Chapter 257
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Chapter 257: Zhuang Ling
In the morning, the crisp calls of spirit birds echoed through the valley.
Zhang Xueling stepped onto the climbing steps of the trial peak, basking in the morning sun.
The climbing steps, originally just a decorative feature of the mountains, were finally being put to practical use.
“Junior Brother Zhang, do you want me to give you a lift?” a Second-Generation Disciple at the Foundation Establishment Stage floated nearby on a small spiritual boat.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, but I’d rather take it step by step,” Zhang Xueling replied with a smile.
With the Wind Control Technique and Lightness Technique, he could easily ascend, but Zhang Xueling enjoyed the scenery of the mountain valleys, so he chose to hike.
“Alright, then I’ll go ahead,” the Second-Generation Disciple said, not pressing further, and turned the spiritual boat toward the mountain peak. Today was Battle Royale game day, and he couldn’t afford to miss it.
“Take care, Senior Brother.”
Zhang Xueling continued his leisurely climb.
An hour later, with the sound of a bell, the Battle Royale game began, and Zhang Xueling arrived at the entrance of the trial tower.
“Zhang Xueling, follow me.”
A tool puppet led Zhang Xueling to the first floor of the trial tower, where they stepped onto a hidden teleportation formation.
“Is this the test the Grand Elder mentioned?” Zhang Xueling asked, gazing at the soul illusion formation, which was about the size of a soccer field.
“This formation is called the Eternal Dream Path. Once you enter the grand formation, you’ll be transported into a vivid dream.”
“In the dream, only by wholeheartedly pursuing the path to immortality can you maintain the formation’s operation. If your mind becomes distracted, you’ll be expelled from the dream.”
“One month in the cultivation world equals two years in the dream.”
“The master has projected all the techniques and methods from the Sutra Pavilion into the dream. You’re free to study them as you wish.”
“If you can endure the dream for one year, you’ll pass the Grand Elder’s test,” the puppet explained.
“Twenty-four years of focused cultivation, huh?”
Zhang Xueling’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he gazed at the grand formation. Listening to the puppet’s words, he felt certain that this dream was the place he had always longed for.
At that moment, Zhang Xueling felt like a gamer locked in a gaming paradise; as long as he had food, he could stay there forever.
When Xu Fan learned that Zhang Xueling had entered the test, he glanced at the distant trial tower and muttered, “Don’t let me down. Maintaining this formation requires a significant amount of time-space sand.”
The remaining time-space sand had almost entirely been used by the second clone to set up formations.
Just then, a young girl holding a food box descended from a giant eagle with a wingspan of ten meters.
The girl hopped off the snow eagle and gracefully landed in Xu Fan’s courtyard.
“Grand Elder, breakfast is ready,” Lei Wenxi said respectfully.
“What brings you here today?” Xu Fan asked with a smile.
“I just came out of seclusion and thought I’d visit the Grand Elder.”
Xu Fan glanced at Lei Wenxi and asked, “Are you about to advance to Golden Core?”
“Yes, I’ve already passed the challenge puppet. In a month, I’ll be ready to break through to Golden Core,” Lei Wenxi replied.
“Before you leave, head to the treasury and claim a spatial artifact. The Hundred Beasts Garden is far more useful than your beast control bag,” Xu Fan advised.
In the Hidden Spirit Sect, only three disciples practiced the Beast Taming Technique, and the precious artifacts were specially made for them, a gesture of Xu Fan’s care.
“Grand Elder, I really don’t want to go out for training; can I stay?” Lei Wenxi mustered the courage to ask.
“It’s a sect rule. If you feel lonely, you can join your brother. He’s been doing quite well recently.”
Lei Wenxi’s brother, Lei Ren, reached the Golden Core Stage a year ago and now runs a spirit pill shop in a fairy city heavily affected by the Beast Race Invasion, where he’s befriended a group of righteous taoist friends.
“Alright,” Lei Wenxi replied, expecting the Grand Elder’s refusal.
“When you go, take plenty of spirit feeding pills; otherwise, you won’t be able to feed all those spirit beasts alone,” Xu Fan said with a chuckle.
This young girl had already raised over two hundred spirit beasts, all nurtured into rare or entirely new breeds using her homemade spirit feeding pills.
Take the snow eagle circling the sky, for example—it could unleash formations in battle, altering the surrounding weather.
“I won’t take them all; just Little Flower Deer, Xiao Yun, Xiao Die, Xiao Long, and the weasel.”
“Haha, Grape’s going to have a headache,” Xu Fan laughed.
Xu Fan and Lei Wenxi chatted over breakfast until he finished. Then, Lei Wenxi cleaned up and piloted her spiritual boat to the sect’s cafeteria.
“There are still over sixty stubborn disciples in the sect who haven’t reached the Golden Core Stage; they need a push,” Xu Fan said, squinting at the distant main peak.
Meanwhile, on the Outer Sect Island near the Hidden Spirit Sect, a newly appointed Outer Sect Elder was organizing the delivery of jade slips for Golden Core disciples heading out for training.
A map of the central continent unfolded, marking dozens of fairy cities where Golden Core disciples were stationed.
“Xiuyun, you’ll handle deliveries to cities one through six.”
“Bingqiu, you take cities seven to fourteen.”
“Baoling, you’re responsible for…”
After assigning tasks, the new elder gazed toward Hidden Spirit Island, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
As the Outer Sect Elder replacing Shi Zhan, his greatest ambition wasn’t to advance his cultivation but to secure a place for his newborn child in the Hidden Spirit Sect.
Since joining the Outer Sect, his life had grown mundane, so he and his unpredictable cultivation partner decided to have a child.
He’d spoken to inner sect disciples, who assured him that if he performed well, his child would get a chance at the admission assessment by age six.
Outside Stone Domain Fairy City, Xiong Li led seven female disciples from the Joyful Union Sacred Land in battling a group of Nascent Soul Stage beast race members.
Xiong Li transformed into a ten-foot bronze true form, cutting through the Nascent Soul Stage beasts while the young female cultivators cheered him on and occasionally provided support.
The seven female cultivators, each with their own charm, began exchanging transmitted messages, airing their frustrations.
“I’ve never met a man so dense; is his heart made of iron?” a sultry female cultivator said.
“You’re wrong—it’s ten-thousand-year cold iron,” a pure-looking female cultivator retorted.
“Looks like we’re not getting through to him.”
All the female cultivators sighed in unison.
“Maybe our approach is off; we haven’t struck a chord with him,” a dominant, graceful female cultivator mused.
“Why not let Zhuang Ling try?” one suggested tentatively.
At that, all the female cultivators pictured a muscular woman with the strength to crush mountains and outrun dragons.
“Can she really do it?” a pure-looking girl asked.
“Let’s try; we’ve got nothing to lose,” the dominant female cultivator sighed.
With that, all eyes turned to Xiong Li, still locked in combat with the beast race.
