With the chants all the way up to the 9th layer, Wang Lin could continue his cultivation. He returned to his reclusive lifestyle, while heavy tension loomed over the Heng Yue Sect.
All of the inner sect disciples were preparing for the competition. If they could reach the top, then magic treasures, pills, talismans, spirit stones, and more will be rewarded to them.
What made their eyes green with envy was that this time, the sect took out one of its big treasures, the Two Moon Ring, as the reward for first place.
This Two Moon Ring belonged to a senior of the sect from 300 years ago. It contained great defensive power.
Therefore, all of the inner disciples were secretly preparing their strength.
As for the newcomer competition, since there were only a handful of new inner disciples, everyone predicted that the winner of the newcomer competition will be Wang Zhuo.
As for the honorary disciples, they became even more hostile toward each other. The competition to become an inner disciple was a chance to turn their lives around. Everyone was secretly preparing for it.
This tense atmosphere had nothing to do with Wang Lin at all. In addition to cultivation, he also practiced the attraction technique. The day before the end of the month, he left the chore house and headed straight for the main courtyard.
The technique to hide his cultivation level was activated. The spiritual energy in his body quickly disguised itself to the level of the first layer of Qi Condensation.
He found that the people at the chore house were too annoying and kept him from cultivating properly, so he wanted an excuse to go to a quiet place to cultivate.
After arriving at the main courtyard, he walked in. A while later, he stepped in front of Sun Dazhu’s herb garden and respectfully said, “Disciple Wang Lin requests to meet master.”
“Why are you here?” The herb garden’s gate didn’t open. It seemed Sun Dazhu really didn’t like this disciple.
Wang Lin’s expression remained normal. He respectfully said, “Disciple’s cultivation is too low, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to win in the competition and lose master face, so I would like to refrain from participating.”
Sun Dazhu sneered, “Hmmm, it seems you are still a bit self aware, you little brat. Look at elder Xu’s disciple, Wang Zhuo. So young, yet already at the peak of the first layer, and could enter the second layer at any time. Even if you went, it would be useless. The others could kill you with their finger. I even heard you guys are relatives. How could there be such a big difference?”
Wang Lin didn’t care and said, “Wang Zhuo has been smart since he was young, and he’s naturally talented. He’s not someone this disciple could compete with.”
Sun Dazhu pondered for a while and asked, “Did you find any more gourds in the past half year?”
Wang Lin shook his head, revealing a look of helplessness, and said, “This has really been strange. I have been to the mountain multiple times, but haven’t seen any gourds.”
Sun Dazhu coldly said, “Do you have anything else to say? If not, then scram. Every time I see you, I get angry!” Every time he laid eyes on Wang Lin, he couldn’t contain his anger. He wished he could just kill Wang Lin with one hand so the others wouldn’t laugh at him.
Wang Lin bowed and respectfully said, “Master, disciple is really bored from staying up here in the mountains and would like to leave until after the new year. What do you think?”
Sun Dazhu refused and said, “Leave the mountain? You can’t. I almost forgot until you mentioned it, but in four years is the competition between the other sects. This time, the head already ordered that after the new year, most of the inner disciples will go into intense closed door training. You should go so you don’t ruin my name in the intersect competition.”
“Intense training?” Wang Lin was stunned.
“Every 20 years, there must be a competition between the sects. That has been the rule for hundreds of years. Although Xuan Dao Zong is friendly with our Heng Yue sect on the surface, we secretly have a lot of disagreements. For the past 100 years, we have always lost to them, which is very disgraceful. That’s why there will be this intense training. You listen to me well. If after four years you haven’t made any advancement and make me lose face during the competition, I’ll kick you out of the Heng Yue Sect no matter what!” After saying that, Sun Dazhu didn’t explain anymore.
Wang Lin secretly let out a sigh. It seemed that training outside the sect won’t be possible. Seeing that Sun Dazhu’s tone wasn’t friendly, he nodded and took his leave.
After returning to the chore house, Wang Lin pondered a little. Since he couldn’t train outside the sect, let’s use this intense training to properly cultivate.
