Hearing that Xiao Wenbing still had such great confidence, the two old immortals, Mu Hua and Mu Yun, finally nodded. After all, Mu Xuanli was a member of the same family. If he succeeded, they would be happy for him, so why would they suppress him?
"However, I have one more request."
"Please speak, Fellow Daoist Xiao."
"Now that the task of guiding Xuanli has been entrusted to me this year, no one is allowed to interfere with my teaching methods, no matter how I teach him."
Mu Hua and the others felt a chill run down their spines; what a fierce tone!
However, the elders exchanged glances, and Mu Hua immediately said, "Alright, strict teachers produce outstanding students. Xuan Li is at your mercy, fellow immortal. If this beast is truly worthless, then please kill him directly, and our Mu family will pretend we never had this good-for-nothing son."
Mu Xuanli trembled, thinking to himself, "Grandfather, I have not offended you..."
Xiao Wenbing, completely satisfied, drifted away with the wooden pendant.
Mu Ling, being a father and son, showed a look of reluctance.
"Ancestor, weren't you being a little too harsh on Xuanli?"
"Jade that is not carved cannot become a vessel, wood that is not sculpted cannot become timber. To be able to command the obedience of ten thousand immortals, one is no ordinary person. This time, it is the Mu family's good fortune." Mu Hua glanced at him coldly and said, "Remember, no matter what, you are not allowed to interfere."
"yes……"
Volume 18, Chapter 16 Training
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Mu Xuanli followed the instructions meticulously, trembling with fear. Xiao Wenbing looked at his nascent soul, his divine sense constantly sweeping over it, muttering incantations. The latter felt a chill descend from the sky, yet dared not move an inch.
After Xiao Wenbing finally finished, he casually asked him to take in the Nascent Soul and said, "Xuanli, since you have acknowledged me as your master, I will teach you to become a talent. The coming year will be a very tough one. Are you ready?"
"Yes, disciple is ready." Faced with overwhelming power, even if one is completely unprepared, one dares not openly admit it.
"Alright, you are my second disciple. Your eldest brother is exceptionally talented and eager to learn. His future achievements are limitless. I hope you will not disgrace me. Otherwise, I will cripple you first to save myself the trouble later."
Mu Xuanli trembled and repeatedly agreed.
Nodding in satisfaction, Xiao Wenbing summoned Elder Yan and gave him a few instructions. The latter gave Mu Xuanli a strange look and then went to make the arrangements.
Mu Xuanli was terrified by that glance, feeling as if a great calamity was about to befall him.
A moment later, Elder Yan brought dozens of immortals who lined up in front of Xiao Wenbing.
“Xuanli, in my hometown there is a saying, ‘Life and death race.’ Do you know what it means?”
"This disciple does not know."
"What this means is that only when a person is facing a life-or-death situation can they unleash their full potential."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xuanli glanced at the dozens of immortals around him, and his face instantly drained of all color.
"Today I entrust you to my uncles and elders. For the next year, every ten days, you will undergo the most rigorous training you have ever experienced. You will constantly teeter on the edge of life and death. Whether you survive or not will depend on yourself."
Mu Xuanli's lips trembled, and she was unable to speak.
"Relax, relax." Xiao Wenbing suddenly smiled and said, "Of course, there is a way to stop training."
"What?" Mu Xuanli exclaimed involuntarily.
"As long as you can beat those who are teaching you, you won't need to train anymore," Xiao Wenbing said with a smile.
Mu Xuanli's gaze swept across the faces of those dozens of immortals. Defeat them? Could it be that this is all in a dream...?
With a flick of his wrist, Xiao Wenbing pulled a large wine jar from his Heavenly Void Ring. Upon opening it, he found it filled with pills that resembled glass beads.
"These are Lesser Rejuvenation Pills, specially used to replenish spiritual energy. Take them, and once you've finished them, I have more here, enough for you."
