Speaking of the Ascension Ceremony, we must mention the Foundation Establishment Pill, the elixir that drives all Qi Refining stage cultivators mad... I won't go into more detail. Just know that for the vast majority of cultivators, the Foundation Establishment Pill is the only way to successfully establish their foundation. So, do you understand what that means?
Han Li thought for a moment, then said.
"Could it be that Foundation Establishment Pills will appear at this Ascension Ceremony?"
"That's right, Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely precious. Moreover, they are not easy to refine. Therefore, to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, it is necessary for major sects to join forces. However, how to distribute the Foundation Establishment Pills refined in cooperation is another problem."
It's important to understand that even among disciples of major sects, not everyone is qualified to take it. Furthermore, this substance is ineffective for disciples who have already established their Foundation Establishment. Therefore, the major sects of Yue Kingdom devised a plan. Whenever Foundation Establishment Pills were refined, they would select exceptionally talented unsung cultivators from the outside world, recruit them into these sects, and then administer the pills to them.
This way, the Foundation Establishment Pills wouldn't flow out of the sect, keeping the benefits within the sect, and it would also quell the discontent of other lower-level cultivators. After all, what cultivator wouldn't be happy to join a major cultivation sect? Plus, it would allow them to select disciples with outstanding talent—truly a win-win-win situation.
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Please take one day off.
I went out with my family and I'm so tired, I just want to lie in bed and not move...
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Chapter 475 Han Laomo's First Battle in Immortal Cultivation
Neither the Southern Tainan Gathering nor the Ascension Ceremony held much significance for Lu Xuan. He knew that there was a misconception in the cultivation world of this world.
They only accept disciples with a single or dual spiritual root. This is because the fewer spiritual roots one has, the easier cultivation is. Conversely, those with more spiritual roots will find cultivation increasingly difficult.
However, this is actually a misconception held by those in the 'lower' cultivation world. Lu Xuan remembered that in the later stages of his cultivation journey, Han Li expended great effort to replenish his spiritual roots in order to successfully take the final step.
Therefore, if Lu Xuan were to find disciples, he would definitely look for those with all five elemental roots. At the very least, they would be those with three elemental roots. In other words, the kind that other sects wouldn't want.
Han Li left, carrying with him a wealth of information from Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan didn't know what kind of changes his encounter would bring to the future Han Li. However, he didn't care. Han Li was truly a chosen one of destiny. All the traps in his life would not only be averted, but he would even gain benefits. With such a constitution, it wouldn't be easy for others to interfere.
In this world, Lu Xuan has not yet established a sect. Mainly because the cultivation world in this world is completely different from the few cultivators in the world of *Zhu Xian*. Even in the Yue Kingdom, there are cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. And in Huangfeng Valley, there is a hidden old monster at the Divine Transformation stage.
Moreover, the cultivation world in this world is more mature, which also means it's more brutal. Everyone has long been accustomed to the so-called survival of the fittest. Although a balance exists at present, covert struggles occur constantly.
Meanwhile, all the spiritual veins, regardless of size, have been occupied by major sects. Even the smallest spiritual vein already has an owner. Any external force that dares to interfere with the allocation of these resources will face a war to the death. Although there are many cultivation sects, many more have been lost to time.
Lu Xuan himself was at the Nascent Soul stage. He considered his various Daoist techniques and supernatural abilities to be top-tier. Coupled with the spiritually connected True Fire of the Sun, he was absolutely capable of fighting any early or even mid-Nascent Soul cultivator in this world. However, he had little confidence against late-Nascent Soul cultivators. As for those at the Deity Transformation stage, he didn't even need to think about it.
Simply put, this world is too complex and difficult to navigate. Lu Xuan needs to weigh things carefully first. He'll consider establishing a sect only after Hongyu reaches the Nascent Soul stage. By then, two Nascent Soul cultivators should be able to carve out a territory in the mortal realm.
The current Yue Kingdom has seven major immortal cultivation sects: the Hidden Moon Sect, the Yellow Maple Valley, the Spirit Beast Mountain, the Pure Void Sect, the Blade Transformation Valley, the Heavenly Palace Fortress, and the Giant Sword Sect.
Among them, the Hidden Moon Sect is the strongest, followed by the Spirit Beast Mountain Sect, and the rest are roughly equal. These seven major sects, along with dozens of cultivation families, together form the cultivation forces of the Yue Kingdom.
However, looking at the entire Tiannan Continent, Yue Kingdom is merely a small, isolated place. In other areas, there are countless much larger sects and more powerful cultivators. That's why Lu Xuan said the mortal world is too complex. Take Huangfeng Valley for example; the person hidden there is one of Lu Xuan's most feared individuals. The original text doesn't describe the other sects in detail; who knows if they harbor similar secrets?
