I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 44 Two Dark Horses! Li Huayuan Takes on a Disciple!

The appearance of Xiangzhili.

It was like a minor incident, quickly overshadowed by the tense atmosphere that followed.

No one from the Hidden Moon Sect has come out yet!

Old Monster Qiong had stood up from the boulder, his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the passage.

The fairy in the rainbow dress had a frosty expression on her pretty face, and there was a faint spiritual pressure fluctuation around her.

Just as the countdown to the passage's closure was about to begin, even Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi thought that the Hidden Moon Sect might really be in trouble.

The passageway flashed with light as a group of figures filed out in perfect unison!

A total of twelve people!

They were all dressed in the same robes of the Hidden Moon Sect. Although many of them looked tired and their clothes were covered in dust, the group was orderly and their breaths were connected.

The one in the lead was none other than the stunningly beautiful and aloof young woman, Nangong Wan.

Upon seeing them appear, Old Monster Qiong visibly breathed a sigh of relief, sat back down on the boulder, and resumed his carefree and irreverent demeanor.

The Fairy of Rainbow Skirts instantly flew forward, grabbed Nangong Wan's hand, and asked her anxiously in a low voice, her concern evident in her words.

This scene, witnessed by the other factions, inevitably caused some murmurs among them.

This girl seems to have an extraordinary status in the Hidden Moon Sect?

However, most people simply assumed he was a junior of a Core Formation cultivator from the Hidden Moon Sect and didn't think much of it.

"Alright! Now that everyone's here, stop dawdling and get started counting the medicinal herbs! I can't wait any longer!" Old Monster Qiong waved his hand impatiently, his voice echoing throughout the entire area.

The outcome of the bet will be revealed soon!

The cultivators from the seven sects gathered together, and designated individuals began to count the spiritual herbs handed over by their respective disciples.

The Qingxu Sect took the lead. A disciple stepped forward and handed over seven spiritual herbs. The cultivator in charge of counting them loudly announced: "Qingxu Sect disciple Yuqing submits: one 300-year-old Purple Monkey Flower and one 400-year-old Jade Marrow Fungus."

The same thing began at the Hidden Moon Sect.

The number of spiritual herbs handed over by the first few disciples ranged from five or six to seven or eight, which was not much different from the number of disciples from Qingxu Sect and Huangfeng Valley who came out earlier.

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi felt somewhat relieved.

However, when the five disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect stepped forward one after another, the situation suddenly changed!

"Disciple Xiao Qing of the Hidden Moon Sect submits: three 400-year-old Purple Monkey Flowers, two Jade Marrow Fungus, four Heavenly Spirit Fruits, and some accompanying spiritual herbs —"

"Disciple Shen Qing of the Hidden Moon Sect submits: five Purple Monkey Flowers and three Jade Marrow Fungus."

Each of these five disciples actually brought out more than a dozen spiritual herbs!

The three main ingredients of Zhuji Dan account for a very high proportion!

As the chanting continued, the spiritual herbs in front of the Hidden Moon Sect quickly piled up, and the total number rapidly increased, soon to exceed the combined total of the Qingxu Sect and the Yellow Maple Valley's current submissions!

Li Huayuan's expression changed slightly, and Fuyunzi also frowned.

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the ominous look in each other's eyes.

The Moon Concealing Sect's gains this time seem to have far exceeded expectations!

Just then, it was Zhou Yuan's turn on the Yellow Maple Valley side.

Zhou Yuan remained calm as he walked to the Foundation Establishment steward in charge of the inventory, took out a storage bag, and gently poured it out under everyone's gaze.

Splash!

A pile of spiritual herbs, shimmering with spiritual light and brimming with spiritual energy, were poured out.

The deacon in charge of the inventory stared wide-eyed, and a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the surrounding area!

"So many?!"

The steward composed himself and quickly began counting and chanting: "Zhou Yuan, disciple of Yellow Maple Valley, submits: eight Purple Monkey Flowers, one of which is five hundred years old! Nine Jade Marrow Fungus! Seven Heavenly Spirit Fruits! In addition, there are Ice Dew Grass, Yin Soul Grass, and Ironwood Flower—a total of thirty-two plants!"

Thirty-two plants! Among them, twenty-four are the main medicinal materials for the Foundation Building Pill!

This number struck like a thunderbolt, silencing the entire audience instantly!

