Ascension Ceremony (Triple Chapter)

Perhaps because of the previous death of Junior Brother Song, the sect's manpower was mobilized quite quickly this time.

Besides Mei Yong, Elder Fu also followed two steps behind, catching up together.

However, they were too late; the battle here had already ended.

Xiao Chen first used his Law Power to grab the Storage Bag from Ding Sanlei's waist and put the spoils into his sleeve.

Then, together with Elder Liu, they went to greet them, "Senior Brother Mei, Senior Brother Fu, we're alright. The demonic cultivators who caused this trouble have been dealt with."

Huh?

Mei Yong was immediately surprised when he saw that Elder Liu had deliberately lagged behind Xiao Chen by half a step.

He glanced back to make sure there were no enemies.

Only then did he relax and ask, "That's good. Can you tell where this demonic cultivator came from?"

Elder Liu stated, "The other party used the Eight Demons Blood Refinement Formation, so they must be henchmen of the Divine Fire Sect."

"We have to thank Junior Brother Xiao for arriving in time and killing the enemy leader."

In an instant, all three of them turned their gazes to Xiao Chen.

Huang Haoran, in particular, looked completely bewildered.

Didn't you say you were just going to 'go and observe the situation'?

Xiao Chen modestly stated, "I was just lucky; I happened to have learned a Cultivation Method that was quite effective against this demonic cultivator."

"Besides, when I arrived, Elder Liu had already fought halfway through the battle with the other side; I was just picking up the scraps."

In terms of time, it does indeed account for half.

Mei Yong, however, interpreted it as Elder Liu having already suppressed the demonic cultivators. He then suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."

Based on Huang Haoran's previous description, the situation seemed to be quite critical.

He had just thought that Xiao Chen had turned the tide and was wondering what had happened.

If they encountered a demonic cultivator whom even Elder Liu couldn't defeat, Xiao Chen would probably be powerless to help.

That explanation makes sense now.

Huang Haoran immediately understood; it seemed that he had simply misjudged the situation.

It is estimated that after Xiao Chen arrived, he found that Elder Liu was not at a disadvantage, so the two joined forces to kill the demonic cultivator.

Recalling his previous encounter with Ding Silei, Xiao Chen did indeed possess the ability to threaten Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.

Looking back now, his Sword Art was indeed quite formidable.

Huang Haoran was not Sword Cultivator, so he only felt that the Sword Art was unusual.

But Elder Fu is a true Sword Cultivator.

Upon arriving, he immediately noticed the traces left by the clash of Sword Qi.

The Sword Art closest to the cave was clearly of exceptional skill.

Even the remaining Sword Qi carried a faint aura of killing intent, allowing him to indirectly feel a sense of pressure.

However, judging from the state of the damaged trees around them, the other side had actually lost.

According to his understanding, Elder Liu usually specializes in Law Technique, especially Wood Method and Fire Method, and is not good at using swords.

The only person who could defeat the demonic cultivator with a sword is— Xiao Chen!

Thinking of this, Elder Fu's gaze towards Xiao Chen suddenly held a more intriguing quality.

Just picking up a bargain?

It's probably not that simple.

Elder Liu, who was standing to the side, was also puzzled upon hearing this.

He was well aware that Xiao Chen had just killed Ding Sanlei entirely on his own.

So some people don't understand why Xiao Chen didn't take credit.

Elder Liu's first reaction was: Could it be that he was trying to save face for me?

After all, he had been caught off guard and failed to recognize the difference in power in time to retreat. By the time he realized his Law Power was being drained, he was already completely suppressed by the demonic cultivators and was in grave danger.

Was Xiao Chen perhaps worried that revealing the truth would damage his reputation?

But that doesn't make sense either.

If an ordinary person encountered such a situation, they would definitely speak up to demonstrate their strength.

Elder Liu pondered carefully, recalling several rumors he had heard about Xiao Chen over the years.

The number of these rumors was very small, and they were all spread by others about him.

Even though he broke through cultivation levels very quickly and repeatedly broke records, he never took the initiative to show off.

Got it!

Elder Liu immediately understood that this must be a personality issue.

Xiao Chen simply doesn't like to be too flamboyant by nature and is a rather low-key person.

The saying goes, "A wise man keeps his talents hidden."

By concealing your strengths, you become less vulnerable to being targeted by your enemies.

He felt he had figured out the truth of the matter.

