Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 779: Disciples

This person was none other than Fan Dongchen.

However, his current appearance was completely different from the arrogant and overbearing Prodigy of Profound Origin Sect that everyone remembered.

His Daoist robe was stained with mud and grass, making him look utterly disheveled.

The face that was always so haughty was now devoid of any color, and his lips were still trembling slightly.

His eyes were unfocused, and his body was hunched.

There was no trace of any Talisman on him.

He had been eliminated.

"Hiss..."

Someone in the crowd gasped.

At this moment, whether it was those who had just complained about him or the Disciples of Profound Origin Sect themselves, all were slightly surprised and found it hard to believe.

Who?

Who could have reduced a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, especially an elite Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Profound Origin Sect, to such a state?

Li Yi of Cave Abyss Sect, Jue Ming of Huadu Temple... or that mysterious Loose Cultivator, Jiang Ming?

Zhou Liu subtly raised his eyes, glanced at him, then closed them again, seemingly unfazed.

Xi Shuyan, on the other hand, was extremely curious, wondering who had made the move.

This question also arose in the minds of everyone present.

On the viewing platform, there were no formal Elder seats, just the Elders representing the Nine Pulses gathered together.

The Profound Origin Sect Elder in charge of external affairs, on par with Zhang Guangyuan, was Shen Yu.

He frowned slightly upon seeing Fan Dongchen eliminated in such a sorry state.

"Useless."

He cursed silently.

Originally, in his opinion, the three new generation Foundation Establishment Cultivators—Zhou Liu, Xi Shuyan, and Fan Dongchen—would not encounter any problems as long as they didn’t act recklessly.

Now, Fan Dongchen had been eliminated early, having encountered someone unknown.

However, in the subsequent Grand Competition stage, it was impossible not to have him participate.

It would be a waste of a qualification to advance.

Just as this atmosphere of dead silence and shock spread, a figure vaguely appeared at the exit of the selection.

A tall and slender figure appeared in everyone’s sight.

A profound golden Daoist robe, an ancient sword box.

It was Song Yan.

His expression was calm and unruffled, as if he had just returned from a meditation session.

His dark Daoist robe was spotless, indicating that no intense battle had taken place.

He was composed and at ease.

However, everyone’s gaze was instantly fixed on the scene surrounding him.

Nine Talismans slowly rotated, rising and falling.

Three Yin Talismans, three Yang Talismans, and three blank grey Talismans.

The square fell silent for a moment.

Song Yan subtly raised his eyes, his pale golden pupils calmly sweeping across the square, finally landing on the tattered figure in the crowd.

Fan Dongchen’s gaze had been blankly fixed on Song Yan.

Until the other party looked his way, he trembled all over, as if remembering something, and a look of terror appeared in his eyes.

"Is it him...?"

"Song Yan of Cave Abyss Sect?"

The selection was nearing its end, and to this day, apart from Fan Dongchen, there had been no reports of anyone extensively hunting other Cultivators.

Therefore, the current situation was quite easy to guess.

"Hiss––"

"No way... How can this person not look like he’s been in a fight at all?"

"What’s so surprising? Senior Brother Song is already incredibly powerful..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Earlier in Changping, I witnessed Senior Brother Song’s graceful demeanor, and at that time he was only a Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level Cultivator."

"Quickly, tell me more."

Discussions broke out among the crowd.

Zhou Liu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened them at this moment.

Those eyes, for the first time, truly held a hint of what could be called interest, fixed on the Cultivator who was even younger than him.

Xi Shuyan, who had been standing beside him, now smiled sweetly, her eyes also flickering slightly.

Her red lips parted, silently uttering two words that were drowned out by the surrounding clamor.

On the Elder’s platform, Shen Yu’s gaze fell upon Song Yan, revealing a hint of surprise.

"This child has actually Foundation Establishment..."

No emotions could be discerned in his aged eyes.

Song Yan paid no attention to all the noise, calmly withdrawing his gaze.

With a slight movement of his fingertips, the nine Talismans circling and dancing around him instantly converged their light.

They gathered one by one in his hand, transforming into three black and white jade jue.

The blank spirit Talismans were returned to his Talisman box.

He continued forward with steady steps, walking towards where the Cave Abyss Sect Disciples were gathered.

As if the discussions of others had nothing to do with him... The sun was setting.

Soon, the selection stage officially concluded.

Some who had been slow to collect all their Talismans and avoided battle were also teleported out by the Formation.

The results of this selection, it must be said, exceeded many people’s expectations.

Cave Abyss Sect, surprisingly, secured a total of seven spots.

Song Yan alone claimed three, while Li Yi, Yuwen Yao, Xiang Zhaoling, and Lin Qing each secured one.

