Jianzhou, located in the northern part of the Yue Kingdom, is the second largest of its thirteen prefectures. Its terrain is dominated by mountains, rivers, and hills, with a sparse population, and it borders the neighboring Yuanwu Kingdom.
The Taiyue Mountain Range lies in the western part of Jianzhou, stretching continuously for thousands of miles. It is not only a pristine, uninhabited wilderness teeming with wild beasts and birds of prey but also shrouded in mystery due to occasional rumors from woodcutters and hunters claiming to have seen immortals or monsters.
Ordinary people would never guess that the heart of this mountain range has been occupied for thousands of years by the Yellow Maple Valley, one of the seven major immortal cultivation sects.
From above, the area appears no different from other mountain ranges—rugged peaks and lush forests—but in reality, it is concealed by an enormous mystical formation. The scenery is merely an illusion; beneath it lies a dense cluster of towers and grand halls, with cultivators gliding about on leaf-shaped magical instruments, busy with their tasks.
The current sect leader of Yellow Maple Valley, Zhong Lingdao, is over a hundred years old but still maintains the appearance of a middle-aged man with a long beard. He has reached the late Foundation Establishment stage and is known for his steady temperament and organizational skills, earning him high prestige within the sect. Both elders and fellow disciples hold him in great respect.
However, the usually composed and confident Sect Leader Zhong now sat frowning on the main seat of the grand hall, watching helplessly as a middle-aged man and an elderly man argued vehemently before him. Dozens of other cultivators with varied expressions sat on either side of the hall—all were management figures of Yellow Maple Valley.
“Senior Brother Murong! The allocation of Foundation Establishment Pills was decided months ago. How can you suddenly revoke my grand-nephew’s pill and give it to some rogue cultivator? This is utterly unreasonable!” The elderly man shouted indignantly at the clean-shaven, scholarly-looking middle-aged man.
Surprisingly, although the elderly man appeared much older, he addressed the middle-aged man as “senior brother.”
“Junior Brother Ye, an unexpected situation has arisen. Once every few hundred years, someone arrives with an Ascension Token to join our sect. How can we ignore this? We must allocate a Foundation Establishment Pill to the newcomer,” the middle-aged man replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
“But this person isn’t from a cultivation family—he’s just a rogue cultivator. Does he really deserve a Foundation Establishment Pill? Allowing him to join the sect should be blessing enough!” The elderly man argued, his face flushed with anger.
“Junior Brother Ye, that’s not the way to see it. How do you know his ancestors weren’t part of a cultivation family? Perhaps his family declined, reducing him to a rogue cultivator. Besides, who can guarantee their family will thrive forever? What if one day the Ye family declines, and a descendant arrives with an Ascension Token? Should we deny them a Foundation Establishment Pill and only let them join the sect? If you dare swear such an oath before everyone here, I, Murong Shan, will walk away and never mention the pill again.”
The middle-aged man spoke eloquently, leaving the elderly man pale and speechless.
How could the elder dare make such a vow with far-reaching consequences? Even if he did, it would only mean this particular rival would back off—who knew if others would step forward?
“But why does it have to be my grand-nephew’s pill? Couldn’t it be someone else’s?” The elder asked unwillingly, raising his voice.
“That’s because your grand-nephew performed poorly in the assessment, ranking near the bottom,” the middle-aged man said, shaking his head with feigned regret.
Infuriated by the other’s pretentious attitude, the elder gritted his teeth. Still, for his grand-nephew’s sake, he pressed on: “My grand-nephew’s ranking is low, but he isn’t the very last! There are two others below him, aren’t there?”
“You’re right, there are two others ranked below him. But their circumstances are exceptional! I’m afraid your grand-nephew will have to make way,” the middle-aged man said in a tone of mock sympathy.
“Exceptional? Unless you give me a convincing reason, I won’t accept this!” The elder retorted fiercely.
“Enough! There are indeed special reasons. Skipping those two and selecting your grand-nephew was approved by me. As for the reasons, I would have explained even if you hadn’t asked.”
Zhong Lingdao, displeased by the elder’s unreasonable tone, scowled and rebuked him.
