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

Using the breathing technique of ordinary martial arts to forcibly control his heartbeat, Wang Li was about to tell a story according to his previously prepared script. Unexpectedly, his Uncle Chen beside him objected, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, practically bristling with anger:

"Sect Leader, what is the meaning of this?"

This scene caught everyone off guard except for Wang Li, who quickly realized what was happening.

"Junior Brother Chen, what's going on?"

Sect Leader Zhong was stunned.

"Sect Leader, since our young friend Wang Li has brought the Ascension Token, his ancestors must be from our Yellow Maple Valley! There is no doubt about that!"

Uncle Chen abandoned his previous gentle and humble attitude and became quite tough at this moment. Even though the other party was the sect leader, he dared to face him directly without any intention of dodging.

“Junior Brother Chen, this person is clearly a rogue cultivator, not a member of a cultivation family at all. He must have obtained the Ascension Token illegally. Perhaps he killed a disciple of a cultivation family who had rendered meritorious service to our Yellow Maple Valley and obtained the Ascension Token?”

Some people are stirring up trouble with sarcastic remarks.

"Senior Brother Wu, you can't say that! Young Friend Wang only became a rogue cultivator because his family fell into ruin, and I can vouch for that! But you, Senior Brother, are making baseless accusations against a new disciple. If word gets out, it will damage your reputation and discourage the lower-level disciples!"

"Chen Tianya, how dare you speak to your senior brother like that?"

The old man who had just spoken suddenly turned sharp.

"Senior brother, who can guarantee that their family will prosper forever? Perhaps one day your Wu family will fall into ruin. What if, when that happens, your Wu family descendants come knocking on our door with the Ascension Token, and our Yellow Maple Valley follows Senior Brother Wu's example today, first humiliating the younger generation, and then mercifully taking them into our fold?"

Upon hearing Uncle Chen's hurtful words, the old man surnamed Wu, whose face had turned pale and then red, naturally gave up.

And all the Foundation Establishment cultivators were also deep in thought about this.

They then realized why the rules had changed hundreds of years ago, and why the origins of those who held the Ascension Tokens were no longer strictly questioned.

After all, it happened hundreds or thousands of years ago, how can you investigate that?

Even if the so-called "truth" is uncovered, is this "truth" truly the truth?

"It was I who was presumptuous..."

Master Zhong did not try to shirk or cover anything up; he readily accepted Uncle Chen's point of view.

"Since you have come with this token, young friend, our sect shall abide by the rules set by our ancestors, accept you as a disciple, and treat you with courtesy."

His smile, when he looked up, was like a gentle spring breeze.

This also put Wang Li's mind at ease, as he had been holding his breath and feeling anxious.

The world of cultivation is indeed a dog-eat-dog world. If it weren't for Uncle Chen standing up for him today, losing the Foundation Establishment Pill wouldn't be a big deal. What he feared most was attracting the interest of certain people, who would then seize the opportunity to interrogate him privately.

He'll be in big trouble then.

Wang Li thought to herself.

On the other side, Sect Leader Zhong continued to ask:

"Logically speaking, besides joining our sect, you are also qualified to take the Foundation Establishment Pill; however, just now, I overheard your conversation outside the hall. Young friend Wang Li, it seems you intend to trade the Foundation Establishment Pill that you are entitled to with Junior Brother Chen? Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Li sighed inwardly.

Sure enough, I heard it.

But you still want to snatch food from the tiger's mouth.

Is this the world of cultivation?

"Yes, Sect Leader. My cultivation is currently shallow. I have only cultivated the basic techniques to the ninth level. With my three spiritual roots, I still have a long way to go to reach the peak of the thirteenth level. It is really extravagant to take Foundation Establishment Pills now. If I keep them and take them later, I am afraid that there will be many complications. It would be better to exchange them for something that is more suitable for my current needs, chew on them, and give them to my senior brother who needs them more... It is only right."

Although Wang Li didn't take the Foundation Establishment Pill seriously and wore an obedient and respectful expression, a hint of regret and heartache inevitably showed in the corners of his eyes.

It's only natural to feel heartache and regret.

"Very well, I am very pleased that young friend Wang has such a broad mind and spirit."

Sect Leader Zhong first stroked his beard and smiled at Wang Li, then turned to Uncle Chen with a serious expression:

“Junior Brother Chen, you can give this Foundation Establishment Pill of Young Friend Wang to your nephew, but you must make sure to compensate Young Friend for his loss and make sure he is satisfied.”

Your Chen family has truly benefited.

Although it's a clever trick within the rules, it's still easy to give others grounds for criticism.

Especially if this matter causes any unpleasantness, and people gossip behind his back saying that he, as the sect leader, is unfair and biased towards someone else, thus damaging his image, then that would be extremely bad.

