Chapter 180: Comprehending the Mundane in the Mortal World

Qin Haoxuan silently calculated in his heart, hoping that the “Entering the Mortal World” trial would not last too long and delay the maturing of the Cockscomb Grass in the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. If the mature grass were to stay in that poison-filled place for too long, its spiritual energy might dissipate.

On this day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Ye Yiming arrived at Qin Haoxuan’s room. Qin Haoxuan was stroking Little Gold’s furry head. The little fellow’s cultivation during this period had been quite effective; its dark golden fur was shiny and lustrous, its color much more beautiful than before.

When Ye Yiming arrived, his gaze couldn’t help but linger on Little Gold.

“Senior Brother, I am entering the mortal world today. I entrust Little Gold to you,” Qin Haoxuan said, stroking the monkey’s head. Little Gold seemed to understand his words and clung to his neck, letting out a series of soft, reluctant chirps, its face a picture of unwillingness to part.

Ye Yiming forced a smile. “I will take good care of him.”

Qin Haoxuan nodded and pulled the monkey from his neck. “When it’s time for the harvest, Little Gold knows exactly how much of a cut to take from each field. I’ll have to trouble you to help with the accounting.”

“Mm, rest assured, Junior Brother. I will handle these matters properly,” Ye Yiming instructed. “Once you are outside the borders of the Taichu Sect, Master Chi Lian will surely make his move. You must be careful at that time. Remember to come back alive to see our Master and me…”

As he spoke, Ye Yiming’s voice grew choked with emotion. He grabbed Qin Haoxuan’s hand. “Your senior brother is useless and cannot protect you. If something happens to you, I will have no face to see Han Zhong in the afterlife…”

Qin Haoxuan nodded solemnly.

Just then, a series of deep, solemn drum beats echoed through the air. It was the signal for the disciples to assemble.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM…

The drum beats grew more rapid and then abruptly stopped. After the sound faded, Ye Yiming patted Qin Haoxuan’s shoulder, his eyes slightly moist. All that needed to be said was left unspoken.

Qin Haoxuan walked out of his room and went to the Spirit Valley Meadow. A bustling crowd of new disciples had gathered there, the scene even grander than the one before entering the Aqueous Manor.

Chang Aotian and Xu Qing were seated with several Taichu Sect elders. A team of about forty new disciples, led by Murong Chao, stood in a neat formation. By the time the others arrived, they were already organized, each with a talisman hanging from their neck. This was not an offensive or defensive talisman, but a symbol of their identity as a disciple of the Taichu Sect.

Zhang Yang stood in the crowd, his venomous eyes fixed on the beaming Murong Chao. This time, the three Purple Seeds had been hidden away by the sect elders, leaving only the two Gray Seeds to represent them. For them, this was a great opportunity to stand out, and that opportunity had been snatched away by Murong Chao.

As Zhang Yang glared daggers at him, Murong Chao stood proudly, occasionally speaking in low tones with the disciples beside him, his smile confident, his demeanor refined. He also saw Qin Haoxuan in the crowd. This time, when he looked at him, his face held a faint air of arrogance. He secretly resolved in his heart that he would completely surpass Qin Haoxuan. With his Gray Seed aptitude and the favor of the sect elders, attending a grand cultivation event like the Tree Transformation Banquet was a golden opportunity to make a name for himself.

I must use this trial to completely surpass Qin Haoxuan! Seeing the lone figure of Qin Haoxuan in the crowd, a smile played on Murong Chao’s lips as he made a proud vow in his heart. Qin Haoxuan, reality will show you that a weak seed is a weak seed. Even if you are lucky enough to win Junior Sister Xu’s favor for now, it will not last, because you are only a weak seed! But don’t worry. For her sake, and for the sake of our friendship, when Junior Sister Xu and I become cultivation partners in the future and our realms have greatly increased, we will certainly do our best to protect you.

After Murong Chao’s team was ready, they departed from the Taichu Sect under the leadership of Xia Yunzi. “Nephew Chang, Niece Xu, we are ready. The journey to the Gufeng Kingdom is long; we should set off now,” Xia Yunzi said to the two visitors.

Chang Aotian had originally wanted to watch the mobilization ceremony for the new disciples, but since Xia Yunzi had spoken, he could not object. After exchanging a look with Xu Qing, they also left. What greatly surprised the two of them was that besides Murong Chao, the Taichu Sect actually had another Gray Seed. To have recruited two Gray Seeds in a single year, how good is the Taichu Sect’s luck? Chang Aotian and Xu Qing both saw the astonishment in each other’s eyes, and they were eager to return and report this to their own sect elders.

But before leaving, Chang Aotian walked over to Qin Haoxuan. “Junior Brother Qin, after we part today, I do not know when we will meet again. If you wish to find me in the future, please use the paper cranes I left with you to contact me.” With that, he cupped his hands and mounted his horse.

As they were “Entering the Mortal World,” the journey was long, so the sect had provided each person with a fine horse. With a clatter of hooves, the team of about forty people, including the two visitors, kicked up a cloud of dust and departed from the Spirit Field Valley.

After they had left, and after the sect elders confirmed they were far beyond the sect’s borders and could not re-enter the great array, the three Purple Seeds appeared amidst a commotion. Once everyone had arrived, Elder Chu walked onto the stage, his solemn gaze sweeping over the one hundred-plus new disciples. He shouted in a deep voice, “Silence!” The entire field fell quiet.

“The Trial of the Immortal Path is to let you experience how to be a cultivator. ‘Entering the Mortal World’ is to let you experience what it is to be a mortal!” he announced from the high platform. After he finished speaking, the disciples below looked at each other and began to whisper.

