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

The first level is only about a mile long, which is very small, but it can be considered a buffer zone for disciples from different sects.

The second level of the central area consists of a massive ring-shaped mountain range and numerous basins within it. It contains natural wonders such as caves, valleys, and cliffs, as well as man-made auspicious sites like stone houses, palaces, and underground palaces. Various rare medicinal herbs and treasures grow in these places. However, currently, the few safe paths leading into the ring-shaped mountain range discovered over the years are all obscured by an impenetrable fog, preventing further exploration.

"What's going on? Have all the disciples of Yellow Maple Valley at the southwest entrance died? I've already shown my face, why aren't they showing up to meet me? That's not right, I sensed there should be three people here!"

Wang Li frowned, somewhat taken aback.

If it weren't for the need to gather a few henchmen to use, and if it weren't for the fact that other disciples couldn't sense his presence, he wouldn't have easily revealed his identity and whereabouts.

What he didn't know was that because he arrived two hours late, the two cannon fodder disciples at the twelfth level of Qi Refining had already been recruited by an elite at the thirteenth level.

This small group, consisting of two cannon fodder disciples who had no say in the matter, genuinely wanted Wang Li to join. However, the elites of the thirteenth floor looked down on someone. Or rather, they worried that Wang Li's joining would take away some of their spiritual herbs, causing his final gains to shrink significantly.

It's clear that those who have cultivated themselves to this level are quite shrewd.

That's not...

"Don't you find this a bit odd? We're so close, yet our sect leader's sensing technique on us completely fails to detect their presence. To say he's from my Yellow Maple Valley, I, Jia, don't believe it!"

The leader's face was grim.

You wouldn't know unless you pointed it out, but once you do, it can be quite a shock.

“That’s right. At this distance, how could the three of us not sense his presence? Senior Brother Jia is right. This fiend is most likely a disciple he sent in disguise! We absolutely must not recruit him!”

"Then...shall we avenge our fellow disciples?"

Upon hearing this, the two people beside him turned to look at the person who had raised the topic as if they were idiots: How confident must you be to harbor ill intentions towards a ruthless person from another sect who killed their own sect's elite disciple?!

After sitting cross-legged at the entrance for half an hour without anyone coming to join them, Wang Li naturally guessed some of the three people's thoughts.

"Forget it, you can't force things. Good luck to you."

He was also clear-headed and open-minded; he got up and left! He decisively abandoned the initially decided second main storyline plan and instead chose the first of several alternative side storyline plans:

Trade intelligence with his disciples!

Based on the information they had, they planned the easiest, safest, most reliable, and fastest harvesting route before arriving on the third day.

This option offers greater potential benefits, but carries slightly higher risks, though still within an acceptable range.

So, taking advantage of the remaining time, Wang Li found a secluded spot to disguise himself, then spent some time making his way to another safe path leading up the mountain. He then boldly entered the mist.

This scene stunned the people who were hiding in the shadows.

However, once inside the mist, Wang Li was no longer the carefree person he once was.

He armed himself to the teeth: the Vermilion Bird Ring hung above his head, and the meteorite iron shield surrounded him; the Heavenly Silkworm Armor was worn close to his body, and the Heart-Protecting Mirror, which was initially assembled from the fragment of the magic weapon (iron piece), protected his back; the Swift Wind Boots were ready to be activated at any time, and the Dust-Flicking Ring was ready to be used; he had a elixir in his mouth to stop bleeding and restore his injuries, and a mid-level talisman held in the corner of his mouth was ready to be deployed at any time.

In addition, a timid mouse and a chameleon were brought out to listen for any unusual movements around them.

He planned to try tampering with the original safe route, for example, by taking out a small set of maze flags and adding a safety shield to the intersection.

This is not the kind of low-grade array flag that Zhong Lingdao gave to Han Laomo, which is worth less than a dozen spirit stones. Instead, it is a complete set of array flags produced by Xingchen Pavilion, which can be purchased for more than two hundred low-grade spirit stones.

It's definitely not enough to deal with Foundation Establishment stage cultivators; they could break the formation in no time. But it's a different story when it comes to dealing with the Qi Refining stage outsiders from the Seven Sects who know nothing about formations. I dare not say anything else, but it can easily trap five or six Qi Refining stage disciples who can fully utilize top-tier magic weapons for half an hour.

Half an hour was enough time for the disciples from various factions who had voluntarily entered the battle to go crazy.

Fifteen minutes later, Wang Li, who had practiced array formation techniques more than ten times in private but was still not very proficient, finally set up his first small-scale maze array.

Then, without saying a word, I decisively exited the way I came.