So he swallowed the words of praise he was about to say and took the initiative to change the subject in cooperation with Xiao Chen.

And this is actually quite good.

Keeping it a secret that Xiao Chen is actually very capable will help him have fewer competitors when trying to win over others.

The five of them then searched the vicinity and destroyed any remaining rune arrays.

They also rescued a few lucky rogue cultivators who were tied up in wooden barrels, and then returned to their sect together.

This matter is certainly not over yet, but since it involves the Divine Fire Sect, it needs to be considered carefully.

The Song Family lost a Foundation Establishment, and the entire clan was indignant.

They began to contact the other Elder to discuss supporting their fellow cultivators in He Province in their joint attack against the demonic cultivators.

However, whether or not they can proactively seek trouble with the Divine Fire Sect depends more on the will of Bright Flame True Person than on their own.

Several members of the Song Family family joined the Demon Subduing Hall to take on missions, seemingly wanting to vent their anger on the Divine Fire Sect.

They naturally have the support of the Song Family's Foundation Establishment.

If the Demon Subduing Hall hadn't run out of positions suitable for Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they might have been able to create two more Foundation Establishment.

With the Song Family's tireless help, all kinds of tasks and clues were handled in a timely manner.

Xiao Chen, on the contrary, became even more idle, not having to do any work.

He spends his days in Emerald Valley, focusing on his cultivation.

Of course, he also didn't forget to check the Storage Bag he had taken from Ding Sanlei and Ding Silei.

Strangely enough, there were only a mere 339 Spirit Stone in those two Storage Bag combined.

That's incredibly scarce.

Xiao Chen even suspected that they had deliberately spent all their money before coming to Li Province.

Moreover, unlike other people's Storage Bag are filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items.

Both Storage Bag were relatively clean, containing neither Spirit Herb nor spiritual minerals, nor clothing, food, or other daily necessities.

The only survival resource was the Grain Avoidance Pill.

In addition, they brought many elixirs and Talisman for combat.

For example, there are Gushing Spring Pill that restore Law Power, Fire Spirit Pill temporarily increase Fire Spiritual Power, and several stacks of talismans with different Five Elements Spell Talisman.

The Talisman mainly came from Ding Silei's Storage Bag.

However, before he could even use them, Xiao Chen killed them, and they all became spoils of war.

Fortunately, besides the Talisman, Ding Silei also brought A Bottle of Mutton Fat Jade Dew.

Mutton Fat Jade Dew is an extremely rare and precious item; only a small amount can accumulate in Mutton Fat Jade Mine every hundred years.

Moreover, even if the jade mine is repaired after being extracted once, it will take more than ten years before it can start to solidify again.

It would take at least three hundred years to accumulate such a small bottle.

Even for some powerful forces with several jade mines within their territory, it would take at least several decades to produce a single piece.

.

This stuff can be used as spirit medicine or taken directly.

It can enhance the cultivation of cultivators with different Spirit Root.

Moreover, the Mutton Fat Jade Dew has another unique feature: its beneficial effects are not limited to the Five Element Spiritual Root, but are also effective for cultivators with Variant Spiritual Root.

Therefore, its price in the market has remained high for many years.

Of course, Xiao Chen would not choose to sell it, but planned to keep it for himself.

Now that we have another top-tier Spirit Liquid, we won't have to worry about the resources we need for rapid cultivation over the next two months.

Besides these, there were only two booklets, a formation diagram, a Storage Box, and a Pill Formula left.

Xiao Chen checked them one by one, first flipping through two books.

Unfortunately, these are two Mysterious-grade Spell, and they are not Devil Cultivation Method from the Yellow Springs Path.

Next was the array diagram, which showed the setup method for the Eight Demons Blood Refinement Formation.

The back of the array diagram even records the requirements for crafting the Formation Flag and the materials needed to set up the array.

The only problem is that activating this formation requires consuming Essence Blood, and strengthening the formation also requires Essence Blood.

Although it's possible to use other people's Essence Blood as a sacrifice, and Xiao Chen also possesses the <Blood Extraction Great Art>, overall, it's not a good thing.

He put away the array diagram, then opened the Storage Box to take a look.

Generally speaking, items that are specifically stored here are usually of good quality.

Sure enough, it contained a rare Second-grade Xia Ku Cao, a plant that appears only once in a century.

It is light purple, with a bell-shaped calyx.

According to records in Pill Manual, this herb withers after the summer solstice. It is said that it possesses pure yang energy and withers when it encounters yin Yin Qi, hence its name.