What was rather unfortunate was that Han Yuan and Yuwen Yao encountered a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator on their way back.

To protect Yuwen Yao, Han Yuan held off the person for a few breaths, allowing Yuwen Yao to retreat.

However, he himself lost all his spirit Talismans, was not only eliminated, but also suffered relatively severe injuries.

Although regrettable, it was understandable.

"There was really nothing I could do."

Han Yuan was slowly recovering from his injuries, and at this moment, he gave a carefree smile, with a slight hint of apology: "Foundation Establishment is truly powerful."

The other few from Cave Abyss Sect were also eliminated.

Song Yan’s gaze subtly swept over Shao Sichao, who was hidden at the back of the crowd, deep in thought.

No Elder came to announce the final results, so all this information was obtained through mutual observation among the Cultivators.

Sweeping his gaze across the bustling crowd, Song Yan’s eyes paused slightly.

He saw a familiar figure.

Yang Kaijun.

"Huh?"

He didn’t die?

Song Yan felt a strange surge of doubt in his heart.

At this moment, Yang Kaijun looked normal, standing safely in the crowd.

What made him even more peculiar was that the person walking with Yang Kaijun was Ke Huai, whom he had previously met again at the Cultivation Dao Field.

A Loose Cultivator and a Disciple of a small Sect were walking together.

"Were they already acquainted?"

Ke Huai also looked normal, currently conversing in a low voice with Yang Kaijun, only his brows lacked a few points of gentle temperament.

An indescribable strangeness.

Cultivators from various Pulses gradually dispersed.

The reason why the Elders did not make a final judgment at this time was naturally because the selection had not yet completely ended.

There were still ten full days from now until the announcement of the shortlisted candidates for the top three of the Grand Competition.

There was still a lot of room for maneuvering during this period.

Regardless of the selection, various forces would send a Disciple to observe the competition.

This Disciple had only one task.

To record which Cultivator had extra spots.

For the Nine Pulses Grand Competition, the ultimate champion would undoubtedly be a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.

It could be said that a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator who could reach this point at the end of the selection had pretty much reached their limit.

Even the Sect Disciples thought so.

However, almost all Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators participating in this grand event wished to stand on that final stage.

This was the largest grand event in the Chu Kingdom’s Cultivation World.

Appearing under the world’s gaze would mean being considered a prominent Cultivator in the Cultivation World.

However, how to obtain a spot from those Cultivators who possessed extra advancement qualifications... This was where various forces needed to display their Divine Abilities... On the way back to the Immortal Cave, the Disciples from the previous generation had also finished their selection.

The Cave Abyss Sect group received another piece of even more encouraging news.

Among the selection of the previous generation of Disciples, four out of five Cultivators actually qualified.

Only Senior Sister Qin Ying was unfortunately eliminated.

This was an extremely terrifying matter.

The champion of the Nine Pulses Grand Competition usually emerged from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the previous generation.

Out of a total of twenty seats, Cave Abyss Sect had already secured four.

Combined with the situation of the new generation of Disciples, the Sect would have a total of eleven Disciples who could stand on that final stage.

This year’s results were simply terrifying.

Zhang Guangyuan’s smile was impossible to hide.

Where there is joy, there is naturally sorrow.

At the Profound Origin Sect’s deliberation hall.

The ten Disciples of the new generation gathered together, and the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.

Actually, the Profound Origin Sect’s results this year were quite decent.

Three out of five Disciples from the previous generation advanced, and five out of ten Disciples from the new generation advanced, with an additional spot.

It looked good, but when he thought of Cave Abyss Sect’s situation, he felt a bit disinclined to speak.

Shen Yu remained silent for a moment, then slowly broke the silence: "Cave Abyss Sect this time, counting the two in Song Yan’s hand, has seven new Disciples advancing, and four from the previous generation. They cannot be underestimated."

He didn’t think the position of the Nine Pulses champion would be easily conceded, but in terms of numbers, Cave Abyss Sect’s rise was also very obvious.

His gaze turned to the dejected Fan Dongchen: "Why did you lose to Song Yan?"

Everyone’s gaze turned to Fan Dongchen.

"Song Yan has some strange Divine Ability that I don’t understand."

He stammered for a while, finally blurting out this sentence: "Elder, that illusion was indistinguishable from reality, truly terrifying, I..."

He looked up and scanned the crowd, only to see Zhou Liu closing his eyes without speaking, Xi Shuyan with a look of mockery, and the other Disciples also showing signs of doubt.

Illusion technique?

If he had truly been defeated by such a low-tier method, it would be a laughingstock.

He must have underestimated his opponent, allowing Song Yan to launch a sneak attack.

Given Fan Dongchen’s strength, it was hard to imagine how the other party could have sent him out so effortlessly, unless it was under such circumstances.

