A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Rogue Cultivator

After the various factions have gone far away.

Li Huayuan looked at Wang Li:

"Take it out."

"Yes, Master."

Wang Li respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute, then patted his storage bag and took out twenty-seven spiritual herbs. Two of them even made Li Huayuan's mouth go dry: "Good lad!"

The disciples were all dumbfounded.

Two others quietly realized what was going on: Concealing one's talents!

Then Li Huayuan waved his hand, collecting all the spiritual herbs, and summoned his silver-armored horned python: "Come up and stand behind your master!"

The way he jumped was so effortless and graceful.

They were full of vigor and high spirits.

"Thank you, Master."

Wang Li followed closely behind with a cheerful smile.

"He is your sixth senior brother..."

Finally, Old Li turned back to look at his five surviving disciples and added casually, "From now on, learn from them!"

Chapter 81 Ascension Order!

After returning to Huangfeng Valley, Wang Li didn't even have time to visit his own cave before he and the other five were taken by Li Huayuan to Bibo Cave in the eastern part of the Taiyue Mountains.

Li Huayuan was particularly concerned about the sudden drop in his cultivation level.

"What? Just so you could enter the forbidden area for the trial again, you perfected a method to disperse your internal energy based on the principles of mortal martial arts and the experiences of several sages recorded in the Tianzhi Pavilion, and even dispersed all the Foundation Establishment stage power you had worked so hard to gain?"

Li Huayuan was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.

He couldn't understand his sixth disciple's bizarre ideas at all.

And what Wang Li said, when broken down, was all true.

Furthermore, Tianzhi Pavilion does indeed have records of the various books he borrowed before he established his foundation. It was a preparation he made in advance.

"Master, you must have gained quite a lot this time?"

"Ahem, not much, just a small profit. What, are you jealous?"

"I wouldn't dare say that. Actually, I made a small profit myself!"

As soon as Wang Li said this, Li Huayuan immediately understood.

He then frowned slightly and asked:

"You've been targeting the elites from each faction?"

“I have always been kind to others and have never offended anyone unless they are courting trouble. Besides, that place is a forbidden zone of blood, where the strong prey on the weak and only the fittest survive. Therefore, in my opinion, anyone who enters the forbidden zone and is not a member of my Yellow Maple Valley deserves to die.”

"Hmph, stop making excuses. Murder and robbery are murder and robbery. What's with all the twisted logic? How many were killed? How many were from the Qingxu Sect?"

Clearly, what Old Li was concerned about was what came next.

"Four of them. And all of them are at the thirteenth level of their cultivation techniques."

Wang Li answered honestly.

Li Huayuan: "..."

Therefore, my brother Fuyun's defeat was not unjust. The main reason for it might actually lie with my sixth disciple.

"Little Six, is it worth it?"

Li Huayuan, who also came from a background of independent cultivation, understood all too well the hardships faced by independent cultivators.

"For Master to win the duel, and more importantly, for my own future cultivation resources, I must make a choice. Do you think it's a loss for me to waste a few years in exchange for just over three thousand spirit stones?"

A mid-grade spirit stone is still a spirit stone, and a low-grade spirit stone is also considered a spirit stone. Wang Li didn't say a single lie.

"You made that much?"

To be honest, he was a little tempted.

But when he thought about the valuable items he had earned, worth at least 30,000 spirit stones, and the spirit herbs that could double or triple in value after being combined with auxiliary ingredients to make corresponding pills, 3,000 spirit stones didn't seem like much at all.

Then, thinking back to the decades after he formed his core, especially the ten years or so he spent forging iron, Li Huayuan wanted to slap himself a few times: he hadn't seen things as clearly as his own disciple.

"By the way, you shouldn't encounter any bottlenecks in your Foundation Establishment this time; those thirty-odd spiritual herbs, in terms of value, are enough for you to exchange for about four Foundation Establishment Pills. How do you plan to use these extra Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Foundation Establishment Pills are incredibly valuable, and extremely rare. This cheap master, however, clearly had his eye on those spiritual herbs.

"Master, I haven't presented the formal apprenticeship gift yet. How about I offer you half of the spiritual herbs as a token of my respect? I imagine those few immortal herbs that I risked my life to snatch from the mouths of several top-tier demonic beasts will be of some help to you!"

Li Huayuan nodded in satisfaction:

Good, filial piety, and very sensible.

"What do you want me to bestow upon you? Don't be shy, just say the word!"

His apprentice is so sensible, how could he, as the master, be stingy?

"This disciple desires an Ascension Token; I humbly request your permission, Master!"

He bowed deeply.