Xia Ku Cao contains pure yang energy, but it also has a touch of yin energy, so it is not too harsh.

It is generally used as an adjuvant in some special Pill Formula.

"Strange, why was such a Spirit Herb specially preserved? Could it be related to the Pill Formula?"

Xiao Chen picked up the last handwritten Pill Formula and looked at it.

This Pill Formula actually records an extremely powerful cultivation pill called the Three Revolutions Mysterious Origin Pill.

The effect is extremely simple and direct—it assists in breakthroughs.

Cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer can break through a minor realm directly upon taking this pill for the first time.

Theoretically speaking, this thing is best suited for breaking through Minor Bottleneck at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer.

It can directly save cultivators from years or even decades of hard work.

It's also good for use at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, allowing you to directly reach the Ninth Layer Great Perfection.

Of course, pills with similar effects all share the same two drawbacks.

One issue is that if you eat one and then eat a second one...

While it can't be said that it has no effect at all, since it still contains abundant Spiritual Qi, its overall effect is not very significant.

Secondly, such pills are extremely rare, and even the Spirit Herb required for their refinement are often of very high quality.

Xiao Chen glanced at them and found that most of the auxiliary medicines were not complicated and could be obtained from the Li Fire Market.

However, the three Main Ingredient required above are rather outrageous.

The first Main Ingredient must be of the same element as the Five Elements, meaning it needs to be Spirit Herb that contains Five Elements Attributes.

The second key Main Ingredient requires that Yang Contains Yin, meaning that a spiritual object that is yang in its entirety naturally contains a trace of yin.

The requirement for the third Main Ingredient is to Yin Contains Yang, which is the exact opposite of the second ingredient.

"Hiss~, isn't that asking for too much?"

Xiao Chen looked at the three requirements and felt a little numb.

However, he did some thinking in his mind.

If he's preparing to refine the Three Revolutions Mysterious Origin Pill, it seems he's already gathered two of the Main Ingredient.

The Mutton Fat Jade Dew contains inspiration from all attributes, and naturally also possesses the five elements, making it suitable as the primary Main Ingredient.

As for the second Main Ingredient, the Second-grade Xia Ku Cao mentioned above is quite suitable and can be used directly.

"Hey, looking at it this way, it seems like we could give it a try?"

After all, if he calculates it this way, he only needs to find the last ' Yin Contains Yang ' spiritual item to complete the Main Ingredient.

Xiao Chen suddenly saw a glimmer of hope again.

He first went to Li Fire Market, and unsurprisingly, there was nothing there.

Then I went to the Merit Hall, but unfortunately, it wasn't there either.

Fortunately, he's learned his lesson this time.

Without needing Manager Chen's reminder, he went directly to Elder Chen and asked, "Master, do you have any second-tier Spirit Herb with the ' Yin Contains Yang?"

Elder Chen has just returned from the Pill Refining Hall.

While brewing tea, he shook his head. "Second-tier Spirit Herb? There aren't any. If we're talking about second-tier Spirit Herb, the only one I know of is ' Rock Core Mai Dong '."

"But I've only ever heard of this thing; I've never actually seen it."

Why would you need something so special?

Xiao Chen was slightly disappointed, but still explained as he asked, "I've been looking at Second-Order Pill Recipes lately, and they mention a spiritual object called ' Yin Contains Yang '."

"Master, is this ' Rock Core Mai Dong ' easy to find?"

Elder Chen shook his head again. "I'm afraid it's difficult. I've only heard of such a thing over the years."

Damn it!

Xiao Chen was immediately disappointed; it seemed he had better not count on this.

However, Elder Chen reminded him, "If you really need this, you can take advantage of the opportunity to make more connections during this Ascension Ceremony."

Ascension Ceremony?

Xiao Chen asked, somewhat puzzled, "Master, is there any connection between these two things?"

Elder Chen explained, "The Ascension Ceremony is not just a ceremony, but also a rare trading event."

"Think about it, the Foundation Establishment from Li Province are usually scattered in different places. This time, we finally have a chance to get together."

Xiao Chen immediately realized. "Therefore, everyone can take this opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from each other's strengths, and make up for each other's weaknesses."

"That's right."

Elder Chen nodded. "Moreover, not only that, but by trading with each other during this ceremony, there's basically no need to worry about being Bandit Cultivator on the return journey."