Their coming and going, especially their pathetic escape, amused those hiding in the shadows.

"Where did this fool come from? Does he really think that just because he has higher cultivation and more powerful magic weapons, he can force his way through this fog?"

"Hehehe, the dense fog that obscures visibility, plus the unaffected demonic beasts, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would have to think twice before coming here."

Therefore, no one took it seriously.

On the other hand, Wang Li, just to be on the safe side, went to the second, closer entrance to the mist and set up a small maze array there as well.

In this way, even if he is unlucky enough to run into someone who possesses the Moon Sun Pearl, he can choose to keep some of the pioneers on one of the two paths.

Chapter 32, Day Three Begins

Taking advantage of the fine weather, Wang Li walked along the circular area, collecting ornamental flowers that could be used to refine the Beauty Elixir, and all of them were thousands or tens of thousands of years old!

These flowers were frighteningly bright. Although they didn't meet the standards of the seven sects' disciples, they excited him so much that his hands cramped.

They then searched for a suitable place to rest, and finally chose a secluded tree hole far away from the copper gate and even further away from the several safe entrances of the ring mountain, and immediately made some arrangements.

Thus, the second dark night of the Crimson Trial was spent in deep sleep, conserving his energy.

After all, the disciples of the Giant Sword Sect would use the Moon Sun Pearl to break through the continuous mist of the ring mountain range early the next morning, and that would be the time for him to unleash his power. It was definitely the right thing to do now to recover from his previous losses and keep his "essence, energy, and spirit" at their peak.

Outside the forbidden area, the sun rises and sets, only to rise again once more.

"Fifth brother, do you think it was worth investing so much this time? Two members of the Chen family, several elites from our sect, seven or eight top-tier magic artifacts alone, and plenty of other rewards such as spirit stones, talismans, and pills. If these disciples don't bring out the two spiritual herbs I need and the raw materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, or if a large number of them perish in the forbidden area, the loss to our Chen family will be too great."

When the time truly came to test his skills, Uncle Chen became anxious and uncertain.

"Have some confidence in your own judgment, okay?"

Fatty Chen stroked his chin and analyzed:

"This time, we've sent seven outstanding disciples at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining. You should know that the other five were all among the top ten in the sect's test held every five years. They are the cream of the crop among tens of thousands of Qi Refining disciples, not inferior to the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect. Moreover, before entering, they all received top-grade magic artifacts bestowed by their grandfathers, as well as talismans and pills given by you and me. Gathering a couple of spiritual herbs will definitely not be a problem."

"You know, those two medicinal herbs are crucial to my future achievements."

The Chen family has already prepared the appropriate auxiliary medicines for other years; they are only missing these two.

"Don't worry. Even if we still can't get those two precious herbs this time, your grandfather will find other spiritual pills to help you reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment as soon as possible. Don't forget, you are the most outstanding talent in our Chen family generation. You successfully established your foundation at eighteen, entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment at thirty-two, and are only forty-eight years old now. You are not far from the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Among all the members of our Chen family, you are the only one who has the potential to form a core. Your grandfather will help you no matter what."

"That's what Fatty Chen said to comfort me."

Maintaining "normal" cultivation with "sufficient" elixirs and progressing from the early to the middle stages of Foundation Establishment is something even those with exceptional talent would find impossible without at least ten years of arduous training. It's truly remarkable that Uncle Chen was able to advance one level within fourteen years. And he's not a cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root or a Different Spiritual Root.

"Fifth brother, that's why I feel the weight of the burden on my shoulders."

The more his family gave him, the more relaxed Uncle Chen became.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if the sky falls, your grandfather will still be there to hold it up. I bet he'll still be alive when you die!"

If the timeline doesn't change, then Uncle Chen's words will truly come true.

"Shut your mouth, Grandfather is right here listening!"

"I said Grandfather lives a long and healthy life, what's wrong with you getting a little bit of credit?"

"When did you learn the essence of Wang's flattery?"

"What is flattery? This is speaking from the bottom of your heart, okay!"

Chen Laozu naturally caught every word of their telepathic communication, but he simply smiled at the chatter of his two bloodline descendants. He was currently preoccupied with how to secure the arduous task of participating in the next forbidden area trial. Clearly, Wang Li's reminder had made him realize something far more profound.

"By the way, Fourth Brother, haven't the spiritual root attributes of the girl from Sixth Brother's family been tested as well? I heard she has both water and earth spiritual roots! Her spiritual root is no worse than yours!"

"Her spiritual root is indeed good, but she doesn't have a special physique like mine."

Uncle Chen felt a little regretful about this.

If his family could produce another cultivator with a unique spiritual root or a special physique, why would he feel so much pressure now?

