“What is the Heaven Mist Terrace Ascension Immortal Assembly?” Wu Jiu Zhi suddenly asked the question that had also been puzzling Han Li.
Han Li had heard the name “Ascension Immortal Assembly” mentioned several times since first learning about it from Wan Xiao Shan, but he had never had the opportunity to understand its details. “Could it be a trade fair similar to the Tai Nan Gathering?” Han Li wondered to himself.
“You can’t be serious! You don’t know about the Ascension Immortal Assembly? This is a once-in-a-decade event in Yue Country, the best opportunity for all young cultivators to join a major sect,” Hei Mu exclaimed, both astonished and excited.
“Brother Wu is still young and must have been cultivating in seclusion elsewhere. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t know about the Ascension Immortal Assembly,” Qing Wen, the Taoist priest, remarked without any surprise.
“Oh! Could you tell us more? Joining one of the seven major sects would be like ascending to heaven in a single step!” Wu Jiu Zhi’s interest was immediately piqued, and he pressed Hei Mu for details.
“Now is not the time to talk about the Ascension Immortal Assembly. The issue of us rogue cultivators going missing is what we should be discussing,” Hu Ping Gu interjected, seemingly dissatisfied, though it was unclear whether her words were directed at the young man.
“It’s alright. It wouldn’t hurt to explain it to Brother Wu. Perhaps there are others who aren’t very familiar with the details of the Ascension Immortal Assembly either,” Qing Wen said with a smile. However, Han Li sensed that the priest had glanced at him, intentionally or not.
A chill ran down Han Li’s spine. Had Qing Wen noticed something? He had done his best to obscure any signs of being a novice cultivator and had avoided interacting with these people as much as possible. Yet, it seemed he hadn’t managed to escape the priest’s notice. This Qing Wen truly had sharp eyes!
“Since Priest Qing Wen has said so, I’ll gladly explain it to Brother Wu,” Hei Mu said, his enthusiasm reignited, as if he couldn’t wait to share the information.
Thus, everyone returned to their seats, with the exception of the rotund Huang Xiao Tian.
“I’m very familiar with the Ascension Immortal Assembly, so I’ll head back to sleep first. You all carry on,” the portly man said indifferently. Without waiting for a response from the others, he left the room, leaving everyone exchanging bewildered glances.
“Please don’t mind him. Brother Huang practices a rather unique cultivation technique that requires a lot of sleep. He didn’t mean any disrespect!” Qing Wen quickly explained on Huang Xiao Tian’s behalf, his expression earnest.
Most people in the room responded with bitter smiles. Mind him? Who would dare? That man was even more formidable than the priest himself!
The atmosphere in the room grew slightly awkward.
“Brother Hei Mu, please continue!” Wu Jiu Zhi broke the silence, urging Hei Mu to proceed.
Hei Mu smiled and resumed his explanation. “To talk about the Ascension Immortal Assembly, we must first mention the Foundation Establishment Pill, the elixir that drives all Qi Refinement cultivators mad…”
As it turned out, for any Qi Refinement cultivator to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and become a true member of the cultivation world, aside from reaching the seventh layer of their foundational technique, they must also consume the Foundation Establishment Pill, a spiritual medicine only major sects could refine. Only then could they hope to break through their bottleneck and successfully establish their foundation.
This earned the Foundation Establishment Pill the illustrious name “Ascension Immortal Pill,” driving cultivators to near madness in their pursuit of it.
Even within the major sects, Foundation Establishment Pills were exceedingly rare. The ingredients required to refine them were extremely difficult to find. Even with all the cultivation sects in Yue Country pooling their resources and efforts, they could only produce a few cauldrons of these pills every ten years, amounting to a mere thousand or so pills.
Even if these pills were divided exclusively among the sects, they still fell far short of meeting their own needs. Thus, it was impossible for any Foundation Establishment Pills to leak outside.
However, throughout Yue Country’s cultivation world, there were many Qi Refinement cultivators who had reached the seventh layer of their foundational techniques and desperately needed the Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt a breakthrough.