The next day, the competition began. The scene was very lively. Wang Lin didn’t go. He used this time to cultivate and solidify his foundation in the second layer.
In the next few days, Wang Lin found out from the gossip of the honorary disciples that among the inner disciples, apprentice-brother Zhang got first place, but only because no purple ranked disciple participated.
As for Wang Zhuo, he unsurprisingly became the king of the new disciples. He became even more arrogant and no longer viewed disciples his age as people on his level.
A week later, in the morning, a bell rang throughout the sect. It rang five times. That meant that all inner disciples must quickly gather outside the main hall.
Wang Lin couldn’t hear the bell from inside the dream space. It wasn’t until the furious Sun Dazhu kicked open the chore house’s door and woke him. He quickly put away the bead and opened up the door to the secret training room, only to see Sun Dazhu’s furious face, shouting, “Wang Lin are you deaf? Did you not hear the bell? You bastard! All of the inner disciples participating in the intense training are there but you! You made me lose face before elder apprentice-brother! You… you make me so mad!”
Wang Lin raised his brow and remained silent.
Sun Dazhu gave Wang Lin a hard look. He knew that this was not the time to scold his disciple, because the head and apprentice-brothers were all waiting. Without a word, he grabbed Wang Lin and stepped onto the seven colored cloud and flew into the sky.
At top speed, they arrived in front of the main hall. Sun Dazhu mercilessly threw Wang Lin to the ground. Sun Dazhu said, in a low whisper, “Wang Lin, follow me in. If you make me lose face again, I’ll go against the sect rules and kill you!” Those last words by Sun Dazhu were filled with killing intent. He was already at his wit’s end with this disciple. He later decided that he must find a reason to kick his disciple out of the sect.
Wang Lin rubbed his shoulder. If he hadn’t already reached the second layer of Qi Condensation, then that fall would have broken his arm. He lowered his head and whispered, “Disciple obeys.”
Sun Dazhu snorted. He tidied his clothes and walked into the main hall. Wang Lin took a deep breath and suppressed his anger as he walked into the hall as well.
The Heng Yue Sect main hall was the most grand place within the sect. It was a wide hall with dozens of status of sages of the sect. The entire hall was filled with a sense of awe.
After Wang Lin followed Sun Dazhu into the hall, dozens of gazes suddenly gathered on him. He had difficulty breathing and quickly lowered his head.
More than 40 inner disciples stood inside the hall. There were disciples of black, white, and red rank, but no purple. All of these disciples had serious expressions. Among them, Wang Lin could see many faces that he knew, like Wang Zhuo, the girl named Xu, the girl name Zhou, apprentice-brother Zhang, and such.
Right in front of them sat two rows of more than 10 elders, all with cold expressions. Right in the middle sat a person, about 40 years old, wearing a blue gown, with eyes like lightning. He said, “Junior brother Sun, this is your disciple?”
Sun Dazhu quickly put up a smiling face and said, “Elder apprentice-brother, this is my disciple, Wang Lin. He entered the sect late, so he doesn’t know the meaning behind the bell ringing 5 times.”
A red faced man sitting on the right sneered, “The disciple is really like his master. He’s kinda dumb, just like you were back then.”
A man on his side laughed. “Apprentice-brother isn’t correct. Junior brother Sun at least had some talent, so he was much stronger than his disciple.”
Sun Dazhu’s face changed between red and white for a while. He gave Wang Lin a hard look. He snorted and ignored Wang Lin and went to sit down.
The man in the blue gown frowned. He looked at Wang Lin one more time before forgetting about him and said, “As said before, these 4 years of intense training must provide results. We must win in the competition against Xuan Dao Zong. Starting today, you will be entering the back mountain. Everyone will be provided with their own cultivation place. This time, the sect will provide 10,000 qi gathering pills for you all to use. None of you may leave the mountain during this time.”
All of the inner disciples replied in unison.
The man in the blue gown nodded and continued to say, “I hope that in four years, one of you will become a purple clothed disciple. Purple clothed disciple means a core disciple far more important than inner disciples. Forget it, experience it for yourself. Now, all of you, go to the back mountain and someone will lead to you the cultivation ground.”
