“Oh, right, Meng Hao! The inner disciple promotion trial started a few days ago. I heard there’s a month to sign up, so you should quickly go sign up and participate! Once you succeed, you’ll be the third inner disciple of the Reliance Sect, and your status will be incredibly noble!”
The fat man thought of this and quickly spoke.
“Inner disciple promotion trial?”
Meng Hao was taken aback. He had heard about this a few times before, but back then his cultivation was weak, and he felt it was too far out of his reach. But now it was different. In the entire Reliance Sect, including Meng Hao, there were only three people at the sixth level of Qi Condensation.
In order, they were Wang Tengfei, Han Zong, and him, Meng Hao. Han Zong was originally at the peak of the fifth level and had broken through to the sixth level in recent years.
“I heard this time they’re only taking one inner disciple. Everyone is saying this trial was opened for Wang Tengfei. You’ve reached the sixth level today, who knows, you might succeed.”
The fat man urged him, wishing Meng Hao would agree immediately. If Meng Hao finally became an inner disciple, he himself would be able to roam even more freely within the Reliance Sect.
Meng Hao hesitated slightly, not making an immediate decision. Although he really wanted to become an inner disciple, after all, inner disciples and outer disciples were completely different. No one would easily offend an inner disciple, not even the sect elders. Moreover, the spirit stones and medicinal pills given for this were numerous. Meng Hao’s cultivation had increased too quickly, and he couldn’t help but worry that if outsiders found out, they would make wild guesses leading to suspicion. In that case, he might lose more than he gained.
It had been two years since he entered the Reliance Sect. Meng Hao had a deep understanding of the ‘big fish eat little fish’ principle, and even more so, the principles of wealth. But he hadn’t completely decided not to go. Was this the right time, or did he need to take it step by step? Especially since he had just gone through the battle in Black Mountain, his magic treasures and medicinal pills were all completely depleted. At this moment, he urgently needed to replenish them.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache remembering those two thousand spirit stones.
In a flash, more than twenty days passed. The registration period for the inner disciple promotion trial was also nearing its end. Not many people had signed up, but the sect’s rules were thus: once registered, one could not leave the plaza. They had to sit beneath the nine pillars and await the trial’s commencement. Outsiders were also not allowed to disturb them, otherwise, it would be a violation of sect rules.
Though called a trial, it was actually just a competition of magical techniques against each other. It was said that many years ago, the Reliance Sect’s inner disciple trials were conducted in dangerous external locations, but now the Reliance Sect had declined, relying only on magical combat for inner disciple promotion.
During these twenty-plus days, Meng Hao made a trip to the high-level public area, which was a quiet, deserted place. Thinking of the Reliance Sect’s decline, Meng Hao further understood the desolation of this place. He then started a general store stall in the low-level public area.
When he returned, no one dared to compete with him for business at the general store stall anymore, which made Meng Hao’s business excellent for the past twenty days. He earned quite a few spirit stones, and almost every day he had to replicate magic treasures and medicinal pills, gradually accumulating them.
Looking at the increasing number of flying sword magic treasures in his bag, although they were ordinary weapons, their number was nearing a hundred. Meng Hao thought back to his battle with Lu Hong, and to Black Mountain, and gradually understood how he should fight. He pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up, as he thought of a way to increase the power of his flying swords.
From that day on, Meng Hao stopped selling his wares, dedicating most of his time to researching how to further enhance the power of his flying swords. He experimented repeatedly, gradually discovering several methods. Initially, he deliberately trained himself to control more flying swords, and even to make them assume various forms. To prevent anyone from guessing his true intentions, Meng Hao intentionally made these flying swords appear worn, broken and rusty, or painted them in different colors, making them look like discarded junk.
Additionally, almost every day, he attempted to commune with the mind of the Sky Sovereign Ying Long in his dreams. Though he never succeeded, he discovered that the power of his Windwalk Art had increased significantly, as if he was now much closer to the heavens.
Time flew by, and only two days remained until the registration for the Inner Sect Disciple promotion. Meng Hao was currently displaying his wares in the low-level public area, watching the fat man inside gesticulate wildly as he lectured. Suddenly, he turned his head to look into the distance, seeing a figure approaching from below the mountain, hands clasped behind his back. Each stride covered several *zhang*, and he quickly emerged onto the mountaintop. This person was a young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with an arrogant expression. A yellow paper talisman floated before him, adorned with several complex symbols that slowly detached themselves from the paper, swirling around the young man.
"A talisman..."
Meng Hao's eyes suddenly gleamed. This yellow paper talisman was mentioned in the Qi Condensation Scroll as a rare and powerful treasure.
The approaching figure was none other than Han Zong, the second strongest expert of the Outer Sect, at the sixth level of Qi Condensation. The moment he appeared, everyone on the mountain bowed their heads in deference.
"Meng Hao, Martial Uncle Shangguan wishes to see you. Come with me."
Han Zong ignored everyone else, looking only at Meng Hao as he spoke indifferently.
Meng Hao frowned. Martial Uncle Shangguan was no stranger to him; whether it was distributing pills half a month ago or helping Wang Tengfei fight the python demon, his extraordinary nature was evident.
"What does he want with me... Could he have found something out?"
Meng Hao slowly stood up. He knew the other party was a sect elder, and as an Outer Sect disciple, he had to obey. To refuse would clearly imply he had something to hide.
Meng Hao thoughtfully glanced at Han Zong, wondering to himself, "If this matter is exposed, Wang Tengfei would be the first to come looking. Now it's Martial Uncle Shangguan. Are they connected?"
Meng Hao maintained a calm expression, countless thoughts swirling in his mind. He gave a faint smile, seemingly casually glanced at the fat man, and then stepped forward.
Han Zong led the way, and the two quickly arrived at West Peak. The spiritual energy on this western mountaintop was quite dense. Meng Hao saw a magnificent pavilion, where several young disciples were cultivating spirit herbs.
Before long, on the third floor of the pavilion, Han Zong stopped and looked at Meng Hao. At the same moment, Shangguan Tu's voice echoed from within the building.
"Meng Hao, come in. Han Zong, you may go to South Peak."
As the words reached them, a jade slip flew out and landed in Han Zong's hand. Han Zong gave Meng Hao a cold smile, then turned and departed.
Meng Hao's heart pounded. He felt there was something amiss with these instructions: sending Han Zong to South Peak and giving him a jade slip.
Meng Hao didn't have time to ponder further. The main door silently opened, revealing a pitch-black interior that exuded a bone-chilling cold.