"After all, normal people wouldn't cause trouble on this day and slap the face of Newly Advanced Golden Core True Person."

"Therefore, many rare treasures will be put up for trade. This, in turn, will attract even more people, bringing even more valuable items."

"Someone might bring out ' Rock Core Mai Dong '."

Xiao Chen suddenly realized that there was another reason behind it.

He had actually been thinking that he could skip the event and just ask someone else to bring a gift.

But since so many people at the ceremony didn't mention it, he didn't ask either.

It turns out that everyone was not only going to give gifts, but also to attend what is considered the most high-end Trade Fair in the Li Province.

Trade Fair that gathers almost all the Foundation Establishment Cultivator in Li Province is bound to be a grand trading event!

"Yes, if the breakthrough goes smoothly, it should happen in the next few days."

Elder Chen did some calculations and then advised, "For the next couple of days, try to avoid going out to search for demonic cultivators."

Xiao Chen nodded. "Thank you for reminding me, Master. I understand."

He's only in charge of things in name only; he doesn't actually do anything. He probably doesn't even know all the disciples of the Demon Subduing Hall. He's a prime example of slacking off.

.

Before we knew it, it was the 28th day of the first lunar month.

As the month was drawing to a close, Mei Yong finally received a gold-embossed invitation from Thousand Bamboo Market.

We invite Bright Flame True Person of the Li Fire Sect, as well as all Foundation Establishment Cultivator, to participate in the Ascension Ceremony held in Thousand Bamboo Market on the thirtieth day of the first lunar month.

"Phew~"

Mei Yong breathed a sigh of relief after reading the invitation.

Unexpectedly, Gu Lihui, who was already 161 years old, actually succeeded in forming his core.

From now on, Li Province will have one more Golden Core True Person.

He immediately sent someone to inform the rest of the sect of this news.

Furthermore, he informed Bright Flame True Person through a specially made Sound Transmission Flying Sword.

"Bright Moon True Person."

Xiao Chen also received the same message, and also learned that the congratulatory messages sent this time should uniformly include the words "Congratulations to Bright Moon True Person on attaining the Golden Core".

He had heard before that the other party's nickname was "Crescent Moon Saber," which must have come from the first two characters.

"So, does that mean Bright Flame True Person Mingyan possesses an extremely powerful Fire Method?"

Xiao Chen guessed, and went to Li Fire Market to buy a brand new high-grade sandalwood box worth ten Spirit Stone.

He still had a Four-Leaf Golden Peach in his hand, which he had obtained from the One-Eye.

Although it's missing a leaf and can't serve as a Foundation Establishment Spirit Item, it's still more than enough to be a congratulatory gift.

Two days later, on the morning of the thirtieth day of the first lunar month, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).

Numerous Foundation Establishment from various sects waited together in the Sect Square.

Since this is a collective departure representing the Li Fire Sect, it is natural that they will act as a group and travel on the sect's large Spirit Boat.

The Five Great Families, along with their Guest Elder, and especially some supervisors and managers responsible for Inspector the sect's external properties.

Except for those who absolutely couldn't leave, everyone else arrived early.

A total of ninety-three people came and formed six long lines.

There were a huge crowd, more than the disciples who went to the Flame Pool Secret Realm back then.

Xiao Chen stood in the Chen Family's group, sizing up his many fellow disciples whom he rarely saw on ordinary days.

He had never met more than half of them.

Long before he joined the Li Fire Sect, these people had already Foundation Establishment and were sent to different places to manage the sect's assets.

Try to remember everyone's face so you won't not recognize them if you meet them later.

Xiao Chen then began to observe the Five Great Families.

He noticed that Jiang Cungang was also standing in the Jiang Family's row, which meant that he had also Foundation Establishment.

The Su Family patriarch, Su Ruihe, was not present; the leader of the group was the Su Family Patriarch, Su Huaitao.

That's a bit strange.

"This is Xiao Chen, you'll get to know him too."

Elder Chen quietly led a middle-aged-looking cultivator closer.

The other person took the initiative to greet him, "Hello, Junior Brother Xiao, my name is Chen Zhixuan, and I grow spirit medicine in Stone Rice Valley."

Elder Chen then reminded Xiao Chen, "You two happen to be of the same generation, so you can just call him Senior Brother."

"Zhixuan is the oldest among the 'Zhi' generation, while you are the youngest."

"By the way, Achen, are you twenty-two this year?"