This created a sharp contradiction: on one hand, the Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely scarce and monopolized by the major sects; on the other hand, the number of rogue cultivators in need of the pills was growing, yet not a single pill could be found outside. This led to intense conflict between the two sides, with low-level cultivators even harboring deep resentment toward the sects.
Naturally, the major sects became aware of this troubling trend but found themselves at a loss. After all, they themselves didn’t have enough Foundation Establishment Pills—how could they possibly spare any for outsiders?
But there is no problem without a solution. Eventually, a genius from one of the sects devised a resolution. He proposed that whenever a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills was refined, the sects would select exceptionally talented rogue cultivators from outside, allow them to join the major sects, and then provide them with the pills.
This approach ensured that the Foundation Establishment Pills remained within the sects, preventing outsiders from benefiting. It also alleviated the dissatisfaction among low-level cultivators, as who wouldn’t be delighted to join a major sect? Additionally, it allowed the sects to recruit outstanding disciples, achieving three benefits at once.
However, the selection process had to be fair and strict to avoid criticism, which would otherwise backfire. Thus, the sects adopted the most classic and convincing method of survival of the fittest: a擂台 competition where those with superior strength could earn the qualification to join their ranks.
Each of the seven major sects offered ten disciple spots and ten Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards for the final victors. Of course, they imposed certain age restrictions, refusing to accept anyone over forty, as such individuals, regardless of their talent, held no promise for future cultivation.
And so, the “Ascension Immortal Assembly” was born!
The winners of the arena competitions were mostly individuals with profound mana and exceptional talent, much to the delight of the sects that acquired these outstanding disciples.
The resentment among other cultivators gradually dissipated with the establishment of the assembly, as their attention turned entirely to this once-in-a-decade opportunity to leap through the dragon’s gate.
The Ascension Immortal Assembly continued to be held session after session, with seventy lucky individuals becoming disciples of the seven major sects each time, driving other cultivators to near madness.
In the end, almost every eligible Qi Refinement cultivator who believed themselves sufficiently powerful would desperately attempt the arena competitions several times, hoping to get lucky and transform from a carp into a dragon!
But these arena competitions were far from easy. After all, spells were not something low-level cultivators could control at will. Each session resulted in numerous casualties and fostered deep-seated grudges among the participants!
Hei Mu spoke for nearly an hour, captivating Wu Jiu Zhi, who found the account immensely rewarding. Han Li, who listened alongside him, also gained invaluable insights, deepening his understanding of the cultivation world.
“If I succeed in the martial arts competition, doesn’t that mean I could also become a disciple of a major sect?” Wu Jiu Zhi said, his face full of yearning after hearing the explanation.
“Dream on! With your level of skill, entering the arena would only lead to injury or death!” Hu Pinggu couldn’t help but mock Wu Jiuzhi’s daydreaming.
“Oh, why? Am I not capable? Isn’t an eighth-layer technique qualification enough for the arena?” This time, Wu Jiu Zhi didn’t get angry. Instead, he earnestly sought advice from Hu Ping Gu.
Surprised, Hu Pinggu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Young Wu, do you know what kind of people last year’s seventy champions were? How many cultivators of your level were injured or killed in the arena competitions?”
“I beg for your guidance, Madam Hu!” Wu Jiu Zhi said with utmost sincerity.
“I witnessed the entire Ascension Immortal Assembly’s arena battles last year, and the memory still terrifies me,” Hu Ping Gu said, her face paling as if recalling something dreadful.
Her husband, the bearded man, quickly placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Hu Ping Gu glanced back at him affectionately, her expression softening slightly.
“My husband and I have no intention of participating in the arena competitions. We only plan to observe and are prepared to remain at the Qi Refinement stage for life. Since you still harbor lofty ambitions, I will explain the dangers of the arena competitions to you, so you don’t die without understanding why,” Hu Pinggu said calmly.
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