundation Establishment stage managers of the sect know a thing or two about the ore vein. So why is the Clear Rain Sect eyeing that island?"

Not right.

Could it be that news of the underground mine has leaked?

Fine beads of sweat were visible on the young man's forehead.

If this were during the heyday of their White Water Sword Sect, let alone the Clear Rain Sect, even if another sect of similar strength dared to challenge them, they would still crush them.

Unfortunately, today is different from the past.

The Qingyu Sect has a master in the late stage of Core Formation! It also has three high-level cultivators in the early to mid-stages of Core Formation! In contrast, the Baishui Sword Sect has five Core Formation masters, but only one is in the mid-stage of Core Formation, while the other four are only in the early stage of Core Formation.

Decades ago, two senior masters who had reached the late stage of Core Formation passed away. One of them passed away peacefully, while the other died unexpectedly while fighting with someone.

therefore.

Don't be fooled by the fact that our sect has more Core Formation stage cultivators than Qingyu Sect.

However, the gap in overall strength between high-level cultivators was far greater than that between their White Water Sword Sect.

Even if their own sect leader and four elders joined forces, they might not be a match for that late-stage Core Formation senior from the Qingyu Sect.

"Alright, the challenge has been delivered. One month from now, please arrange for your sect to send disciples to White Smoke Island to participate in the duel. If my Qingyu Sect cultivators are defeated in the duel, we will refrain from mentioning White Smoke Island for fifty years and offer some spiritual items as compensation. However, if your White Water Sword Sect loses, you must cede White Smoke Island according to the rules..."

The middle-aged man grinned.

The two people beside him also had ambiguous smiles.

"So it turns out to be a power struggle between two major groups..."

"Surely this kind of open and covert struggle between major sects won't affect us minor cultivators in the Qi Refining stage?"

Everyone lowered their heads and thought to themselves.

I thought that was the end of it.

Han Li also thought so.

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator who was leading the group of three looked at him with an expression of appreciation and kindness:

“Young friend, the people of the White Water Sword Sect have humiliated you so much. They made you give up the spot that was rightfully yours to join the sect. They are completely disregarding the rules. Why would you join such a backward sect that has no fairness whatsoever? Why not join my Clear Rain Sect? You will surely receive fair treatment there.”

The olive branch extended by a middle-aged person is so sudden, so unexpected.

Even the pale-faced youth from the White Water Sword Sect was stunned into place.

Immediately, a very bad premonition arose.

once.

If this rogue cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, who could easily be admitted to the sect, is snatched away by the Qingyu Sect in front of so many cultivators! The key point is that the problem doesn't lie with this rogue cultivator, nor with the Qingyu Sect, but with this Foundation Establishment manager of the Baishui Sword Sect, with his deliberate obstruction! Then... the problem could be big or small.

If this gets out, the sect's reputation will definitely suffer because of his actions.

He shouldn't expect to get away with it either.

"This this…"

The pale-faced youth's complexion turned even paler.

When she looked at Han Li, her gaze was incredibly complex, carrying a hint of hope and pleading.

Without him.

If he had suffered what happened before, he would definitely have turned around and joined the Qingyu Sect!

To avoid being targeted again in the future.

Furthermore, joining the Qingyu Sect can also serve as a sharp weapon against the reputation of the Baishui Sword Sect, thus ensuring that they will receive investment and be highly valued by the Qingyu Sect's higher-ups.

The benefits are numerous.

It’s over.

It's over.

“Young friend, my Qingyu Sect is extending a sincere invitation. After you join our sect, you will receive excellent treatment.”

The middle-aged leader of the Qingyu Sect, seeing the pale-faced youth's anxious and embarrassed appearance, smiled even more broadly. His eagerness to recruit Han Li grew even stronger.

He never expected that simply delivering a challenge would lead to such a great opportunity to achieve merit.

Once they successfully poach someone, and then further fuel the flames, they will surely damage the reputation of the White Water Sword Sect.

The White Water Sword Sect is already on a downward spiral, and once it loses its good reputation, it will be even more difficult to recover.

Meanwhile, he can also benefit from the misfortune of someone else.

It can be said that the joy comes after all the hardships.

then.

Han Li became the focus of everyone's attention.

We're just waiting for his response.

To everyone else, Han Li had stumbled upon a tremendous opportunity. All he had to do was leave with the Qingyu Sect members and then make a brief appearance at the sect's gates – that would be a great achievement. Who knows, the Qingyu Sect's higher-ups might even reward him with a Foundation Establishment Pill?

For this reason, the group of independent cultivators were extremely envious and jealous.

Han Li, however, was a little unhappy.

He absolutely did not want to get involved in this mess.

The biggest pitfall was that, contrary to his wishes, his own clever but misguided actions led him directly into the heart of the mess.

This is fucking...

(End of this chapter)