Han Li's trip to the Tai Nan Small Gathering was incredibly fruitful. Most importantly, it filled in the gaps in his knowledge of the cultivation world. However, Lu Xuan's appearance also changed some things.
Most importantly, Han Li confirmed the function of the Ascension Token in his possession. Old Demon Han had a psychological aversion to joining a major sect. Or rather, he had a psychological aversion to the very act of becoming an apprentice. Just think about what happened to his previous teacher.
However, he also discovered that in the cultivation world, without a powerful backer, it's truly difficult to move an inch. Because during the Tai Nan Small Gathering, he made a few moves and obtained a fragment of a magical artifact capable of concealing one's aura. As a result, he attracted attention. Many people coveted that fragment, but couldn't offer anything of equivalent value, so they were waiting to buy it for free.
The Tainan Small Gathering wasn't a one-day affair. It lasted for a whole month. Even though Han Li arrived late, he still stayed there for more than ten days.
These days, he devoted himself to studying the basic spells. He quickly mastered most of them. After several experiments, he found that these spells were extremely practical, and their effects and power far exceeded his expectations. He was overjoyed. In particular, the Palm Lightning spell, with its quick casting and powerful force, became an extremely convenient and formidable way to fight enemies.
Han Li was unaware that he was being watched. But who was Han Laomo? He was the old fox who killed his own teacher right from the start. He was the one who schemed against others; how could he be the one being schemed against?
He first secluded himself in Tai Nan Valley to cultivate, avoiding all acquaintances. Then, in the early morning of the day before the Tai Nan Small Gathering ended, he suddenly left. Afterwards, he used the Wind Control Technique, combined with the Instant Step (a simplified version of Shrinking the Earth to an Inch) he had just learned, and sprinted two hundred miles in one go. Because Han Li had experience with the Luo Yan Step, he was particularly interested in the Instant Step, and therefore put in a little more effort to master it.
Because he was a cheat code, he had piles of mana-restoring pills on him. Therefore, he was able to hold on. This left the group of guys following him completely bewildered.
After all, they were all Qi Refining stage cultivators. Running two hundred miles in one go wasn't impossible, but it was definitely beyond their limits. However, they had already used some expensive tracking method on Han Li beforehand. If they gave up, they would lose money on this deal. So, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and chase after him.
Fortunately, Han Li didn't keep running. By the time they caught up, Han Li had been meditating and conserving his energy for who knows how long.
The meaning of "waiting in comfort" was that they had already noticed the pursuers behind them. After all, those guys were too exhausted to bother with concealing their movements.
"Do it..." This demand to "do it" contained an immense amount of grievance and exasperation. Without uttering a single polite word, he immediately intended to take Han Li's life.
Han Li felt the ground beneath his feet shift, and suddenly a pair of hands shot out from beneath his feet, trying to grab them. However, Han Li swayed slightly and was already more than ten meters away, causing the hands to grasp at empty air.
The fighting among cultivators in the Qi Refining stage is not entirely detached from the fighting in the secular martial arts world. In addition to the underground attackers, there were two other attackers.
One of them clasped his hands together, releasing a chilling aura. Dozens of ice spikes gathered between his hands. The other drew a heavy black broadsword and charged forward.
Han Li used the Instant Step technique, his figure transforming into a blur, weaving back and forth amidst the three's attacks. At the same time, his right hand crackled with azure lightning.
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Chapter 476 The Misunderstanding Between Two Cheaters
Using his Instant Step technique, Han Li dodged dozens of ice spikes. However, he still sustained some injuries. After all, he had only practiced Instant Step for a few days and wasn't very proficient yet. But this was enough to surprise the three attackers.
"This kid is strange, don't hold back!" shouted the yellow-robed man wielding the ice spike.
The other two immediately unleashed their most powerful abilities. The man who had originally used Earth Escape to ambush Han Li touched the ground with both palms. Countless earth spikes grew from the ground, enveloping Han Li and restricting his use of Instant Step. At the same time, the man in the yellow robe condensed dozens more ice spikes.
But then, a scream rang out. The cultivator wielding the black longsword was sent flying back. His two companions looked and saw a large, charred hole in his chest, his entire body crackling with electricity. Clearly, he had been killed by some powerful lightning technique.
This gave the two a sudden, inexplicable shock. Although Palm Lightning was considered a basic spell, the Palm Lightning circulating outside didn't possess such power. Just who was this young man before them?
Before they could make a move, Han Li emerged from the swarm of spikes, his face contorted with murderous intent. Having instantly killed an enemy, he was astonished by the power of his palm lightning. But at the same time, he felt much more confident. Meanwhile, the two opposite him were beginning to feel uneasy.
"Attack together!" the man in the yellow robe shouted, throwing an ice spike at Han Li. However, he was actually backing away, clearly preparing to flee.
But then, to his horror, he discovered that he couldn't move. His feet had somehow become bound to the ground.