"An Ascension Token?"

"Correct."

Wang Li's attitude was resolute.

After a long while, Li Huayuan sighed softly, "You are a good child!"

This inexplicable sigh left Wang Li below completely baffled, little did he know that it had touched Li Huayuan.

"Approved."

"Thank you, Master."

"Go."

"The disciple retire."

As for how one can avoid the restrictions of the ancient formation when their cultivation level drops?

Ah, what a coincidence, Li Huayuan is the direct person in charge of the forbidden area trial! If he doesn't ask questions and get to the bottom of things, who else but that pillar of strength can object?

Sect Leader Zhong Lingdao?

Try saying another word!

Now that his apprentice has proven his worth, his master should protect this treasure out of both courtesy and respect.

"Senior Brother Chen, I never thought you would lose the big picture for a small gain."

The Chen family, the place where the patriarch Chen secluded himself in seclusion.

"Ah!"

……

For the next few months, Wang Li stayed close to Bibo Cave, focusing solely on cultivating the Great Evolution Technique and Puppet Technique, without even considering taking stock of his spoils.

I understand everything I understand.

During this period:

His relationship with his talkative senior brother deepened, almost to the point where they could talk about anything. Of course, mainly because when his senior brother was talking, Wang Li could just quietly listen.

In addition, although he only met his second senior brother, who was often away on missions, once, they got along very well.

Firstly, it was because Wang Li, with his superior strategic vision, was actually slightly superior in cultivation to this person who was, on the surface, the most powerful among his fellow disciples. After their discussion, both sides benefited greatly.

Secondly, Wang Li's expertise in puppetry provided this person with considerable inspiration. This person, in turn, offered Wang Li valuable advice based on their own experience in the application of spells and magical artifacts.

Third, Wang Li offered his senior brother a high price of two thousand spirit stones to collect three Heavenly Thunder Stones. These consumables, which were worth about four or five hundred spirit stones on the market, were ultimately acquired at what price, and how much would be left as payment—that was entirely up to the second brother. Wang Li only needed to get what he wanted.

They reached a preliminary, simple, mutually beneficial agreement.

After that came several interactions with his third senior brother, who was proud, boastful, and concerned with his reputation. Strangely enough, for some reason, the two of them could never seem to connect on their first meeting; or rather, this senior brother didn't like him and seemed quite wary of his kind-hearted sixth junior brother.

After this happened three times in a row, Wang Li lost the will to force himself to indulge the other person. Whatever, he'd just pretend this senior brother didn't exist.

The fourth brother, nicknamed a martial arts fanatic, is actually just a naive young man who is not worldly-wise.

Wang even doubted whether this person could survive until the invasion of the demonic path without the protection of Huangfeng Valley and his family.

The seventh son, Zhong Weiniang.

She's a cute girl.

This girl isn't young anymore, almost twenty, but she lives like a carefree, innocent little elf. In the cultivation world, where people fight at the drop of a hat, this is a very bad situation.

With Li Huayuan's protection, things are alright, but once the old man's care is gone, they'll sooner or later become mere furnaces and playthings for high-level cultivators. This is absolutely not an exaggeration.

Because Zhong Weiniang's aptitude was simply too exceptional. She had reached the Foundation Establishment stage at sixteen, demonstrating her remarkable talent for cultivation. Coupled with her superior looks, she was exactly the type of woman those long-lived, lecherous old men who didn't do anything productive would find appealing.

It is extremely suitable as a target for sexual intercourse.

So, Wang Li offered his advice several times, intentionally or unintentionally. Unexpectedly, the little girl got tired of hearing it, lost interest, and simply said, "Brother Jing will protect me."

I fed him a mouthful of dog food.

And during the last time she gave him advice, the seventh junior sister blushed and asked him: Do you like me?

Wang Li confidently stated: Who wouldn't like a cute junior sister!

Then, Zhong Weiniang's decisiveness exceeded someone's expectations: Sixth Senior Brother, I'm sorry, I have someone I like; you are a good person, I believe you can find your own happiness!

"Sorry," "Friend zone," and "I wish you happiness"—this triple polite rejection left Wang Li speechless for a while. But it also made him understand why Liu Jing, the third brother, was so hostile towards him.

After he learned that Zhong Weiniang had only become Li Huayuan's disciple because of Liu Jing and had come because of his reputation, he was even more amazed by the influence of his personal "heroic image" on his little fangirl!

"I've said everything I needed to say as your senior. I have no right to interfere with your choice of how to live your life, nor will I do anything that is thankless."

What their final fates are is none of his concern.

By the way, where did Wu Xuan go?