Shen Yu wanted to speak but stopped, finally letting out a sigh.

"Do not say more."

Shen Yu waved his sleeve, cutting him off: "Defeated is defeated, why quibble?"

Fan Dongchen still wanted to argue, but his face alternated between red and white, and he finally swallowed his words.

"Anyway, Zhou Liu still has one spot left, so it will be given to you."

Shen Yu said: "This time, do not be arrogant and underestimate your opponent again."

"...Yes, Elder."

Fan Dongchen sighed in his heart, and promised: "If I encounter an opponent again, I will definitely not..."

Just then, Zhou Liu slowly opened his eyes.

"Why are you saying this?"

A cold voice sounded.

Zhou Liu’s gaze made Fan Dongchen dare not look directly at him.

"When did I say I would give this spot to you?"

What?

Both Fan Dongchen and the others were slightly stunned.

There were only three Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators among the Profound Origin Sect Cultivators; if not him, then who, a Qi Refining Cultivator?

"You must know, if we were fighting outside, you would already be dead by now."

"You would be a dead person, understand?"

The atmosphere in the hall was extremely oppressive.

Zhou Liu took out the extra Yin and Yang jade jue from his qiankun bag and said: "The champion of this Nine Pulses Grand Competition will certainly be me."

"So, who else participates, how they go through the motions..."

"I don’t care at all."

He didn’t use spiritual power, merely held it in his hand, raising it.

"It doesn’t matter who this qualification to advance is given to."

"Only you, Fan Dongchen..."

Zhou Liu looked down at him, his face devoid of any pity.

"You are not worthy."

Clang.

He flicked the jade jue with his finger, sending it into the arms of a Qi Refinement Stage Disciple.

Then, Zhou Liu flicked his sleeve and left the place.

Fan Dongchen stared blankly at his retreating figure, his eyes lost in confusion.

Shen Yu sighed; this qualification to advance belonged to the Cultivator, and he had no right to interfere.

The casual remark he had just made was the most explicit hint he could give.

Unfortunately, this person was Zhou Liu.

The Qi Refining Cultivator who received the advancement qualification was overjoyed and wanted to express gratitude, but found that Zhou Liu had already left.

He then looked at Fan Dongchen with some apprehension, unsure what to say.

He wondered if this person would take his anger out on him in the future.

Everyone dispersed one by one, leaving only Fan Dongchen sitting blankly, lost in thought... In these past few days, various forces had already begun to take action.

If Song Yan’s Immortal Cave had a threshold, it would have been worn out by now.

Before and after, countless people visited with "sincerity."

They subtly inquired about the use of Song Yan’s two extra spots.

He rejected them one by one.

Regarding these two spots, Song Yan had actually discussed it with Li Yi, but Old Li was too lazy to bother.

Elder Zhang Guangyuan also offered no opinions, allowing Song Yan to handle it himself.

This was truly difficult.

Among the five fellow Disciples who didn’t advance, Han Yuan was now at Qi Refining Perfection, Chen Chen and Zhao Xuan were at Level 8 Qi Refining, Senior Brother Kong You was at Level 9 Qi Refining, and Shao Sichao was at Qi Refining Perfection.

Logically, these two spots should be given to Han Yuan and Shao Sichao.

However, Shao Sichao was a strange person; when Song Yan consulted him, he actually refused.

"Although my cultivation is decent, my combat strength is insufficient, and I am inherently timid and cowardly, I fear I would disgrace the Cave Abyss Sect’s reputation."

Shao Sichao said so.

"...Alright."

Song Yan nodded, not saying much more.

After all, this matter truly depended on individual willingness.

So he currently tentatively decided on Han Yuan and Senior Brother Kong You; there were still ten days until the Grand Competition officially began, so there was no rush to finalize it.

If Shao Sichao suddenly changed his mind, it would save him from constantly changing things and making a good situation awkward.

On the third day after the selection ended.

A gentle ripple came from the Restriction outside the Immortal Cave; someone had visited again.

Xiao Ju was currently in seclusion cultivating in the training room.

Song Yan opened the Restriction himself.

Countless people had visited in recent days; no matter their intention, it was always inappropriate to turn them away.

Normally, Xiao Ju and Xiao He could handle it.

This time, the visitor was a woman.

Cloud-gauze robes covered her delicate figure, her soft dark hair was casually tied up, and her skin was as white as snow, as delicate as jade.

"This Disciple of Heavenly Jade Palace, Su Lianxue, greets Senior Song."

Su Lianxue bowed gracefully.

The sheer white gauze top on her chest, with this movement, truly appeared somewhat flimsy.

Her peaks were steep, faintly visible.

Song Yan gasped when he saw her.

He thought, "This is not good."