After he finished speaking, he waved his sleeves and a white light shot out from them. After circling the hall once, he growled, “Open!”
The white light suddenly expanded and soon engulfed all of the inner disciples.
“Go!” Following the growl from the man in the blue gown, the white light sparkled and disappeared from the main hall.
Wang Lin felt a warm sensation in his body. After the blink of an eye, he found himself inside a valley. This place had much more spiritual energy than the other places. Sounds of water could be heard from all sides. He scanned the area and found the other inner disciples chatting with each other.
This valley had no plants. It was a cliff with many holes carved into it, like a bee hive. Some of the holes were sealed with giant rocks.
Suddenly Wang Lin noticed that someone was watching him. He turned around and saw Wang Zhuo smiling at him coldly.
At that moment, a youth came out from one of the holes in the cliff. He was wearing purple clothes and coldly looked at everyone. He said, “Fellow apprentice-brothers and sisters, this is the back mountains of the Heng Yue Sect. As for back mountain, it’s not really the back of the Heng Yue Sect, but a cultivation ground for inner disciples built by several Soul Transformation stage experts 500 years ago. This place has much thicker spiritual energy than normal. Since you are here, you must concentrate on cultivating, or else don’t blame us seniors for kicking you out of the back mountain.”
Wang Lin recognized this purple clothed youth. He was the person that bought Wang Lin’s spiritual energy liquid . It was rumored that he was already at the 6th layer of Qi Condensation and that he was very unpredictable.
Wang Lin lowered his head. This kind of scheming he understood well because he put him into a dangerous situation before.
“I have the chants for the 7th layer and below. If you reach that level, but don’t have the chant, come to me. Once I check you, I’ll give it to you. As for where you will be practicing, any one of these caves that isn’t sealed can be chosen. Here are bottles of Qi Gathering pills. Each bottle contains 50 pills and will be refilled once a year.” After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and 50 white bottles appeared on the ground.
Some of the inner disciples stepped forward and took a bottle, then started to look for the entrance to the cultivation area.
Wang Lin took a deep breath. Because he took a disguise pill back then, that person didn’t know his identity, so he went up and took a bottle. Zhang Kuang stood at the side, looking at the inner disciples take the bottles one by one, when he suddenly saw Wang Lin. He had a strange look on his face and said, “Whats your name? How come you haven’t even reached the first layer of Qi Condensation? Who is your master?” [E/N: Apparently, his name changed from Can Jie to Zhang Kuang. Whatever.]
Wang Lin stopped and turned around. He respectfully said, “Senior brother, my name is Wang Lin. My master is Sun Dazhu. My talent is lacking, that’s why I haven’t reached the first layer yet.”
Zhang Kuang was stunned. He smiled. “You are Wang Lin? I heard about you before. Although talent is important, perseverance is also key. Since your talent is lacking, you must work even harder!”
Wang Lin quickly promised.
“This cliff is too high for you since you’re not even at the first layer. I’ll give you a lift.” Zhang Kuang waved his sleeves. An invisible force appeared under Wang Lin’s feet and pushed him until he was in front of a cave.
Wang Lin respectfully thanked Zhang Kuang. After he turned around and entered the cave, his face quickly darkened. If he hadn’t met this apprentice-brother before, he would have been thankful, but after seeing his true nature, he would, of course, not take this small favor to heart.
The cave wasn’t large. There was only a stone bed and a lever on the wall. Wang Lin walked over and pulled the lever. Suddenly, a roaring sound could be heard as a giant rock fell down and completely sealed the cave.
After carefully examining the cave again and finding nothing wrong, Wang Lin was very satisfied with the place. When he looked for Sun Dazhu, he wanted to look for a place to cultivate outside of the sect. Although he was rejected, the current situation lead him to a place that was pretty close to his original plans.
The only downside was that there was no source of water inside the cave. Wang Lin’s cultivation mainly relied on the spiritual energy liquid. But in his bag of holding, he had collected a lot of snow water, so it should be enough for him to use for a while.
He also heard sounds of water inside the valley. As long as he was a bit cautious, water shouldn’t be an issue.
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT