Chapter 229
Yang Jian knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently, sweat and blood mingling and sliding down his cheeks.
Around him, corpses littered the ground, and the severed limbs of demons piled up like mountains.
However, the monsters he slew did not dissipate, but instead turned into wisps of black smoke.
They coalesced again not far away, letting out a piercing roar, and pounced on him once more.
Endless and without end.
This was Yu Ding Zhenren's first test— the Illusion Demon Array.
A demon resembling a vicious wolf suddenly pounced, its sharp claws slicing through the air with a piercing sound.
Yang Jian's eyes narrowed, and his body rolled to the side almost instinctively, barely dodging the fatal blow.
Before he could even catch his breath, he swiftly plunged the already dulled ordinary iron longsword into the demon's throat.
"Mortals are nothing but ants!"
In the hallucination, a monstrous demon with a blue face and fangs appeared, its features contorted.
It roared, and its giant axe came crashing down with the force of a thunderbolt.
"No!"
Yang Jian roared, overwhelmed by helplessness and despair once again.
Just as the axe blade was about to touch the top of his head, another image flashed through his mind.
He saw his mother's last glance back at him before she was buried under Peach Mountain.
"Jian'er, live on... become stronger..."
His mother's voice was like a thunderclap in the darkness, instantly shattering all the fear and confusion in his heart.
I am Yang Jian! I've come to learn martial arts to save my mother!
The belief in one's heart is like a bright lamp that has been lit, dispelling all the gloom.
The confusion and pain in his eyes faded, replaced by an unwavering determination.
He no longer passively parried, no longer deceived by illusions.
The grief in his heart was now transformed into the power of the blade in his hand.
"Break!"
Yang Jian roared angrily, ignoring the persistent demonic illusions.
He concentrated all his magical power into a single point and charged fiercely toward the weakest point in the center of the Array Formations.
That's where the core of the formation is!
Countless demons tried to stop him, but he ignored them, letting their claws and weapons leave deep, bone-revealing wounds on his body.
He had only one goal: to break free of this damned cage!
With a deafening roar, as he unleashed a powerful slash, the entire space violently distorted and shattered.
The bloody battlefield vanished like a mirage, replaced by the refreshing mountain breeze and bright sunshine Golden Cloud Cave.
Yang Jian was covered in blood, leaning on his sword, and stood with difficulty.
Not far in front of him stood the Yu Ding Zhenren.
Yu Ding Zhenren remained calm and nodded slightly, saying, "Being able to see through Inner Demon is good, but this is only the first hurdle."
She flicked her whisk and pointed to the back mountain, "Next is the second challenge. Go to the alchemy room in the back mountain and learn to refine a Spirit Gathering Pill within three days. Remember, you only have three days."
She didn't give Yang Jian any time to catch his breath or heal his wounds. As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and walked back to her cave.
Yang Jian gritted his teeth, dragged his exhausted body, and walked towards the back mountain, leaving bloody footprints with each step.
He knew that his master was tempering his character.
The road to power is by no means easy.
Inside the alchemy room, a wave of heat hit us.
Beneath the enormous alchemy furnace, the Earth Fire roared, and the walls were covered with all sorts of medicinal herbs, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance.
A copy of "Introduction to Alchemy Sutras" was carelessly tossed on the stone table, with no other guidance provided.
Ignoring his injuries, Yang Jian immediately sat down cross-legged, circulated his inner energy for a moment to regulate his breathing, and then immersed himself in the study of alchemical texts.
The Spirit Gathering Pill an entry-level elixir, but for a young man who has never been exposed to alchemy, it is nothing short of a divine book.
The temperature, timing, and order of adding medicinal herbs—every step requires extreme precision.
On his first attempt, he overheated the fire and burned the entire batch of medicinal herbs to charcoal.
On his second attempt, the order of ingredients was wrong, causing the alchemy furnace to shake violently and spew out a foul-smelling black smoke that made him dizzy and lightheaded.
The third time, the fourth time... failures followed one after another.
Two days and two nights passed, his eyes were bloodshot, and his spirit and magical power were on the verge of exhaustion.
On the stone table, only the last batch of medicinal herbs for refining the Spirit Gathering Pill remained.
"No, something's definitely wrong..."
He muttered to himself, repeatedly replaying the process of his failure in his mind.
Impatience, anger, and resentment—these emotions, like Inner Demon, began to plague his mind once again.
He suddenly recalled the insights he had gained within the Illusion Demon Array.
The angrier it is, the stronger the phantom becomes.
Isn't alchemy the same?
The more eager one is to achieve quick results, the more impatient and agitated one becomes, the less able one is to perceive the subtle changes in the heat and the fusion of medicinal properties.
Yang Jian closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.
He stopped thinking about the time constraints and the heavy responsibility of saving his mother; his entire mind was completely immersed in the world of the alchemy furnace and medicinal herbs.
When his mind reached a state of tranquility, he opened his eyes again.
This time, his movements were fluid and without the slightest hesitation.
The medicinal herbs were added, the Earth Fire was ignited, and spiritual energy was infused—everything was perfectly timed.
As the last ingredient was added, a clear, melodious hum emanated from the furnace, and a refreshing fragrance instantly filled the entire alchemy room.
At the last moment of the three-day deadline, the furnace lid was opened, and a perfectly round pill emitting a faint glow lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace.
The Spirit Gathering Pill is complete!
Yang Jian let out a long sigh of relief, a great sense of exhaustion washing over him, but a genuine smile appeared on his face.
He took the still-warm Spirit Gathering Pill and walked out of the alchemy room. Yu Ding Zhenren was already waiting outside the door, as if he had already expected the outcome.
"Good."
Yu Ding Zhenren uttered only one word before taking the pill from his hand. He then flicked his finger, and the pill transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into Yang Jian's mouth.
A gentle yet powerful spiritual energy instantly dissipated, rapidly repairing his exhausted body and damaged meridians.
Yang Jian felt completely refreshed, all the fatigue of the past few days vanished, and his magical power also improved considerably.
"Thank you, Master!"
Yu Ding Zhenren remained noncommittal, then turned and led him to a valley Golden Cloud Cave.
The place is shrouded in mist, and danger lurks everywhere.
In the valley, forty-nine immortal swords floated in the air, forming a powerful sword formation.
The blade gleamed with a cold light, and the crisscrossing sword energy cut fine cracks into the void.
Yu Ding Zhenren's expression became more serious than ever before. "The third challenge is to pass through this sword formation, which will constantly change according to your strength and state of mind."
If you can pass through it unharmed, you will officially become my disciple."
Completely unharmed!
Yang Jian's heart skipped a beat; the pressure emanating from the sword formation was many times stronger than that of the Illusion Demon Array.
He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the ordinary iron sword he had found by chance in the mountains.
This sword accompanied him in his escape and in his battles; now, it will accompany him as he faces his final test.
There was no way back, nor was there any need to turn back. For his mother's sake, he had to succeed!
With a determined look in his eyes, Yang Jian resolutely stepped into the sword formation.
The moment his figure entered, the entire sword formation was instantly activated.
Amidst the buzzing sound, the seven immortal swords closest to him transformed into seven streams of light, as if imbued with life, attacking him from all directions with lightning speed...