Hearing the sect leader speak this way, the elder felt a chill. He only knew two people ranked below his grand-nephew but had no idea who they were—this was the root of his anger. Could there truly be exceptions that would make the usually fair and strict sect leader show favoritism?
Zhong Lingdao waved his hand, signaling the middle-aged scholar to return to his seat, and sighed. “Junior Brother Ye, I’m afraid your grand-nephew will indeed have to yield this time. One of the others is the only mortal descendant of Aunt Redpine. Although the girl initially failed the assessment, I included her in the Foundation Establishment Pill list out of consideration. Surely you wouldn’t suggest revoking her pill?”
At the mention of Aunt Redpine, the elder paled, his expression turning fearful and respectful.
“Since she is Aunt Redpine’s descendant, of course she should be cared for. How could I disrespect an elder? I accept this arrangement without complaint,” the elder said, his face still pale.
Sect Leader Zhong was not surprised by this reaction. As the only female Core Formation cultivator in Yellow Maple Valley, Aunt Redpine’s protective nature was well-known to everyone present. If the girl’s Foundation Establishment eligibility were revoked, not only would the elder face trouble, but even he, the sect leader, would suffer consequences.
“What about the other person?” The elder asked reluctantly, though he suspected there was a valid reason, he still clung to a sliver of hope.
“The other possesses a rare wind-attribute variant spiritual root. Is that reason enough?” Zhong Lingdao stroked his beard and spoke slowly.
Hearing this, the elder fell silent. The sect rules explicitly stated: those with heavenly spiritual roots or variant spiritual roots were prioritized for Foundation Establishment. There was no room for complaint.
But his grand-nephew—though not a blood grandson—had been raised under his watch since joining the sect, and he cared for him more than a real grandson. How could he bear to deliver the news that his Foundation Establishment eligibility had been revoked?
“Then is there really no hope for my grand-nephew? If he has to wait another ten years, he’ll miss the optimal window for Foundation Establishment and never have another chance in this lifetime!” The elder’s voice carried a tone of despair, sparking whispers among those seated nearby.
“Junior Brother Ye, there might still be a way,” said a grim-looking man with a hawk-like nose, stepping forward to comfort Elder Ye.
“What? Senior Brother Wu, you have a solution?” Elder Ye perked up immediately. Senior Brother Wu was renowned in the sect for his resourcefulness—perhaps he truly had a plan.
Senior Brother Wu smiled slightly but did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to Zhong Lingdao and asked respectfully, “Sect Leader, has the spiritual root attribute of the person with the Ascension Token been tested? What is his aptitude?”
“It seems rather poor. Junior Brother Wang, you brought him in and conducted the test. Please report,” Zhong Lingdao said to someone on the left side.
“Yes, Sect Leader,” a man in light green robes stood up and said calmly, “He is young, around eighteen or nineteen, with ninth-level early-stage wood-attribute basic cultivation. His spiritual roots lack the metal attribute, making them pseudo-spiritual roots. Overall, his aptitude is low, but he must have encountered some fortuitous opportunity and trained diligently to reach his current level. Without further opportunities, he will likely peak at the eleventh or twelfth level of basic cultivation and never achieve Foundation Establishment. Even if he takes a Foundation Establishment Pill, his chances of success are only about one percent…”
“Good!” Senior Brother Wu interrupted loudly before Junior Brother Wang could finish.
“What’s good?” Elder Ye asked impatiently.
The others looked at Senior Brother Wu with confusion, while Zhong Lingdao frowned slightly, already guessing his intention.
“Sect Leader, if the newcomer voluntarily gives up the Foundation Establishment Pill, it wouldn’t count as us breaking our promise, would it?” Senior Brother Wu asked.
“Of course not. But no one is allowed to use threats or coercion—that would ruin Yellow Maple Valley’s reputation,” Sect Leader Zhong reminded gently.
“Don’t worry, Sect Leader. Of course not,” Senior Brother Wu smiled, then turned to Elder Ye. “Junior Brother Ye, would you mind spending some resources to buy his Foundation Establishment Pill? Given his poor aptitude and minuscule chances of success, he’ll likely prefer practical items over the pill.” Senior Brother Wu spoke with full confidence.
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