Mortal: Starting with the Falling Cloud Sect, I proved my Dao through gacha pulls.

"Junior Brother Su, hurry inside! Master will surely be overjoyed to see you've broken through. I'm in a hurry to get back and refine my pills. Once I've finished and come out of seclusion, I'll come find you for a drink!"

As soon as Cui Hao finished speaking, he didn't linger. His magical artifact flashed with spiritual light, and he hurriedly rode towards his own cave, looking like he was in a hurry to test the furnace and refine pills.

Su Mu couldn't help but smile. He raised his hand and struck the cave's restrictions with his own token. After a slight flash of spiritual light, he stood still and waited for the summons.

"Come in!"

Seeing that the barrier had opened a doorway, Su Mu quickly went inside.

"Hahaha, you've really given your master a big surprise! To be able to establish your foundation so smoothly, excellent, excellent!"

Duan Gu's laughter came from deep within the cave, carrying an undisguised expression of approval and joy.

Duan Gu beckoned Su Mu to come closer, raised his hand and gently placed it on Su Mu's shoulder, his fingertips slowly probing with spiritual energy to carefully examine the foundation of Su Mu's cultivation and the stability of his true essence after his breakthrough.

"Hmm? Your true essence is so profound and solid, and your foundation is unusually stable. You're quite impressive, kid!"

Duan Gu's eyes lit up with even more joy, and he became increasingly satisfied with his newly accepted disciple.

He then touched his storage bag, and two items immediately appeared in mid-air: a bottle of pills and a magic artifact in the shape of an inscription.

"Please accept this bottle of True Essence Pills; they can help you increase your cultivation during the Foundation Establishment stage."

"As for this magic artifact, it was used by your master in his early years. It is called the Molten Fire Prison-Severing Seal and is a genuine top-tier magic artifact. You may also accept it."

Duan Gu gently presented the two items to Su Mu and solemnly instructed him on the key points of cultivation and usage, fearing that Su Mu, being new to Foundation Establishment, might not be able to control his true essence and the power of the magic weapon.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master! I will cultivate diligently and never let you down!" Su Mu bowed and said with sincerity and determination, "If there is a chance in the future, I will help you break through to the Nascent Soul stage and enjoy a thousand years of life."

Duan Gu was speechless upon hearing this, his lips twitching slightly. This brat had only just established himself at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he dared to speak so presumptuously about reaching the Nascent Soul stage? Even he, an elder who had cultivated for hundreds of years, dared not dream of such a realm, and this kid just spouted it off.

However, he didn't discourage Su Mu's confidence; he simply waved his hand and said to him:

"Alright, I had a rather troublesome matter before, but since your cultivation is still shallow and your realm is insufficient, I haven't included you in it."

Gu paused for a moment after saying this, and looked at Su Mu with great satisfaction.

"However, you have lived up to expectations. Not only did you successfully establish your foundation, but your foundation is also so solid and stable that you are now qualified to participate in this matter. For you, this can be considered an opportunity, not a bad thing."

Su Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he secretly made some guesses, but he dared not draw any conclusions rashly. He immediately bowed and asked solemnly, "What matter is it? Master, whatever your command, I will do my utmost!"

Duan Gu's expression gradually became serious as he looked at Su Mu and asked in a deep voice, "Have you ever heard of the Sword Trial Tournament held every hundred years by the three sects of Yunmeng?"

A sword-testing tournament?!

Su Mu suddenly understood. He had heard of this Sword Trial Tournament before. It was a grand event for the young disciples of the three sects of Yunmeng to exchange skills and compete against each other. The final outcome was directly related to the share of Sacred Tree Essence that each of the three sects could obtain.

Disciples under the age of thirty and whose cultivation level is at or below the Foundation Establishment stage are eligible to participate.

Han Laomo once hid his identity at a sword-testing tournament and fried fish for Meimei.

Moreover, the Sword Testing Tournament has always offered extremely generous rewards, so it's no wonder that Duan Gu said this was by no means a bad thing for him.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask:

"Master, is the Sword Testing Tournament about to begin?"

"Excellent! There is still a year until this year's Sword Trial Tournament, and it just so happens to be held at my Luoyun Sect."

Duan Gu nodded, answering Su Mu's question.

"Anyone who makes it into the top ten of the tournament will receive a top-tier magic weapon. More importantly, they will also receive the Clear and Bright Spirit Water, which can be used to cleanse and refine their eyes, allowing them to see through fog and stone; its effects are extraordinary."

"As for the champion of the tournament..."

Duan Gu's expression darkened at this point, revealing a hint of resentment and unwillingness. He paused before continuing in a strained voice:

"The prize for first place is a Spirit-Stabilizing Pill, which was personally refined by our sect's Grand Ancestor Cheng. It's a pity that since the Sword Trial Tournament began, the Ancient Sword Sect has consistently won first place."

Duan Gu sighed, but there was nothing he could do.

