Outer Sect Trial

"No! Ping'an, why are you in such a hurry to go down the mountain? Prepare for a few more months."

Inside the wooden building, Li Dazhi, who had hurried back upon receiving Wei Yanzi's message, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Li Ping'an stood before a bronze mirror, putting on an Immortal Treasure inner armor.

He continuously adjusted the more than twenty Storage Artifacts attached to the inner armor, checking the items stored in each one and repeatedly calculating the order in which he would draw them during a fight.

Li Ping'an understood well the gap between theory and practice.

He had cultivated on the mountain for over three years. His only proper combat experience had been that brief clash with the Medicine Dust Peak disciple, so he had never been entirely certain of his current strength.

Therefore, following the principle of being prepared for anything, Li Ping'an carried most of his possessions with him, sorting and arranging them carefully.

"Dad, I'm only delivering a letter."

Li Ping'an smiled.

"You've already arranged things this far for me. I can't lose my nerve now."

"No!"

Li Dazhi sighed.

"To tell you the truth, I'm waiting for an old Heavenly Immortal to come out of seclusion. I've already asked around—this old Heavenly Immortal is of the proper seniority to take you as a disciple!

"We're not after anything from this senior expert. We just need you to have a name under him and become an Inner Sect Disciple!"

Li Ping'an put his hands behind his back and asked calmly, "Dad, am I lacking cultivation methods right now?"

"Of course not. I have all of the Myriad Cloud Sect's main cultivation methods. I even got you plenty of divine abilities and spell arts that can only be used after becoming an immortal!"

Li Ping'an asked again, "Then am I lacking treasures or spirit stones?"

Li Dazhi proudly raised his chin. "With me around, could you possibly lack those?"

"Then look, Dad." Li Ping'an spread his hands. "Methods, wealth, companions, land—I lack nothing except companions. With you, an Ancestor's disciples, protecting me, would it really make much difference whether I took a master or not?"

"Of course it wouldn't make much difference."

Li Dazhi blinked, always feeling that something was wrong. Once he came to his senses, he could not help laughing and scolding:

"Wasn't it you who had been feeling miserable because you couldn't find a master?

"I said before that I could guide your cultivation. Your Ancestor Master wouldn't care about such a small matter. Besides... these past Two Months, it's been you giving me pointers. I even received quite a bit of praise from your Ancestor Master because of it.

"Ping'an, why not wait a few more months and see whether that old Heavenly Immortal comes out of seclusion?

"The Outer Sect Elders won't force you to take the trial anyway!"

"Dad, those insights were things you realized yourself while guiding me. They had nothing much to do with me."

Li Ping'an emphasized this point to his father, then sighed.

"I want a master because I want to seek a farther and deeper Dao, not because I want to seek a master's protection.

"A Qi cultivator's cultivation is resonance with the laws of Dao between heaven and earth. It is profoundly mysterious, and one can forget all troubles by immersing oneself in it.

"These past three years, I have read through many sect records. What I know, see, and hear are vastly different from three years ago. Yet the more I learn, the more I feel that the immortal path is difficult to walk.

"So I want to take a master, and I want one who will truly spend time teaching me."

Li Dazhi looked at his son. Though he had a thousand words to say, only one sentence remained when they reached his lips. "All right. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You'll definitely be stronger than me anyway."

"All right, Dad!"

Li Ping'an turned toward his father and lowered his head in a salute.

"Father, please cultivate peacefully within the sect. I'm going to participate in the Outer Sect Trial!"

"Always putting on these empty formalities!"

Li Dazhi muttered. Though full of worry, he knew he could not change his son's mind and could only wave his hand lightly.

"Go on, go on. Once your wings are strong, you have to fly away sooner or later."

Li Ping'an turned and headed toward the small door on the second floor of the wooden building.

Li Dazhi immediately followed after him, repeatedly reminding him:

"Be careful on the road. Outside isn't like inside the sect—there are Evil Cultivators robbing people everywhere! This isn't the law-abiding society back home!"

"If you see female cultivators wearing revealing clothes, stay far away from them. East Continent is full of all sorts of people. Many demonesses cultivate secret arts that harvest yang to replenish yin. A handsome, tender-skinned male cultivator like you is exactly their type!"

"If you ask me, you should hurry up and become Dao companions with Ningning. I've collected more than a dozen dual-cultivation methods for you. They can rapidly raise your cultivation realm..."

Li Ping'an, who was slowly rising into the air atop a sword sheath, could not help covering his eyes. He hurriedly left the range of his father's sonic assault.

Only after another shout came from behind him—

"Ping'an! Come back early!"