Looking at this jar filled with countless small pills, Mu Xuanli really didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
For the next six months, as Xiao Wenbing instructed, fifty people were selected from among the immortals and divided into two groups. They trained day and night. Under such high-intensity training, some suffered mental breakdowns and became completely useless, while others experienced a burst of potential that became unstoppable.
Given Mu Xuanli's willpower, it would have been difficult for him to endure this for long, but Xiao Wenbing was adept at balancing work and rest, providing him with a massive amount of spiritual energy recovery pills. Furthermore, five immortals in each group constantly monitored Mu Xuanli's physical and mental condition. Through their collective efforts, they finally managed to save his life.
During this time, Xiao Wenbing was also busy, creating a celestial sword for Mu Xuanli that perfectly suited his characteristics. He also copied Mu Xuanli's nascent soul and continuously poured it into the celestial sword, attempting to subdue it.
The power of the Immortal Sword is extraordinary; without exceptional strength, it is virtually impossible to subdue it. Although Xiao Wenbing specifically forged the Immortal Sword for Mu Xuanli, gaining its recognition at the Nascent Soul stage would require immense luck and willpower.
Just like Zhang Yaqi in the past, she suffered a lot in order to obtain the Qiankun Ring. If she hadn't sensed Xiao Wenbing's aura at the last moment and escaped from the Black Water Calamity, she would have lost her life, let alone obtained the Qiankun Ring.
However, Xiao Wenbing was quite confident about this, because the method he was using was unique.
After the sword was completed, he directly infused the copied Mu Xuanli Nascent Soul into the immortal sword.
Since the Immortal Sword is a celestial weapon, it naturally possesses its own spirit. It unleashed its divine power, cleaving the Nascent Soul into a bloody pulp with a single strike.
However, Xiao Wenbing was not discouraged. He directed four hundred Dark Infants to replicate the Wood Suspended Nascent Soul day and night, continuously injecting them into the Immortal Sword.
After a full six months, by sheer luck, one of the Nascent Soul cultivators finally gained the recognition of the Immortal Sword.
Counting on my fingers, I don't know how many Nascent Souls have been consumed. If Mu Xuanli had really tried it himself, he would probably be dead long ago.
Having finally achieved his goal, Xiao Wenbing suddenly had some free time. However, under Mu Hua's guidance, he arranged for four veteran immortals, including Quini, to demonstrate their abilities. With their skill alone, they easily won the trust of Mu Hua and the others. The four external aid slots were thus successfully secured.
On this day, Elder Yan came to report that Mu Xuanli could no longer continue training.
It wasn't that the kid died, but rather that his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds in the past six months. If he didn't stop, he would immediately enter the Nascent Soul stage, at which point he would no longer be able to represent the Xuanji Sect in battle.
After receiving the news, Xiao Wenbing summoned him.
"Disciple greets Master." Mu Xuanli bowed respectfully, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his body becoming increasingly robust.
Xiao Wenbing sized up his cheap apprentice. After struggling and fighting under the fifty immortals for more than half a year, Mu Xuanli was like a different person. Not only had his arrogance disappeared, but he also had an extra sense of composure as steady as Mount Tai.
When Xiao Wenbing first saw him, he simply couldn't reconcile him with the arrogant and rude person he had been a year ago.
"Good. It seems your efforts over the past six months haven't been in vain."
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Master."
"You've worked so hard for so long. You've finally made it through. Take a break starting tomorrow."
Mu Xuanli was taken aback. He looked up, his face full of surprise, and said, "Master, this disciple is not suffering and is willing to continue cultivating."
"Okay, okay... okay, what?" Xiao Wenbing nodded and smiled, then suddenly realized something was wrong and asked, "What did you just say?"
"This disciple is not suffering and is willing to continue cultivating." Mu Xuanli said sincerely, without the slightest hint of hypocrisy or affectation.
"You want to continue your cultivation?"
"Yes, please grant permission, Master."
Xiao Wenbing looked at him suspiciously, wondering if this guy had lost his mind.
These immortals were all handpicked by Elder Yan at Xiao Wenbing's behest; none of them were good scum. Rather than training them, it would be more accurate to say they were torturing them.
