Mortal's Journey: Reborn as Xin Ruyin, she begins by possessing Qi Yun's body.

The burly man's expression changed, and he quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the five fireballs. The fireballs landed on the ground, igniting a raging fire that crackled and burned the surrounding vegetation.

But to his utter surprise, there were hidden weapons behind the fireball. The golden needles were too fast and too well concealed. By the time he noticed them, it was too late to dodge.

"Pfft—Pfft—Pfft!"

Three soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously as three golden needles pierced the burly man's skull with pinpoint accuracy, causing blood to gush out instantly.

The burly man's eyes froze in terror, his body stiffened, and the long knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Needle-shaped magical artifacts are indeed suitable for occult practices."

Qi Yunxiao was overjoyed upon seeing this, and thought to himself.

He spent more than half a month refining these three golden needles, and today was the first time he used them. He didn't expect them to be so effective; his efforts were definitely worthwhile.

The lean man witnessed his companion being killed, and was so frightened that he was ashen-faced, with only one thought in his mind—run!

If this continues, I will surely die. I can't worry about Master Qingwen anymore. I need to save my own life first!

He immediately stopped resisting the Black Cloud Sword's attack and retreated with all his might, while simultaneously circulating all his spiritual energy in an attempt to break free from the Black Cloud Sword's restraint and turn to escape.

Qi Yunxiao, with his keen perception, instantly sensed his thoughts. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he sneered, "Trying to run? Too late!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his spiritual energy surged at his fingertips, and he fully activated the Black Cloud Sword. The black patterns on the sword shone brightly, and the sword energy became increasingly fierce, tightly binding the lean man and giving her no chance to escape.

Han Li was also shocked, not expecting Qi Yunxiao to have so easily ambushed and killed that strong man.

However, he immediately realized what was happening, and with a flick of his fingertips, the high-grade flying sword he had just bought from Qi Yunxiao suddenly flew out.

The flying sword shone brightly, carrying a sharp sword aura, and shot towards the back of the lean man.

He also knew that to nip the problem in the bud, one must eliminate the root cause; if this lean man escaped, it would inevitably lead to more trouble in the future.

Two flying swords attacked from the front and back, leaving the lean man caught between them with no way to escape.

He roared in despair, trying to unleash another spell to defend himself, but the Black Cloud Sword had already exhausted most of his spiritual energy, leaving him no time to condense a spell.

"Pfft!"

Two crisp sounds rang out simultaneously as the Black Cloud Sword pierced his chest.

Han Li's superior-grade flying sword pierced his back, and the two flying swords intersected inside his body, causing blood to gush out and stain the ground red.

The despair and resentment in the lean man's eyes gradually faded, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless.

The battle ended instantly, and the forest returned to silence, save for the crackling sound of the fire burning the vegetation.

Qi Yunxiao sheathed the Black Cloud Sword and the Crimson Pattern Tortoise Shield, strode forward, bent down, and picked up the storage bag from the lean man's waist.

Han Li also picked up the burly man's storage bag at the same time, and the two did not linger.

They worried that if they delayed too long, it would attract more pursuers, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

With a flick of his finger, Han Li unleashed several fireballs that landed on the two corpses. The raging flames instantly engulfed the bodies, reducing them to ashes in moments without leaving a trace.

"Let's go, hurry to Tianwu Terrace, we can't delay any longer."

Qi Yunxiao spoke urgently, put away his storage bag, and took the lead in using the Wind Control Technique, rushing towards the direction of the Heavenly Mist Platform.

Han Li nodded and immediately composed himself, using the Wind Control Technique to follow. The two figures disappeared into the depths of the dense forest like two wisps of smoke.

Qi Yunxiao and Han Li used the Wind Control Technique to speed along, their figures like two streaks of light sweeping through the mountains and forests.

Tianwu Terrace was not far from Tainan Valley. In just a quarter of an hour, the towering highland appeared before the two of them.

Looking into the distance, a hazy mist lingered, and one could vaguely make out densely packed human figures.

Upon landing, the two took a moment to calm their restless spiritual energy, which had been agitated during their journey.

Qi Yunxiao looked up and examined the Heavenly Mist Platform in front of him, nodding inwardly.

This so-called Heavenly Mist Terrace is not some ethereal and beautiful place surrounded by immortal energy; it is merely a high ground with only a thin spiritual vein buried underground.

Although this spiritual vein covers a wide area, the concentration of spiritual energy is extremely low, not much stronger than that of an ordinary small hill.

Therefore, even small families looked down on it, and it was precisely for this reason that no one occupied it, making it the venue for this Ascension Conference.

The Heavenly Mist Platform was already bustling with activity, teeming with cultivators. As far as the eye could see, the entire high ground was packed with countless figures.

A rough count revealed over two thousand cultivators, each with a calm and composed aura, their spiritual energy fluctuations all exceeding the seventh level of Qi Refining, clearly indicating they were no ordinary individuals.

Of course, most of the participants in the Ascension Conference were cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining or above, and there were very few cultivators like Qi Yunxiao who participated at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Most of the people in the crowd were independent cultivators. They gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones, their voices filled with anticipation and trepidation for the arena competition.

There were also many family cultivators dressed in brocade robes and with extraordinary bearing.

They huddled together, their expressions arrogant, exuding a faint sense of superiority, clearly of noble birth and full of confidence.

The cultivators' conversations echoed throughout the entire Tianwu Platform, filling the air with a tense yet enthusiastic atmosphere.

All eyes were fixed on the seven makeshift arenas in the center of the high platform.

That is the arena where various sects will compete to select their disciples at this Ascension Ceremony.

Qi Yunxiao withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Han Li beside him.

His tone was casual, yet carried a hint of certainty: "Brother Han, I plan to sign up for the Yellow Maple Valley arena competition to try and get a spot in the entrance tournament. What about you? Which sect's arena are you planning to sign up for?"

He asked the question, but he already knew the answer in his heart.

Han Li possesses the Ascension Token of Huangfeng Valley. He doesn't need to participate in the dangerous arena competition. He only needs to secretly find someone from Huangfeng Valley at the end of the tournament, show the Ascension Token, and he can be directly accepted into their ranks, saving him a lot of trouble.

This inquiry was merely a casual remark; the speaker did not wish to expose Han Li's secret.

Upon hearing this, Han Li lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, a slightly hesitant expression appearing on his face.

His tone was calm, with a hint of deliberate humility: "Brother Qi, I feel that my cultivation level is still too low. My cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining is really not worth mentioning among these two thousand-plus cultivators."

I won't participate in the arena this time. I'll just watch from the sidelines, broaden my horizons, and wait until the next Ascension Ceremony. Once my cultivation has improved further, I'll step onto the stage and give it a try."

He said this, but he had other plans in mind.

The Ascension Token was his greatest opportunity and his greatest secret. If he were to reveal it rashly, it would inevitably attract the covetousness of others and bring about his own demise.