Person Eroded by Anomaly

Upon reaching the twenty-third floor, Ning Ri was guided into an ancient-looking hall, much like a study in a manor.

When Ning Ri walked in, he noticed four people were already seated inside.

Seeing this group, a thought popped into Ning Ri's head—

Senior Luo was right. It seems this mission really does happen every year, and people from all sects can come to participate.

But...

Ning Ri was puzzled. Why was this mission held every year?

Could it be that Master Chen Xingfeng holds it to recruit disciples? Or perhaps no one has ever been able to complete this mission so far, which is why it's held annually?

If the difficulty is extremely high, would I still be able to obtain the Heaven Defying Foundation Establishment Method?

As Ning Ri observed the four people, they also noticed him. A young man and woman, around Ning Ri's age, glanced at him before indifferently looking away.

The other two were men who looked remarkably alike, like twins. The only difference was that one wore blue and the other wore green.

The man in the green robe, upon seeing Ning Ri, immediately let out a scoff: "Heh, which sect is so fallen this year? They're sending someone at Third Stage Qi Refining to participate?"

"Everyone here is at Foundation Establishment!"

"Do you think you're fit to participate?!"

As soon as he spoke.

Ning Ri's expression remained calm, but his heart stirred—

Mocking me?!

After searching for a master and joining a sect for so long, this is the first time I've encountered someone mocking me.

It seems today is the day I'll break through on the spot, show off my skills, astound everyone, and leave the entire place in stunned silence!

Just as Ning Ri's mind had rapidly played out a short drama, the man in the blue robe suddenly covered the green-robed man's mouth fiercely and said, "I told you to shut up!"

After he removed his hand, Ning Ri saw that a talisman had appeared on the green-robed man's mouth at some point.

The green-robed man immediately panicked and fumbled at his mouth: "Mmm mmm mmm..."

The blue-robed man ignored him and quickly walked up to Ning Ri, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying: "Apologies, fellow Daoist. This is my brother."

"We just returned from an 'Anomaly.' My brother's mind was eroded by the anomaly. He's now half-witted and foolish. I had just applied a Silencing Talisman to him, but it expired. I sincerely apologize. Please forgive us!"

With that, the blue-robed man offered a sparkling spirit stone.

As he spoke, the green-robed man behind him continued to make angry muffled sounds, but nothing came out.

Ning Ri, who had already opened his panel: "..."

Hey, you...

Are you trying to interrupt my spellcasting?

He subtly pushed the spirit stone towards himself and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist, I am Ning Ri from the Heaven Defying Sect. Is there anything I can help you with?"

When Ning Ri mentioned he was from the Heaven Defying Sect, the man and woman who had previously looked away immediately looked up, casting a surprised glance at Ning Ri...

The blue-robed man was clearly taken aback that Ning Ri was from the Heaven Defying Sect. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "So Brother Ning is from the Heaven Defying Sect. I am Jiang Wen, and this is my brother, Jiang Wu. We are from the Mingtai Sword Sect."

Hearing this, Ning Ri was startled and only then noticed the sword ring on Jiang Wen's hand.

Some people dislike carrying their swords with them and train their flying swords to be "retractable swords."

With a thought, the flying sword can transform into a ring, and with another thought, the ring can suddenly become a sword, catching others off guard.

After introducing themselves, Jiang Wen said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Ning. However, my foolish brother will return to normal shortly, so there's no need for Brother Ning to trouble yourself with him."

Ning Ri smiled and nodded: "Alright."

In truth, he knew that as someone at Third Stage Qi Refining, he couldn't really help much. The other party was just responding politely.

However, he was more curious about—

What kind of anomaly did they go to?

But this question was a bit sensitive, so Ning Ri didn't ask.

He directly chose a spot and sat down.

After apologizing to Ning Ri, Jiang Wen returned to his brother's side.

Jiang Wen didn't consider Ning Ri a competitor in this artifact refining assessment.

It wasn't that he thought Ning Ri's artifact refining talent was poor, but rather that Ning Ri's cultivation was insufficient.

Before coming, Jiang Wen had asked his senior brothers and sisters in the sect. He knew that although Master Chen Xingfeng's mission was to refine a complete set of Qi Refining magic treasures, there was actually a time limit during the refining process.

With Ning Ri's cultivation at only Third Stage Qi Refining, no matter how good his artifact refining talent was, he could at most refine one or two items before his spiritual energy ran out. He wouldn't be able to finish refining the magic treasures within the time limit.

Because Jiang Wen didn't see Ning Ri as a competitor, his attitude towards Ning Ri became even better. It was good to make a connection and just be friends.

Moreover, he believed that a Third Stage Qi Refining disciple pushed forward by the Heaven Defying Sect to participate in the trial must be a unique talent worth befriending.

This was also part of the reputation of the Heaven Defying Sect, a sect of unorthodox cultivators!

At this moment, Jiang Wu had also recovered. He exchanged a look with his brother and put on a pleading expression.

His older brother helplessly removed the Silencing Talisman from him.

After standing up, he bowed to Ning Ri with a face full of shame and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Ning. It's just that I, Jiang, am too weak, allowing the Anomaly to take advantage of me. Please forgive me."

Ning Ri waved his hand, "It's fine, Brother Wu, you don't need to mind."

His older brother had already paid, so Ning Ri wouldn't hold it against him.

"Thank you, Brother Ning!"

After Jiang Wu finished speaking, he slumped back into the armchair, covering his face and falling silent...

Just then.

An excited childish voice suddenly came from outside the door:

"Eh!!!"

"Aren't you the big brother who practices the saber?!"

Ning Ri turned his head and saw two people standing outside the door. Then, he immediately smiled and stood up, "Xi Yuan, why are you here too?!"

At the door stood two people. One was a middle-aged man in brocade robes, with an ordinary and unremarkable aura, like a common person.

The other was a little boy whose height only reached the middle-aged man's chest.

This little boy's cultivation was at the Eighth Stage Qi Refining.

Ning Ri remembered him; his name was Xi Yuan, and he was only ten years old.

This child was a disciple of the Lingxi Immortal Sect that Ning Ri had met before!

It was also him who had surrounded Ning Ri, wanting to ask him to take him as a disciple!

As for the middle-aged man beside Xi Yuan, his name was Yang Xingming.

Ning Ri didn't know how powerful the other party was, but Ning Ri had a very good impression of this person--

It was Yang Xingming who had greatly praised his saber techniques and given him a sum of spirit stones.

Xi Yuan ran to Ning Ri, his face troubled, "Big brother, don't say it. My dad asked me to come for artifact refining!"

Ning Ri was about to speak...

Just then.

The Jiang brothers, Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu, along with the man and woman who had been silent the whole time, suddenly stood up in unison, their faces filled with reverence. As if by prior agreement, they said in unison to Yang Xingming outside the door:

"Greetings, Elder Xingming!"

But Yang Xingming merely smiled and nodded at them. He walked up to Ning Ri, looked him up and down, and then asked curiously:

"Ning Ri, which sect did you end up joining? Have you come to Lingxi to take a look?"

His words were full of familiarity, as if he were an elder in the family.

This tone immediately made the expressions of the others become subtle