Xiao Wenbing's purpose was merely to temper this guy's arrogance, but now it seems he's gone too far.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Wenbing said, “Xuanli. Those who cultivate the Dao should proceed step by step. If one seeks quick results in one path, one will not be able to pass the Heavenly Tribulation in the future. In the end, won’t all one’s efforts be in vain? I see that you have become much more composed now. How come you don’t even understand this principle?”
Mu Xuanli was taken aback, then his face turned bright red, and he said, "Yes, this disciple is dull, thank you for your guidance, Master."
Xiao Wenbing nodded in satisfaction, drew out the immortal sword infused with his nascent soul, and said, "I have an immortal sword here, specially forged for you. Do you dare to try to take it?"
Mu Xuanli hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, "This disciple is willing to try."
As a scion of a family of cultivators, Mu Xuanli naturally knew how difficult it was to subdue a celestial artifact at the Nascent Soul stage.
If it were just a piece of armor, that would be fine. Even if you fail, it's just a waste of effort. With a few more tries, you'll eventually succeed. But if it's a weapon, then you should never attempt it lightly.
Weapons are instruments of violence; if we fail to subdue them, there will likely be bloodshed within five steps.
A year ago, he would never have dared to try. But for the past six months, he had been living an inhuman life, constantly teetering on the edge of life and death. To put it bluntly, he had become accustomed to death.
Moreover, and most importantly, he had absolute confidence in Xiao Wenbing. Just think, a casual remark could dispatch fifty immortals as instructors—even the Mu family, with its million-year-old lineage, couldn't accomplish such a feat.
How could such a master joke about his disciple's life?
In Xiao Wenbing's hand, he held a celestial sword as red as fire. The sword was tough and sharp, combining strength and flexibility, with a chilling light and exquisite patterns. With a slight swing, flames would burst forth, making the heat unbearable.
Mu Xuanli took a deep breath. Almost at first glance, he had fallen deeply in love with this immortal sword. His constitution was fire-based, so before it was honed, he was indeed arrogant and conceited.
Now, after suffering many hardships, he has become more reserved, but when he saw this immortal sword of the same attribute, he still revealed an undisguised joy.
"bring it on."
"yes."
With a solemn expression, Mu Xuanli took three steps forward, instantly raising his spirit and energy to their peak, and with lightning speed, he grasped the sword hilt.
An extremely familiar feeling emanated from the sword, as if it had always been his own, without any resistance whatsoever.
Mu Xuanli was overjoyed. He couldn't figure out why, only that he was destined to have this sword. Seeing Xiao Wenbing's smiling face, he quickly turned over and knelt down, saying, "Master, I am grateful for your kindness."
Xiao Wenbing waved his hand and pulled him up, feeling a surge of pride. However, he was also aware of his own limitations; this wasn't due to his superior skills, but rather a matter of pure luck—he had just happened to be one of tens of thousands of Nascent Soul cultivators.
He casually gave him a few instructions, telling him to go home and rest for the time being, and not to cultivate again before the competition. If he were to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, all his hard work would have been in vain.
Mu Xuanli nodded meekly in agreement. Stepping outside, he saw a ray of dazzling sunlight. Recalling the events of the past six months, it all seemed so vivid, yet also like a fleeting dream…
Volume 18, Chapter 17: The First Battle
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The grandest event in Huangzhou City, held once every thousand years, has finally begun.
The outcome of the contest between the Xuanji Sect and the Nutao Sect has a far-reaching impact, drawing the attention of countless other sects closely connected to these two.
As if by prior arrangement, within two months before the competition began, countless experts suddenly appeared in the two major sects, including several immortals.
In fact, both major sects had already prepared two alternative lists of participants a decade ago. This was a tradition that had been passed down for millions of years. However, the appearance of Xiao Wenbing and others gave the Xuanji Sect another new option.
The competition was held alternately at the inner gates of the two major sects, and this time it was the Xuanji Sect's turn.