Li Ping'an turned and waved, then identified the direction and flew toward the Main Peak.

Li Dazhi stood at the door for quite some time, his plump face filled with melancholy.

The fingers hidden From His Sleeve moved one by one as he counted the various preparations he had made for his son's trial.

Over the past three years, he had used the Father-Son Unity divine ability to transmit cultivation to Li Ping'an three times.

—This was also the main reason Li Ping'an's cultivation speed had been slightly ahead of Mu Ningning's.

Over those three years, even Li Dazhi himself could not remember how many magical treasures and artifacts he had obtained for his son.

In any case, there was enough.

Of course, the reason Li Dazhi could rest easy for the moment was because he had prepared a trump card—

He had already found a True Immortal and an Origin Immortal to serve as his son's temporary bodyguards, secretly escorting Li Ping'an on this round trip.

Given his current circumstances, this was all he could do for his son.

"Alas!"

Li Dazhi sighed, his gaze sweeping through Li Ping'an's room. He walked to the bed, picked up the two disciple robes Li Ping'an had just tossed aside, folded them, placed them at the foot of the bed, then sat there blankly for a while.

He recalled what his master, Daoist Master Kongming, had said about the negative effects of great fortune, and his anxiety deepened.

Fortune could bring opportunities, and opportunities were often accompanied by danger. The one favored by fortune could naturally turn misfortune into safety, but those whose fortunes were stirred by that person might not have the blessings needed to obtain those opportunities.

"Alas, this child's stubbornness in his bones is exactly like mine. There's no persuading him."

Li Dazhi sighed. A white cloud formed beneath his feet, lifting him slowly into the air as he vanished into the mountain mists.

He had already made up his mind.

He would no longer suppress his realm. While Ping'an was away, he would casually advance to the Origin Immortal Realm and strive to reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm soon, establishing a firm foothold within the sect.

A moment later;

Inside the Affairs Hall.

Several old True Immortals hid behind a screen, watching Li Ping'an draw lots.

Wang Xinhui the Deacon was still the one receiving Li Ping'an, and the entire matter was being "handled" by Wang Xinhui.

Li Ping'an drew out a slip of paper from the wooden box. As expected, it read "Yellow Twenty-Three."

Wang Xinhui the Deacon took the slip and put on a show of telling Li Ping'an to wait where he was. He then turned toward a wooden cabinet nearby and took out a Jade Talisman from the drawer marked Yellow Twenty-Three.

Wang Xinhui the Deacon carried the Jade Talisman back and said, "This is the task you must complete."

Li Ping'an accepted the Jade Talisman with both hands. His spiritual sense entered it, and a line of words appeared in his mind.

The mortal Wan'an City has been rather unsettled lately. Chen Gongmin, the Outer Sect Disciple stationed in Wan'an City, is quite worried. Deliver this Jade Talisman to Chen Gongmin and return to the sect Within Two Months to complete this trial.

Li Ping'an took out a Storage Pouch, placed the Jade Talisman inside, and kept it close to his body.

Wang Xinhui smiled. "An Outer Sect Disciple trial is not a major matter, and the sect does not have many demands. There are two things you need to remember."

Li Ping'an clasped his hands and lowered his head. "This disciple is listening."

"First, you are a disciple of the Myriad Cloud Sect. When traveling outside, remember that you must not diminish the prestige of our Myriad Cloud Sect.

"Second, though our Myriad Cloud Sect is a righteous cultivation sect and irreconcilable with Evil Cultivators and demonic cultivators, your cultivation is still shallow. You need not insist on acting as a chivalrous hero. When traveling outside, be cautious and careful. If you encounter danger, preserving yourself should be your priority."

Wang Xinhui the Deacon added:

"Don't overthink it. I give the same instructions to every disciple who goes out for an Outer Sect Trial, not just you."

Li Ping'an smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Deacon."

"This is for you. The elders bestowed it upon you. Remember to return it when you come back to the mountain."

Wang Xinhui the Deacon glanced around, then took a pale white Jade Talisman shaped like a Dao coin From His Sleeve. The words Myriad Cloud were written on it in Seal Script, and he stuffed it into Li Ping'an's hand.

"If you encounter danger outside, you may take this out. It is proof that you belong to the Myriad Cloud Sect. Whoever dares touch you will be making an enemy of the Myriad Cloud Sect.

"If they still make a move... whenever you encounter danger, use the Myriad Cloud Sect Heart Method to activate this talisman.

"Remember, do not flaunt this item in public!"

Li Ping'an said seriously, "This disciple understands."

Wang Xinhui waved his hand. "Go."

Li Ping'an Performed a Daoist Salute again and turned toward the hall doors.