Even the old monster on the boulder suddenly sat up straight, its eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Li Huayuan was stunned at first, then overjoyed, and almost burst out laughing.

However, it's not over yet!

Following Zhou Yuan, Han Li also stepped forward, took out a storage bag, and poured out another pile of spiritual herbs!

"Han Li, a disciple of Huangfeng Valley, submits: six Purple Monkey Flowers, eight Jade Marrow Fungus, and five Heavenly Spirit Fruits—a total of twenty-eight!"

Twenty-eight plants!

Nineteen of them are the main medicinal plants!

Zhou Yuan had 32 plants, and Han Li had 28 plants, totaling a full 60 spiritual herbs! Among them, 43 were the main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill!

This number, combined with the gains of the other four disciples of Huangfeng Valley and the five disciples of Qingxu Sect, instantly surpassed that of Yanyue Sect, and created a significant gap!

"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!" Li Huayuan could no longer contain himself, clapping his hands and laughing loudly, his voice echoing across the land: "Zhou Yuan, Han Li, you two have rendered a great service to our sect! You have also helped me win this game! Good! Excellent!"

He was extremely pleased with himself. His gaze swept over Fu Yunzi, whose face was ashen, and Qiong Laoguai, who was expressionless but had a slightly cold look in his eyes. His smugness was evident in his expression.

Fu Yunzi stared at Zhou Yuan and Han Li, especially Han Li, whose cultivation was only at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. His eyes were full of doubt and resentment, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something.

Seeing this, Li Huayuan stepped in front of Zhou Yuan and Han Li, his face stern, and said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Fuyunzi, the spiritual herbs have been counted, and the results are clear at a glance."

"Are you going to make things difficult for these two juniors and question how they obtained the elixir? In this forbidden area, opportunities depend on one's own abilities, and luck is also a part of strength!"

Fu Yunzi was momentarily speechless. He glanced at Li Huayuan's protective stance, then at the expressionless Old Monster Qiong, and finally snorted coldly, turning away without a word. He truly had no evidence; forcing a confrontation would only make him look foolish.

"Senior Qiong, what do you think of this bet—" Li Huayuan turned to Old Monster Qiong, his tone softening, but the smile in his eyes remained.

Old Monster Qiong gave Zhou Yuan and Han Li a deep look, especially his gaze lingered on Zhou Yuan for a moment, as if trying to see through him.

Zhou Yuan felt an invisible pressure pass by, but his divine sense was strong and his mind was stable. He lowered his head slightly with a normal expression.

"Hmph, take it!" Old Monster Qiong was quite decisive. With a flick of his sleeve, three shimmering silver talismans flew towards Li Huayuan—the three "Invisible Needle Talisman Treasures." "I, Qiong, wouldn't stoop so low as to renege on a debt owed to two juniors!"

Fu Yunzi reluctantly took out the Blood Thread Dragon's inner core and tossed it to Li Huayuan.

Li Huayuan accepted the talisman and inner core, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, and he beamed with joy. He was the biggest winner of this gamble!

With the betting settled, the various factions left without lingering, each departing on their magical artifacts with their surviving disciples and the inventoried spiritual herbs. Huangfeng Valley, as the host, was naturally the last to leave.

After the other six factions disappeared into the horizon, Li Huayuan turned around and looked intently at Zhou Yuan and Han Li.

"What are your names?" Although he had already heard the names from the inventory steward, he asked again to show that he valued them.

"Disciple Zhou Yuan."

"Disciple Han Li."

The two quickly bowed in greeting.

Li Huayuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two men.

Han Li's cultivation level was relatively low, yet he produced twenty-eight spiritual herbs, which was truly astonishing.

He first looked at Han Li and asked, "Han Li, tell me, with your Qi Refining eleventh level cultivation, how did you obtain so many spiritual herbs in the forbidden area?"

Although his tone was calm, it carried a hint of inquiry.

Han Li was prepared and calmly replied, "Reporting to Grandmaster, after entering the forbidden area, I have always been careful and hidden, daring not to fight anyone. One day, I happened to witness a disciple of the Blade Transformation Pavilion and a disciple of the Giant Sword Sect fighting to the death for spiritual herbs. In the end, both of them perished. Only after they stopped breathing did I dare to approach and pick up their storage bags, from which I obtained quite a few spiritual herbs. Later, I mostly obtained some gains by chance in similar ways."

