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

Three days before the trip to the forbidden area, a pale blue talisman suddenly flew into Qi Yunxiao's cave from outside the window, hovering in front of him and trembling slightly. It was a message sent by his Uncle-Master Wang Xing.

Wang Xing's voice came clearly from the message, his tone urging: "Junior Nephew Qi, the Crimson Forbidden Land will open in three days. Gather in the council hall to prepare for departure."

Qi Yunxiao put away the jade slip containing the cultivation technique and crushed the talisman with a flick of his finger.

Three days later, he moved and left the cave, riding the Black Cloud Sword towards the council hall.

In less than half an incense stick's time, they arrived outside the main hall and could see from afar that the hall door was open and many figures were already standing inside.

As Qi Yunxiao stepped into the main hall, his gaze swept across the crowd and he saw Han Li standing on one side of the crowd, his expression still calm. When he saw Qi Yunxiao enter, Han Li nodded slightly in greeting.

Besides Han Li, there were dozens of other disciples gathered in the hall who had also signed up for the Blood Trial. Most of them were at least at the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage. Each of them had a solemn expression on their face, but also a hint of anticipation for the opportunity.

They stood in twos and threes, their eyes scanning each other, secretly assessing each other's strength.

There are over ten thousand Qi Refining stage disciples in Huangfeng Valley. Qi Yunxiao usually cultivates at Xuankun Mountain, so it's impossible for him to know everyone.

His gaze slowly swept across the crowd, and soon settled on a white figure not far away—it was Chen Qiaoqian.

She wore a plain white dress, her figure slender, but her eyes held a coldness that kept people at a distance. She stood alone in the corner, not speaking to anyone.

Qi Yunxiao understood. He still had Chen Qiaoqian's Foundation Establishment Pill in his possession. If she wanted to successfully establish her foundation, she had no other choice but to risk entering the Crimson Forbidden Land to collect enough spiritual herbs to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Therefore, her coming here was inevitable.

Qi Yunxiao's heart stirred, recalling the incident where he had killed Senior Brother Lu.

At first, Senior Brother Lu's disappearance attracted the attention of some disciples. Some speculated that he had encountered misfortune while on a training trip, while others were curious about his whereabouts. However, after a few days, the matter was gradually forgotten, and no one brought it up again.

Chen Qiaoqian would naturally not mention what happened that day to outsiders.

The day Senior Brother Lu gave her the Hehuan Pill, intending to force himself on her, and Senior Brother Lu's ultimate fate.

It was not something she was proud of, and saying more would be pointless and might even cause trouble.

Moreover, in Yellow Maple Valley, it's not uncommon for people to suddenly disappear from the valley before.

The path of cultivation is inherently perilous. Some perish while venturing out for training, some suffer from qi deviation during seclusion, and some may even be silently eliminated while vying for resources.

"Senior Brother Lu" is not the first person to get into trouble, and he certainly won't be the last.

After the storm passed, no one in Huangfeng Valley mentioned the name "Senior Brother Lu" again, as if he had never existed in the valley and had left no trace.

As Qi Yunxiao watched all this, a chill ran through him. The coldness and cruelty of the cultivation world were on full display at this moment. There was no such thing as friendship, only the law of the jungle, and only one's own strength was the foundation for survival.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at the icy Chen Qiaoqian in the distance, sighed softly in his heart, and then turned and walked towards Han Li.

"Junior Brother Han."

Qi Yunxiao spoke, his tone calm.

Han Li turned around upon hearing the voice, cupped his hands in response, and said, "Senior Brother Qi."

Both were calm and collected individuals, so there was no need for much small talk. After exchanging greetings, they stood side by side, quietly awaiting the assembly command.

The noise inside the hall was irrelevant to them. They each calmed their minds, silently adjusted their breathing, and prepared for the upcoming trip to the Crimson Forbidden Land.

Not long after, footsteps were heard outside the hall. The sect leader, Zhong Lingdao, dressed in a Taoist robe, slowly walked into the hall. The hall fell silent instantly, and all the disciples bowed in respect.

Zhong Lingdao's gaze swept over everyone. He first gave them a speech, instructing them to be cautious and look out for each other after entering the Crimson Forbidden Land, and not to be greedy for merit or act rashly.

He then offered words of encouragement, saying that this trial was both dangerous and an opportunity, and he hoped that everyone would gain something and return safely.

After finishing his instructions, Zhong Lingdao raised his hand to signal two disciples dressed in gray steward's robes, each carrying a tray, to slowly walk into the hall.

On the tray to the left, neatly arranged were storage bags with gold-threaded edges, exquisitely crafted and faintly exuding spiritual energy fluctuations.

On the tray to the right, there was a small pile of colorful mid-grade spirit stones, shimmering with spiritual light and exuding a powerful aura.

"Each person can take one high-grade magic weapon from their storage bag and one mid-grade spirit stone from the tray. The spirit stone can be selected according to its attributes, for future use."

One of the deacons spoke up.

The disciples stepped forward one by one to receive the stones. Qi Yunxiao walked to the tray, his gaze sweeping over the mid-grade spirit stones. He casually picked up a mid-grade fire-attribute spirit stone that was entirely crimson and exuded a scorching aura.

He then took out a magical artifact from the gold-embroidered storage bag—a silver flying sword with a lustrous blade and abundant spiritual energy; it was actually a high-grade magical artifact.

Qi Yunxiao already possessed the Black Cloud Sword, a top-tier magic weapon whose power far surpassed that of this silver high-tier flying sword.

He picked up the silver flying sword, glanced at it, and showed no satisfaction. He then casually put the flying sword and the fire-attribute spirit stone into his storage bag, and stepped aside to wait for the order to depart.

As soon as the extraction of the magical artifacts was completed, the doors of the council hall were pushed open again, and a series of steady footsteps were heard as about seven or eight people entered.

Qi Yunxiao looked up and glanced at the crowd, a slight thought stirring in his heart.

Many of them were sect managers he had met when he first entered Huangfeng Valley. They were responsible for the daily scheduling and assessment of outer sect disciples, and they all had dignified expressions and were quite aloof.

Uncle-Master Wang Xing was also among them, still with that gentle demeanor, but today he seemed a bit more reserved.

These stewards, who usually acted arrogantly in front of their disciples, were now behaving in a completely different manner. They were all respectful, bowing slightly, and crowding around a square-faced old man in the middle of the crowd, not daring to even breathe loudly.

No one dared to whisper to each other; the only sounds in the vast hall were the soft footsteps and breathing of the crowd.

The square-faced old man was about fifty or sixty years old. His hair was already a bit gray, but it was neatly combed. He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and was full of energy with a ruddy complexion.

What is most striking about him are his eyes. His tiger-like eyes are bright and piercing, with a sharp gaze like a knife. He exudes an imposing aura even without anger. Just by standing there, he carries an intimidating presence.

One look at him reveals that he is a person of strong character who has long held a high position.

The old man's gaze slowly swept over the disciples in the hall.