“We were all born as mortals. Why do we need to experience what it is to be a mortal again?”

“Exactly. In that case, this trial seems completely unnecessary.”

Elder Chu cleared his throat. “The you of today, in the eyes of a mortal, is already an immortal with great powers. But many of you still see yourselves as mortals and do not realize you are already cultivators. Therefore, you must experience what it is to be a mortal. Only when you comprehend what it truly means to be a mortal can you truly understand what it means to be an immortal, and thus step onto the path of cultivation and attaining the Dao.”

After speaking, he said, “According to the rules of the trial, you will now be divided into teams, and each team will go to a different place to experience the mortal world. When I call your name, please stand to my right.”

“First team, led by Elder Ximen Sheng. Team captain: Zhang Yang. Team members: Luo Yi, Xu Huang, Li Jing, Hua Lao, Qin Haoxuan…”

Elder Chu read out more than fifty names, placing Qin Haoxuan, Zhang Yang, Li Jing, and Xing in the same group. Xu Yu, however, was not among them, which made Qin Haoxuan breathe a sigh of relief. If she were with him, she might be implicated when Master Chi Lian came after him.

When the leading elder, Ximen Sheng, appeared beside Elder Chu, some of the sharp-eyed disciples gasped in surprise. Ximen Sheng was short, dark, and thin, looking extremely unremarkable. His hair was casually tied up, and he wore a dark yellow sweatband on his forehead. He was dressed in coarse cloth robes, looking just like an old farmer from the countryside.

“Elder Ximen Sheng… could it be the Deputy Hall Master of the Jade Bamboo Hall?” a disciple who knew a bit about the sect’s upper echelons whispered to his friend. “From his figure, I’m more and more certain it’s him.”

“In previous years, they would just send any random elder for this trial. Why send a Deputy Hall Master this year?”

“Can’t you figure it out?” his friend replied patiently. “Don’t you forget that the Unsurpassed Purple Seed, Li Jing, is in our team? If the sect were to openly send a Deputy Hall Master, wouldn’t that be a clear signal to everyone that the disciples in this year’s trial are very powerful? But if they don’t send an expert of that level, the higher-ups wouldn’t be at ease. So, they sent him in disguise to confuse any onlookers and achieve their goal in secret.”

Several elders quickly began to distribute jade talismans. They were a dull gray color, clearly not made of high-grade jade. On the round surface were carved only the two characters for “Taichu,” a simple mark of identification.

After Qin Haoxuan’s team was organized, the taciturn Elder Ximen Sheng waved his hand, mounted his horse in a single, fluid motion, and led them down the mountain. In their group was also the prince of the Soaring Dragon Nation, Li Si. The arrangement from the Hall of Worldly Affairs was for this team to send a few disciples to deal with the rogue cultivators and resolve the nation’s crisis when they passed through the capital city.

As they began their descent, Qin Haoxuan’s heart was in his throat. The moment they left the sect’s territory, he could face retaliation from the Spirit Tree Realm’s Master Chi Lian. But after looking around, he did not see him.

Zhang Yang, who was riding at the very front, kept turning his head to look back at Qin Haoxuan, a cold sneer on his lips. He was ecstatic. Heaven is helping me! I was just thinking of how to kidnap him to blackmail Xu Yu, and now he’s been assigned to my group. Outside the sect’s territory, there are no restrictions. As long as I’m not too obvious, the sect’s rules can’t touch me. And this fool doesn’t even have a Guiding Senior Brother with him! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Xing, in his guise as Hua Lao, rode up to him and whispered, “Boss, are you thinking of how to deal with Qin Haoxuan?”

Zhang Yang glanced at him coolly. “I am. Do you have any suggestions?”

“I do have an idea. I’ll pretend to have a falling out with you, and then I can openly go over to his side. With the friendship I’ve built with him, he shouldn’t be too suspicious. When we get to a secluded place, we can work together to capture him. Then, whether you kill him or cut him to pieces, it will all be up to you,” Xing said. After learning a few of Qin Haoxuan’s incantations, he had no desire to associate with Zhang Yang any longer.

Zhang Yang cursed softly, “You’ve been hanging around him all month, you stupid pig. I haven’t seen you manage to tie him up yet.”

Xing repeatedly agreed, an apologetic smile on his face, while in his heart, he was swearing, I, a genius of the great Nether-race, am acting as your underling, and you still pick at me? My noble demonic integrity has been stained by you! Hmph! Just wait until we’re out of the sect’s territory. I’ll find a chance to eat you without anyone knowing! Go on and be arrogant. You won’t be for much longer.

Zhang Yang gave him a cold look and warned softly, “Go and get close to him now. The moment we are out of the Great Islet Mountain range, find an opportunity to kidnap him.”

Xing cursed him inwardly but put on a broad smile and agreed readily. He immediately reined in his horse and moved to ride beside Qin Haoxuan. At that moment, Li Jing was already riding alongside him.

After cultivating the Tyrannical True Dragon Art, a kingly aura emanated from Li Jing. He looked calm and composed, standing out from the group of new disciples like a crane among chickens. He was chatting with Qin Haoxuan, his expression at ease, letting out a hearty laugh from time to time, while Qin Haoxuan’s own expression was calm and indifferent.

Seeing Zhang Yang’s venomous, snake-like gaze on Qin Haoxuan, Li Jing comforted him, “Junior Brother Qin, please rest assured. With me in this team, Zhang Yang will not be allowed to act recklessly.” Although he no longer felt the need to actively recruit Qin Haoxuan, if he could be on good terms with him, he might be able to buy some of Xu Yu’s Qi-Circulating Pills in the future.

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