There was no other way; if he wanted to secure his position as sect leader, he had to be cautious in his actions since he didn't have a Core Formation stage elder from the sect as a direct lineage leader to support him.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Sect Leader. I will make sure that Junior Nephew Wang is completely satisfied with this fair trade."

Uncle Chen's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

This Foundation Establishment Pill belongs to the Chen family.

“Then so be it, junior brother. Since you are more familiar with young friend Wang, why don’t you take this opportunity to explain the sect’s rules and other matters to him?”

After finishing his speech, Sect Leader Zhong buried his head again and went back to doing his own thing.

"As ordered."

"The disciple retire."

Facing several envious yet frustrated gazes, Uncle Chen led Wang Li away from the main hall.

After the two people walked away.

"Alright, fellow disciples have all seen the Ascension Token. Of those Foundation Establishment Pills, one will definitely be set aside for Junior Brother Chen. What do you all say?"

While Master Zhong appeared to be asking a question, his gaze had actually fallen on an old man in the corner who had caused trouble earlier.

"Senior, let's eliminate one of the three with the worst scores based on the ranking of the test results."

A middle-aged scholar stood up and said.

"Then, Junior Brother Murong, whose qualification do you think should be revoked?"

Master Zhong laughed.

His deputy, who had been his partner for over thirty years, knew his principles of choice well, and the two were quite in sync. Therefore, unsurprisingly, the deputy revealed the person the subordinate "preferred":

"Reporting to Senior Brother Sect Leader, Junior Brother Wu's grand-nephew is ranked rather low!"

"Senior Brother Murong, what do you mean?"

Upon hearing this, an old man suddenly stood up, his expression extremely unpleasant.

“Junior Brother Wu, the Ascension Token is a once-in-a-century event. Since someone has come to our Yellow Maple Valley with the token, how can we ignore it? According to the rules, this Foundation Establishment Pill must be given away. Besides, Junior Brother Chen has already made a deal with him. Are you sure you want to compete with the Chen family?”

The middle-aged scholar was upright and confident.

"Then why was it my grand-nephew who gave up the Foundation Establishment Pill? Weren't there two others who performed even worse?"

The old man surnamed Wu said with a feeling of resentment, as if his backside had been burned.

“Junior brother is right, there are two other people whose test results were also a bit poor, but these two are special! Junior brother, you'll have to make do here for a bit. In the next round of Foundation Establishment Pill distribution five years from now, there will definitely be one for Junior brother Wu’s nephew. What do you think?”

The middle-aged scholar offered his advice.

He was also helpless; he didn't want to be the bad guy, but the situation didn't allow it.

Five years from now?

Who knows what will happen five years from now?

And a five-year delay is no joke.

"Hmph, what's so special about those two? Senior Brother Murong, if you don't give me an explanation, I won't swallow this!"

The old man said angrily.

Those who cultivate immortality must have clear and unobstructed thoughts.

If one harbors a negative obsession, it is easy to do some extreme things.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Wu was now subtly posing a threat.

"Nonsense!"

Sect Leader Zhong's face darkened:

"What can't you swallow? Junior Brother Murong is only doing this for your own good! Do you know that one of those two is a direct descendant of Uncle Huang, and the other is even related to Grandmaster Linghu! Junior Brother Wu, are you sure you want to touch their Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Upon hearing the names of Martial Uncle Huang and Grandmaster Linghu, the old man's heart clenched, his eyes flashing with a mixture of emotions. He took a deep breath and forced a somewhat unnatural smile.

"Ah... Since it's related to Grandmaster Linghu and Uncle Huang, of course we should take care of them!"

How could I, a junior brother, disrespect my teachers?

He smiled ingratiatingly while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, I am completely convinced by your arrangements!"

The situation is better than people.

We can't afford to mess with them.

Luckily, Wang Li didn't know what happened next, otherwise he would have been happy for days. Although it was none of his business, sometimes happiness doesn't need a reason.

Now, he is following Uncle Chen, learning some basic facts about Huangfeng Valley.

"Uncle-Master Chen, besides managing the herb garden, do you know of any other quiet places in Huangfeng Valley where cultivation is less likely to be disturbed?"

Wang Li respectfully asked for advice.

The herb garden has already been taken by someone else, so Master Ma probably doesn't need a second Qi Refining stage disciple to look after it for the time being. Therefore, he has to find another place to go.

"A quiet place?"

...There were a few such places.

Chen Tianya pondered for a moment, then nodded with a meaningful smile.

Upon hearing this, Wang Li's eyes lit up.

Looks like I asked the right person.

It wasn't in vain that I resold the Foundation Building Pill.

"Please teach me, Uncle-Master."

"The most tranquil place is undoubtedly the mountain cave of Grandmaster Linghu."

Upon hearing the name of Master Linghu, Wang Li was immediately startled.