My grandfather was one of those who formed his core relatively late, so his lifespan wasn't as long as I had imagined.

Although he still has over a hundred years to live, a hundred years is neither a long nor a short time. If the Chen family experiences a generational gap and no new Core Formation cultivators emerge during this period, the family could very well lose a significant amount of its interests in the Yue Kingdom. However, if a new Core Formation cultivator is born within the clan while his grandfather is still alive, the situation will be exactly the opposite, and the Chen family will undoubtedly be able to advance even further.

"We are already content with you in this generation of the Chen family."

To achieve Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty, besides abundant resources, innate talent such as physical constitution and physique is equally important, as is persistent and unremitting effort. From these three points, it can be seen that Uncle Chen's talent is indeed remarkable, and his cultivation is quite diligent, but he lacks cultivation resources. Even with the strong support of the Chen family, he still has to endure the slow and steady process, much like ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Speaking of talent, we must mention a rough gem: Zhong Weiniang, Li Huayuan's future seventh disciple.

This girl's ability to reach Foundation Establishment at the age of sixteen is truly remarkable; even Old Demon Han was deeply shocked back then. Moreover, she has the Zhong family behind her, who can provide her with talismans for protection, and she is further protected by Li Huayuan, a Core Formation cultivator.

Unfortunately, he didn't focus on cultivation, or rather, he didn't take cultivation seriously at all. He wasted his life until he was over thirty years old and still hadn't reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and it seemed like that was still a long way off. Later, he was overtaken by his eighth junior brother, Han the Old Demon!

A typical example of someone who has great talent but only knows how to squander it.

Later, Li Huayuan perished; the eldest senior brother's aptitude was limited, and the second senior brother failed to break through to the Core Formation stage, both of whom passed away one after another; the beloved third senior brother had already perished in the group operation launched by Han Laomo, and the other senior brothers were even less worthy of mention. Zhong Weiniang, who seemed innocent and carefree but was more like a lazybones, was left without anyone to care for her in Huangfeng Valley.

When Han Laomo was nearly two hundred years old, he returned from the Chaotic Star Sea with the cultivation level of "late stage of Core Formation, ready to form Nascent Soul." He wanted to find his old friend from back then to take care of him, but unfortunately, this woman did not give him the chance.

It is said that it disappeared for many years, but it is more likely that it turned into dust during the large-scale invasion of Master Mulan.

But I digress. Let's get back to the topic.

While Uncle Chen was filled with anxiety and uncertainty, wasn't Fuyunzi from the Qingxu Sect feeling the same way?

What should have been a sure-fire bet turned into a trap by the man surnamed Chen.

Now things are really messed up; not only have we failed to win the bet and acquire the iron essence, but we also have to pay out a huge sum of money.

Making intermediate-level talismans is relatively easy. After a few trips to various markets in the surrounding countries, he can gather enough raw materials and produce the finished product in about half a year. However, making mid-level talismans is not so easy. The raw materials are extremely expensive, and they are also hard to find. The main headache for him is that the success rate of refining them is quite low.

Even at the intermediate to advanced level, he only had three readily available talismans. Moreover, these were generous gifts from three senior brothers and sisters in the sect who were quite skilled in talisman making when he successfully formed his core, and he hadn't been willing to use them for decades. In other words, besides offering these three, he would have to borrow five more from his senior brothers and sisters.

"What a huge loss!"

Sure enough, you can only bet with young people. These old fogies are all shrewd; how could they let themselves be at a disadvantage?

Suddenly, Fu Yunzi began to plan a high-stakes gamble with Brother Huayuan five years later, aiming to win back his principal and interest.

"No, if that Chen guy hadn't provided the disciples of Huangfeng Valley with good equipment, or if the disciples of Huangfeng Valley had been greedy and reckless, I might have had a chance!"

Besides the three elite disciples at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, Qingxu Sect also has two promising new talents.

As if he had thought of something, or perhaps wanted to confirm something, Fu Yunzi, his eyes darting around, simply beckoned to a Foundation Establishment stage manager in the doorway, saying, "Hey, you there, come here for a second..."

"Uncle-Master, are you calling me?"

A middle-aged man looked at it, somewhat bewildered.

"Stop talking nonsense and come here right now..."

okay.

As soon as he arrived, a soundproof barrier about ten feet high was set up: "Well then, tell me about the two boys from Senior Brother Lin's family and the girl from Senior Sister Liu's family!"

Before we knew it, the distant horizon changed from a pale dawn to a brilliant sunrise, and then to a blazing golden sun hanging on the branches.

"It should have started inside."

The Core Formation elders from the seven sects all became serious.