Since ancient times, the Ancient Path Holy Land has had its own rules for sect trials.
This is an ironclad rule personally established by the founding patriarch, and no disciple has ever been able to arbitrarily exempt it.
Inner disciples must leave the peaceful sacred ground every fixed period of time to go down the mountain for training and to hone their Daoist heart by walking through the mortal world.
The trial missions are diverse, ranging from venturing deep into desolate mountains and wilderness to wipe out the strongholds of the demonic forces that are causing trouble.
Whether it's venturing into ancient ruins sealed for millennia to seek opportunities, or escorting top caravans across perilous and remote regions.
The final results of each trial will be included in the annual evaluation of inner disciples, directly linked to the allocation of sect resources, cultivation quotas, and even the subsequent promotion qualifications of core disciples. There is no room for perfunctory or negligent work.
The new round of inner sect trials has begun as scheduled. Elder Sun, who is in charge of this year's inner sect affairs, summoned all the newly promoted and veteran inner sect disciples to the central training ground early on.
On the vast and magnificent training ground, countless inner disciples stood in neat rows, their clothes in order and their auras refined, quietly listening to the elders issue the trial instructions.
Elder Sun stood atop the high platform, his gaze sweeping over all the disciples. His voice was loud and solemn, echoing throughout the entire training ground.
"The destination of this group trial is the Black Mist Marsh on the Southern Border of the Heavenly Gift Dynasty. Recently, the demonic atmosphere in the Black Mist Marsh Swamp has surged, giving rise to a new demonic force that is robbing merchants and slaughtering rogue cultivators, disrupting the peace of the border region."
"The sect has ordered that teams of my inner disciples be dispatched to eliminate the threat."
He paused, softened his tone slightly, and continued to explain the difficulty of the trial.
"This mission is of moderate difficulty, suitable for you inner disciples to hone your skills."
"The demonic cultivators entrenched in the Black Mist Marsh are mostly low-level demons of the seventh or eighth tier, with a few tribal leaders barely reaching the Ninth Tier. There are no high-level demonic experts in charge."
"With the strength of your inner disciples, a cautious approach will easily complete the extermination. It won't be too easy and fruitless, nor will it be too dangerous, deadly, or difficult to handle."
Upon hearing this, all the disciples felt a slight sense of relief, and their faces showed composure.
For those who had already entered the inner sect and had a solid foundation, seventh, eighth, and Ninth Tier demonic cultivators were indeed not a fatal threat; it was a training mission that was sure to be profitable.
Upon hearing this arrangement, Chen Du, standing in the crowd, remained completely unmoved, even feeling a slight sense of laziness and reluctance to go through the trouble.
He is now living a very comfortable and carefree life in the inner sect.
During the day, he disguises himself as an honest and law-abiding newly promoted Eighth Stage disciple, blending in with his fellow disciples to keep a low profile, avoiding competition and trouble, and peacefully getting by in the sect's daily cultivation.
As night fell and the mountains fell silent, he quietly wandered through various ancient secret places of the sacred land, frantically searching for the treasures and opportunities accumulated over millennia with his extraordinary talent.
Cultivation techniques, divine seals, spiritual medicines, and Dao patterns flowed into his pockets in an endless stream, steadily accumulating his foundation every day, with an astonishingly fast development speed.
This kind of Lie Dormant rhythm, where one can lie low during the day and fatten up at night, is stable and comfortable, and there is absolutely no need to go out and travel for trials.
However, the sect trials are a strict rule and a mandatory task that cannot be refused at will.
As expected, Elder Sun then called out and registered the list of trial participants one by one, and unsurprisingly, he included Chen Du's name in the travel group.
The inner sect trials are strictly regulated. Unless there are special reasons such as being seriously injured, undergoing a breakthrough in seclusion, or having urgent sect matters to attend to, no one may be absent.
Anyone who makes excuses or evades responsibility will have a large number of evaluation points deducted and will be deprived of sect resource allocation for the next few months, which is a losing proposition.
Chen Du pondered for a moment, weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and simply accepted it.
Those seventh, eighth, and Ninth Tier demonic cultivators in the Black Mist Marsh were no different from ants and weeds in front of him, a Fourteenth Tier cultivator.
With just a snap of the fingers, the entire area can be wiped out, requiring very little time and effort.
More importantly, venturing out into the world and encountering dangerous situations can trigger the [Turn Danger into Safety] talent, allowing one to accumulate a massive amount of Calamity Qi.
Along the way, you can pass through major towns and commercial ports, and trigger Infinite Sign-In at any time, reaping worldly opportunities.
After all the calculations, this trial is not only not a loss, but a sure thing.
With his mind made up, Chen Du stopped worrying. He quickly packed his clothes and storage bag, then followed the trial team down the mountain, embarking on his journey to the Southern Border for training.
The group of inner disciples traveled at great speed, day and night, and in just two days, they arrived at the renowned Mount Tai Immortal Assembly, a large commercial port in the central part of the Heavenly Gift Dynasty.
The Mount Tai Immortal Assembly is a top-tier super power on par with the Ancient Path Holy Land, possessing vast resources and controlling most of the cross-regional trade routes of the entire dynasty.