His words were sincere, attributing the opportunity to luck and finding a bargain, which was in line with the cautious style of a low-level Qi Refining cultivator at the eleventh level.

Upon hearing this, Li Huayuan nodded slightly.

While this explanation sounds incredibly lucky, it's not impossible in a forbidden area fraught with danger and constant killing.

In particular, Han Li's cautious and meticulous personality is quite consistent with this statement.

He believed it to some extent and didn't investigate further.

"Yes, opportunity is also a form of strength."

Li Huayuan said something, then turned his gaze to Zhou Yuan, his eyes filled with more scrutiny, "Zhou Yuan, what about you? Your cultivation has reached the peak of Qi Refining, so your strength should be considerable. But thirty-two spiritual herbs, especially several five-hundred-year-old treasures, cannot be obtained simply through luck or by finding a bargain. How did you manage to do it?"

Zhou Yuan knew that he couldn't use Han Li's rhetoric.

He hesitated for a moment, then instead of answering directly, he suddenly raised his right hand, his inner power surging, and pointed lightly at the empty space to the side.

hum!

Twelve golden sword blades appeared out of thin air, instantly forming a profound sword formation, and sharp sword energy spread out.

Instant cast! Perfect level Golden Sword Technique!

This scene caused a hint of surprise to flash in Li Huayuan's eyes, and then he suddenly smiled and said, "Oh? Not bad, not only is your cultivation at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, but you have also managed to cultivate a low-level high-grade spell to the point of instantaneous casting! It seems that you have quite a talent and perseverance in the path of magic."

Despite saying that, he secretly shook his head and sighed.

The lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is short, yet this young man has spent a great deal of time studying magic. He appears to be sharp in combat, but in reality, he is putting the cart before the horse.

It wasted the most precious time for improving cultivation and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

In his view, Zhou Yuan's behavior was rather "foolish." However, as the Grandmaster of Core Formation, he naturally wouldn't point these things out to his face, lest he dampen his disciple's enthusiasm.

Li Huayuan stopped asking Zhou Yuan about the specific process of obtaining the spiritual herbs. In his opinion, given Zhou Yuan's ability to cast spells instantly, it was reasonable for him to take the initiative in the forbidden area, fight back, and seize the treasure, thus obtaining a large number of spiritual herbs.

He was more concerned with something else.

His gaze swept back and forth between Zhou Yuan and Han Li. Thinking of the thrilling comeback in this bet and the two men's great contributions, as well as his previous promise, he had already made up his mind.

Suddenly, Li Huayuan coughed lightly, his expression becoming more serious, and said, "Zhou Yuan, Han Li, you two have rendered great service to our sect in this forbidden area trial, and you have also helped me win an important bet. I, Li Huayuan, have always been fair in rewarding and punishing, and those who have made contributions will certainly be rewarded!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning, and looked at the two of them: "I intend to take you both under my wing as nominal disciples. Once you have successfully established your foundations, you may formally join my ranks and become my personal disciples. I wonder if you two are willing?"

Upon hearing this, the other disciples of Huangfeng Valley and the Foundation Establishment deacons who had not yet left cast envious or even jealous glances at them.

Being accepted as a disciple by a Core Formation cultivator is already an incredible stroke of luck, and they even promise to personally teach him after he reaches Foundation Establishment!

This means that as long as they can establish their foundation, their future cultivation path will be smooth sailing. With guidance and protection from a Core Formation master and preferential treatment in resources, they will be far superior to ordinary inner disciples!

Zhou Yuan was shocked; this was exactly the result he had secretly hoped for!

Becoming a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator not only provides a powerful backer after Foundation Establishment, but also grants access to higher-level cultivation techniques and resources, which is crucial for his future cultivation.

Without hesitation, he immediately bowed and said loudly, "Disciple Zhou Yuan is willing! Thank you for your kindness, Grandmaster!"

Han Li was also overjoyed, but being cautious by nature, he forcibly suppressed his excitement and bowed, saying, "Disciple Han Li is willing! Thank you, Grandmaster!"

"good!"

Li Huayuan nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, you should return to the sect with the group first. The sect will distribute the Foundation Establishment Pills according to your contributions. Once you are ready, you can come to 'Green Wave Cave' to find me. I will explain everything to you then."

"Yes, Grandmaster!"

The two responded in unison.

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