Streams of Immortal Sense followed his figure. Quite a few immortals in the hall watched the young disciple fly toward the mountain gate atop a sword sheath, and whenever they chatted or joked, they inevitably mentioned Li Dazhi.

Inside the Affairs Hall, behind the screen.

Elder Yan Sheng summoned Wei Yanzi before him and carefully gave him a few instructions.

Wei Yanzi lowered his head and accepted the order, transforming into a streak of Rainbow Light as he fled toward Li Ping'an's path.

Elder Yan Sheng took a puff from his Spirit Root Dry Tobacco pipe and shook his head with a bitter smile.

An Outer Sect Elder nearby laughed. "Senior Brother Yan Sheng, when are you setting out?"

Elder Yan Sheng sighed with a smile. "I really Should Not have drunk that meal of wine with Martial Aunt Dazhi. This old bag of bones still has to leave the mountain and make this trip."

After saying that, Elder Yan Sheng stood and stretched lazily. With his hands behind his back and his waist bent, he took two steps, and his figure was already outside the mountain gate, following behind Li Ping'an like a wisp of cloud and mist.

Wei Yanzi and Elder Yan Sheng were the two "bodyguards" Li Dazhi had hired.

Not long after Elder Yan left the mountain gate, a trace of pink-white light flew out of the mountain gate and headed southeast.

Now, back to Li Ping'an.

Riding the sword sheath, he left the mountain gate, took out a map, carefully determined his direction, and descended toward a rift valley a hundred li away.

With the mountain gate as its center, everything within five hundred li was considered Myriad Cloud Sect territory, and sect members would patrol it regularly.

This rift valley had once been a plain. Because a spirit vein lay hidden underground, Myriad Cloud Sect immortals tore open the earth and moved the spirit vein into the Mountain Protection grand formation, leaving these marks upon the land.

Li Ping'an entered the gorge. Wei Yanzi, who had been hiding In the Air, used an immortal art to transform into a white cloud that Floated above the gorge.

A Yin-Yang Treasure Mirror was also hidden within the white cloud.

This treasure mirror came as a pair. One was currently in Wei Yanzi's hand, while Li Dazhi held the other. Wei Yanzi aimed the mirror at the rift below and sent the scene back to the sect.

A moment later, Wei Yanzi gradually grew suspicious.

Why had Li Ping'an gone silent after entering the rift valley?

He waited like this for half an hour, until Elder Yan Sheng, hiding high in the sky, could not help sending a voice transmission to curse:

"The forest three hundred and sixty li south!

"You might as well throw away that Origin Immortal Realm cultivation of yours! You let a Light Condensation Realm disciple slip away right under your nose! You infuriate me!"

Wei Yanzi froze.

Elder Yan Sheng was here too?

Wei Yanzi hurriedly searched with his Immortal Sense. Sure enough, in a forest more than three hundred li to the south, he found a middle-aged male cultivator speeding along just above the treetops.

He focused his gaze, and several black lines crept across his forehead.

At first glance, that male cultivator had no flaws whatsoever. He wore black robes, looked travel-worn, and displayed cultivation at mid Spirit Gathering Realm. He looked exactly like an ordinary Loose Cultivator traveling in haste.

But the problem was...

That male cultivator's appearance was not merely somewhat similar to Wei Yanzi's. It was completely identical!

It was not merely his appearance either. The ornaments at his waist, the expression Between the Brows, even the style of his Daoist hairpin were all exactly the same as Wei Yanzi's true body. Wei Yanzi nearly thought he had developed an inner demon.

This!

"Li Ping'an, you little brat! You actually dared to use my face to swindle people!"

Wei Yanzi laughed as he cursed, immediately driving his cloud after him and following far behind Li Ping'an.

After traveling for two hours, Li Ping'an suddenly turned and glanced at the sky. Wei Yanzi nearly thought his whereabouts had been exposed.

Fortunately, Wei Yanzi quickly concluded that he had worried for nothing.

Li Ping'an carefully observed his surroundings, slipped into another river valley, hid in a corner for a while to restore his spiritual power, then used the Cloud Escape Technique. He transformed into a wisp of white smoke, Arrived At a hidden underground river, and continued onward with Water Escape.

A huge question mark bulged from the top of the white cloud Wei Yanzi had transformed into.

What was young friend Ping'an hiding from?

He was only going out to deliver a letter. Did he really need to be this cautious?

In truth, Wei Yanzi and Elder Yan Sheng were not the only ones unable to make sense of it. Even Li Ping'an himself was gradually becoming somewhat puzzled.

Outside the mountain gate, it doesn't seem as chaotic as Father said...