The Immortal Clan's exclusive flying merchant ships traverse the sea of clouds and shuttle through the vast territories of the heavens. They are extremely fast and highly safe, making them the preferred mode of transport for high-level cultivators traveling long distances. The only drawback is that the tickets are extremely expensive.
To save time and the hassle of traveling by land, Elder Sun led everyone directly to the Immortal Society's merchant ship camp to negotiate and coordinate with the Immortal Society manager stationed at the port.
After a brief discussion, the manager readily arranged private cabins for all the disciples.
Elder Sun repeatedly instructed all disciples to stay quietly in their cabins and rest after boarding the ship, not to wander around and cause trouble, not to provoke disciples of the Immortal Society, and to abide by the rules of the merchant ship.
After giving their instructions, the disciples each received their room numbers and dispersed to rest in different parts of the ship's cabins.
Chen Du was assigned a quiet single room located in the inner part of the cabin. The cabin was not large, but the furnishings were simple and clean.
A jade couch, a wooden table, and a round viewing window—look up and you can see the rolling sea of clouds outside, vast and boundless.
He pushed open the door and entered, then closed it behind him, preparing to sit down on the couch for a short rest.
Boom!
A loud, brutal slamming sound erupted as the sturdy wooden hatch was violently kicked open, the door panels trembling violently.
Four men dressed in tight black clothes, exuding a sinister and chilling aura, filed in like ghosts, instantly occupying the four corners of the cabin and completely blocking all escape routes.
The four were surrounded by a thick, heavy, faint black demonic aura, their bodies wreathed in malevolent energy and their bloodlust chilling. They were clearly ruthless demonic villains who had spent years wandering in the shadows and killing countless people.
The leader was a fierce-looking man with a scarred face; a hideous scar ran diagonally from his brow down to his jaw, his face contorted with rage.
He gripped a gleaming, short blade tightly in his palm. The blade was entirely black, with a faint green glow flowing from its edge; it was a deadly, poisonous blade that could kill instantly upon drawing blood.
The other three men in black also carried a fierce weapon, their auras were calm and steady, and all of them were genuine Ninth Tier demonic cultivators.
The four stood there, their eyes arrogant and domineering, their faces filled with unbridled killing intent and arrogance, completely disregarding Chen Du, this seemingly weak Eighth Stage cultivator.
From beginning to end, they made no attempt to conceal their actions or show any fear, acting with extreme arrogance, seemingly certain that they could silence anyone on this merchant ship and that no one would be able to hold them accountable.
Scarface toyed with a poisoned short blade in one hand, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over Chen Du, who sat quietly on the couch. His tone was cold and arrogant, carrying a condescending mockery and indifference.
"Zhang Shun? No need for further questions. Someone paid a hefty price to take your life. Just accept your fate and die. Don't blame us brothers for being ruthless in the Underworld. We're just doing what we're paid to do."
Chen Du leaned back against the jade couch, his expression calm and indifferent. He raised his eyes and looked at the four arrogant and domineering demonic cultivators in front of him. He asked them questions without any haste.
"Who exactly paid you to kill me?"
Upon hearing this, Scarface burst into a sneer, his laughter filled with utter mockery and disdain, his face radiating arrogant indifference.
"You think you're qualified to know the employer's identity?"
"An Eighth Stage junior who has just entered the inner sect, his death is simply his death. May he rest in peace on his journey to the Yellow Springs; there's no need for him to know too much."
The moment he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly turned fierce, his killing intent surged, and he raised his hand and swung it out violently.
"Do it! Finish him off!"
Four Ninth Tier demonic cultivators moved simultaneously, their figures flashing out, bringing with them gusts of cold demonic energy and fierce winds. Four vicious weapons slashed towards Chen Du's vital points.
Every move was ruthless and deadly, a deadly technique that left no chance of survival.
[Deliberate Revenge triggered. The opponent is extremely arrogant, with a chilling murderous intent and disdain for everyone. The initial condition for a slap in the face has been successfully met, increasing the Hatred Qi Value by 3,000.]
[Super Upgrade triggered, the Deliberate Revenge talent has been enhanced tenfold, gaining 30,000 points of enhanced Enmity Qi.]
Chen Du's expression remained unchanged throughout, and his eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.
This group of Ninth Tier demonic cultivators, who would be enough to roam freely in the eyes of ordinary cultivators, were not even ants in the eyes of him, Fourteenth Tier.
He slowly rose from the jade couch, his posture relaxed and leisurely, and then lightly flicked his fingers around.
Four barely perceptible strands of dark golden lightning shot out instantly, with perfect precision, and landed in the brows of the four black-clad demonic cultivators.
There was no earth-shattering momentum, no overwhelming power; it was silent, invisible, and intangible.
The arrogant and violent scarred man in front of him froze instantly, his grotesque grin turning completely still, and all his movements abruptly ceased.
He looked down in disbelief at his unharmed body, then suddenly looked up at Chen Du, who stood calmly before him. His lips moved wildly, as if he wanted to roar, to question, or to beg for mercy.