Xiao Chen blinked. "Uh, twenty-three."

Elder Chen smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Zhixuan is 123 years old this year. That means you two are exactly 100 years apart. That's quite a coincidence."

ah?

Xiao Chen was slightly surprised, but still greeted him promptly, "Greetings, Senior Brother."

Later, Elder Chen introduced him to two more people.

"Although the duties of guarding the sect are not heavy, and one can often ask for leave to go home, one cannot easily leave during festivals, in order to Bandit Cultivator from taking the opportunity to cause trouble."

"This is a rare opportunity, so take this chance to get to know each other better."

Xiao Chen immediately understood. He had been wondering why he hadn't seen anyone else during the previous two New Year celebrations.

However, before they had finished meeting everyone, a huge Flying Boat suddenly took off into the air.

Then a stern voice rang out. "Board the ship."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately flew onto the Spirit Boat.

A figure dressed in a white robe stood at the bow of the ship, seemingly gazing into the distance.

The crowd stood orderly on the deck and bowed, saying, "Greetings, True Person!"

This was the second time Xiao Chen had seen Bright Flame True Person. This time, the other party had no oppressive aura at all. If it weren't for the fact that he was standing on thin air, he would have looked like an ordinary person.

Hearing the greeting, he didn't speak, but simply nodded and said, "Mm."

Then, with a wave of his hand, the Spirit Boat immediately shot off like an arrow, rapidly disappearing into the southeast.

In just two hours, they traversed nearly four thousand miles and arrived at Thousand Bamboo Market, which was located near the southeastern corner of the Li Province.

To be honest, this speed is a bit exaggerated.

No wonder the Three Great Sects have been able to coexist peacefully even among Foundation Establishment Cultivator in recent years; this must be directly related to the reason.

The total area of Li Province is really too small.

If anything happens, Golden Core from one side can rush to the other's doorstep to take revenge on the same day, ensuring that revenge is not delayed overnight.

They departed from the Li Fire Sect and Li Province territory.

Many heads or patriarchs of independent cultivation Lineage also drove their hearses or small Flying Boat to Thousand Bamboo Market to offer their congratulations.

The Ascension Ceremony was held at the Thousand Bamboo Pavilion, the largest building in Thousand Bamboo Market.

According to Thousand Bamboo True Person's arrangement, the grand ceremony was divided into three areas for entertaining guests from all walks of life.

These are Private Banquet, Inner Banquet, and Outer Banquet.

The Private Banquet is reserved for Golden Core True Person from the Three Great Sects and is held on the top floor, the ninth floor.

The Inner Banquet, mainly for important guests in the Foundation Establishment Realm, is located on the third floor.

As for the Outer Banquet, it was open to all cultivators, with a continuous feast set up along the entire street outside.

Anyone who is willing to bow and offer their congratulations to the Thousand Bamboo Pavilion may freely take a seat.

This is mainly to entertain the wandering cultivators in the vicinity. Spirit Fruit will be served during the meal, which can be considered as a kind of benefit.

"The Fu Family of Fu Yu Town, here."

"The Yue Family Yue Bei Town, here we come."

"Wei Family in Chang Shi Town, here."

At noon, outside the Thousand Bamboo Pavilion.

The announcer's voice rang out one after another, and many more precious gifts were subsequently announced.

Upon hearing that Bright Moon True Person had successfully formed his Golden Core, all the Lineage in the vicinity came early to offer their congratulations.

On the top floor, the Bright Moon True Person, dressed in a red robe, had no interest in remembering their names.

The Thousand Bamboo True Person beside him, dressed in purple robes, laughed and said, "Junior Brother, there's no need to worry. Given the nature of the Three Great Sects, they will inevitably appear together."

Sure enough, before he finished speaking...

Three exceptionally large Spirit Boat appeared in the sky, piercing through the clouds.

However, it did not descend completely and remained hovering over Thousand Bamboo Market.

Each Spirit Boat was tens of feet tall and hundreds of feet long, casting shadows that even covered half of Thousand Bamboo Market.

The cultivators from the Li Fire Sect, the Azure Flame Sect, and the Four Seas Sect all followed behind their respective Golden Core True Person and flew down together.

In an instant, hundreds of Sword Light descended from the sky.

It creates a sense of a grand gathering of immortals.

"The Li Fire Sect / Azure Flame Sect / Four Seas Sect congratulate Bright Moon True Person on attaining the Golden Core stage!"