The Ancient Sword Sect is composed entirely of sword cultivators skilled in combat, almost unmatched among those of the same rank. As a result, their disciples consistently secured the Spirit Stabilizing Pills at each Sword Trial Tournament, a practice that has become a tradition year after year.

"In this sword-testing tournament, both Hidden Sword Peak and Heavenly Spring Peak have young disciples with remarkable talent, but my Fire Cloud Peak has very few outstanding young disciples. Although your third senior brother is quite remarkable, it is a pity that he is too old to participate."

Duan Gu stroked his chin, feeling somewhat sorry for his third disciple.

"As for you, just do your best and don't push yourself too hard. Even if you don't make it into the top ten, it's still a good thing to gain experience and broaden your horizons."

Duan Gu didn't expect Su Mu to achieve a very high ranking; it would be great if he could make it into the top ten.

"Moreover, Junior Nephew Song from Baifeng Peak will also participate this time. This girl possesses a Heavenly Spiritual Root and has already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in just over ten years since entering the sect. This year, she might really be able to bring some honor to the sect."

Hearing this, Su Mu secretly resolved to strive for a high position in the Sword Trial Tournament.

Such a once-in-a-century event, anyone who participates and distinguishes themselves will surely reap a tremendous harvest of destiny and extraordinary opportunities.

With a year still to go, the Golden Body Liquid and the Fallen Heart Flame have not yet been refined, and with the newly acquired card draw chances, this period of time is enough for him to devote himself to arduous cultivation and greatly improve his strength.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will now return to prepare diligently." Su Mu bowed and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Duan Gu called out to Su Mu, who was about to leave, and took out another item from his storage bag.

It was a talisman that was entirely crimson, with a seven-story pagoda pattern prominently engraved in the center. The patterns were ancient and simple, and there was a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

"Keep this Seven Luminaries Pagoda talisman safe. It was crafted by extracting a portion of the power of my natal magic weapon, the Flowing Fire Seven Luminaries Pagoda. It can suppress and incinerate enemies, and its power is extremely strong. Please use it with caution."

A look of heartache flashed across Duan Gu's face, but he still reluctantly handed the precious talisman to Su Mu.

Su Mu was deeply moved. His master, who had only recently accepted him as a disciple, had already bestowed upon him such precious treasures, showing him complete generosity. The old man's kindness was genuine, and Su Mu was truly grateful for it.

Whether Duan Gu was sincere or had ulterior motives, Su Mu silently kept this kindness in his heart, waiting for the opportunity to repay his master properly in the future.

"Thank you, Master!"

Su Mu held the talisman in both hands, bowed respectfully once more, and then left Duan Gu Cave.

After bidding farewell and leaving, Su Mu raised his hand and summoned a flying magic weapon shaped like a greatsword. He lightly touched the ground with his toes and stepped onto it steadily.

This flying artifact was given to Su Mu for free when he entered the sect. Its grade was ordinary and not particularly good, but it was just enough for Su Mu at the moment.

After flying for a while, Su Mu found a secluded and deserted place, then materialized the Clow Card [Fly] from the card and gently affixed it to the greatsword artifact.

He took off and tested it for a while, and found that the spiritual energy consumed by flying had been reduced by more than half. Even if he traveled for a long time by using his magical artifact, it would not be a problem at all.

Su Mu couldn't help but sigh again at the power of his cheat system. The strange object born from the rules of different worlds could be used at will in this cultivation world, which was truly heaven-defying.

It's unclear whether it's because the rules of the world in "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality" are extremely inclusive, or because his own cheat is too overpowered, that allows him to use otherworldly artifacts so freely.

Having tested the effects of the Clow Cards, Su Mu finally stepped into his new cave dwelling for the first time.

This cave dwelling is located atop Zifeng Peak, in a high and spacious location, shrouded in light mist. Although not grand, it is quiet and secluded.

Beside the cave dwelling, there was a small medicinal herb field, but it had been neglected for a long time and was overgrown with weeds, showing a desolate and lonely state.

The cave dwelling is not very spacious, but it is well-organized, with a secret cultivation room and a simple alchemy room attached.

The hall was simply furnished, with only a few rough wooden tables and chairs and a bluestone bed, very unpretentious.

Su Mu looked around, casually cast a few spells to activate the warning array outside the cave, and also placed a few warning talismans at the entrance.

He then cast a few cleaning spells, quickly tidying up the cave. He then sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at his two cards that had not yet materialized.

【Fallen Heartflame (Blue)】

【Golden Body Liquid (Purple)】

Previously, he was still in the Qi Refining stage, with shallow cultivation, and he was afraid that forcibly refining it would backfire and lead to his death. Now that he has successfully established his foundation, he is much more confident, but he still has some hesitation in his heart when it comes to actually making a move.

After much hesitation, he decided to put it away for the time being. He planned to do more preparation before refining it, as using it directly felt inappropriate.

He then washed his face, changed into clean clothes, and stared at the card-drawing page like a fly rubbing its hands together.

"smoke!"

"Give him a good beating!"