Gan Kingdom, Ten Great Immortal Sects

"Moo moo~" Black Bull kept rubbing against Chen Xun, its eyes brimming with excitement. So this was the world of cultivators? It was too incredible.

"Old Bull, Old Bull..."

Chen Xun held Black Bull's head in one hand, the corner of his mouth twitching. "We've lived for so long, yet we've truly wasted our lives."

"Moo!" Black Bull nudged Chen Xun. Exactly.

Chen Xun kept muttering "fucking awesome" under his breath as though possessed. A single stall was enough to make them linger at a distance for an entire day, and this was merely the tip of the Cultivation World's iceberg.

They walked until nightfall, then found an unoccupied spot. With the sky for a blanket and the earth for a bed, they leaned against each other and gradually fell asleep, though they did not dare sleep too deeply.

Disciples from the major sects maintained order within the valley, so it did not seem chaotic. Those with grudges could settle them outside the valley themselves.

Three days later, countless Rogue Cultivators gathered in the valley, packed shoulder to shoulder. Their eyes burned with ambition, and the magical artifacts in their hands shimmered with flowing light. They were determined to ascend to immortality in one stroke!

"So lively."

Chen Xun led Black Bull to the edge of the crowd and looked toward the center of the valley. Ten tall platforms had been erected there, embedded with exquisite patterns of all kinds. The materials used for their construction were certainly no ordinary iron.

"Moo~ Moo!"

Black Bull raised its head high. Even from afar, those structures radiated an overwhelmingly powerful aura. They had never seen anything like them in the Mortal Realm.

Vrooom—vrooom—vrooom—

A vast sound of air tearing came from the horizon. A giant boat slowly sailed over, several figures standing atop it, ethereal beyond compare. A flag flew forward into the raging wind.

"The Azure Sun Sect has arrived!"

"One of Gan Kingdom's Ten Great Immortal Sects!"

"A Sky-Piercing Boat! Heavens!"

Countless cries of amazement erupted in the valley. These Rogue Cultivators were well-informed and recognized it at once, while Chen Xun and Black Bull could only keep muttering, "Holy shit..."

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Four enormous red spirit beasts flew across the sky, crying out sharply. Figures stood upon their backs, looking down over Nine-Star Valley.

"One of Gan Kingdom's Ten Great Immortal Sects—the Purple Cloud Sect!"

"I heard the sect has countless breathtaking immortal maidens. If only I could taste their fragrance..."

"Redrain Jade Luans. Only an Immortal Gate of this caliber could afford to raise them."

Another wave of uproar broke out. Even spirit beasts had been deployed—truly lavish beyond measure. The Rogue Cultivators' yearning only grew stronger.

The smaller sects in the valley felt bitter inside. When would they ever be able to make an entrance like the Ten Great Immortal Sects? Every year, they could only pick up the scraps the great sects left behind, as though trapped in a vicious cycle.

One after another, the Ten Great Immortal Sects made their appearances. The sky over the valley boomed without end, each entrance more exaggerated than the last.

They seemed to be competing against one another, while also displaying the strength of their respective sects to the Rogue Cultivators.

The Rogue Cultivators were so stirred up that they panted heavily, their faces flushed red. Their hearts were so excited they nearly burst. A single step to the heavens—it was right now!

Chen Xun and Black Bull were already on their knees. Sweat covered their bodies, and they were even more exaggerated than the Rogue Cultivators. The "holy shit" muttered from their mouths had never stopped.

This was far more extravagant than when that cultivator had taken disciples in the mountain village. This was what fucking cultivation was...

"If I were given another chance, and a cultivator from one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects invited me to do odd jobs..."

Chen Xun stared hopefully at the platforms and said dreamily, "I'd say I was willing. And if there had to be a time limit, I'd hope it was ten thousand years..."

"Moo moo!!"

Black Bull nodded nonstop. It could help too—unmatched at doing odd jobs, and it could plow fields as well.

Before the ten great platforms stood cultivators from every sect, both men and women. They stood with their hands behind their backs, their gazes sharp as blades. The cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm pressed down upon all the Rogue Cultivators.

Everyone's expressions changed, and their hearts calmed considerably as they looked toward the platforms.

"The rules remain unchanged. Those whose Bone Age is below forty all have a chance to pass five trials and enter an Immortal Gate."

An old man stood at the forefront. Channeling his spiritual power, he shouted, "Those interested, enter the trials! The valley will close in seven days!"

Roar!

Roar!

Low growls rang out one after another. The Rogue Cultivators' eyes reddened as they looked toward the Immortal Gates they favored and stepped forward.

Some Immortal Gates had set up arenas, while others had arranged Spiritual Root tests and the like. Their methods varied, but all sought to select one disciple in ten thousand from among the Rogue Cultivators.

Every year, countless Rogue Cultivators died or were injured, yet no one gave up. In Gan Kingdom, a Foundation Establishment Pill was harder to obtain than a phoenix feather or qilin horn. Only within the great Immortal Gates did one have a chance.

Elders from sects both large and small also wandered about, secretly observing the unsuccessful Rogue Cultivators. When they spotted someone they liked, they personally extended invitations.

This was something the Ten Great Immortal Sects tacitly allowed. They had to leave others some way to survive.

"Old Bull, let's not go."

"Moo?"

"There's not much chance for us. We wouldn't even pass the Spiritual Root test, much less the strength trials."

Chen Xun rolled his eyes at Black Bull. Were they going there to die? "I suddenly found a way to make money."

"Moo?!" Black Bull perked up. They were desperately short of Spirit Stones.

Chen Xun sneakily took out a small booklet, glanced around, and said, "Let's record the trials of all the major sects, then analyze their pros and cons."

"Moo?"

"Didn't he say the rules stay the same? Once we understand the general level of these trials, we'll turn it into a booklet and sell it to newly arrived Rogue Cultivators!"

Chen Xun patted Black Bull. "Think how much time this could save them, how many casualties it could prevent. Got it?!"

"Moo moo!"

Black Bull nudged Chen Xun, its eyes full of excitement. You really were a big brain.

"Let's go!"

A sly grin appeared on Chen Xun's lips. They first went to the arenas, continuously recording the strength of the various Rogue Cultivators and what level of strength was more likely to secure victory.

He categorized the trials of every major sect and organized and analyzed them, determining what kinds of people were better suited to which ones.

Seven days passed in a flash. Chen Xun and Black Bull were dumbfounded. How had it gone by so quickly? They had not even finished their analysis.

The Ten Great Immortal Sects each departed gracefully with a dozen or so Rogue Cultivators. The elders of the smaller sects also returned home satisfied, while countless Rogue Cultivators stood there utterly dejected.

The Rogue Cultivators who had died during the trials were dealt with afterward by people from those smaller sects, who were responsible for maintaining the valley.

"Ah, I never should have gone for the Purple Cloud Sect's trial. I wasted so much time and spiritual power—it simply didn't suit me at all!"

A Rogue Cultivator beat his chest and stamped his feet. Another year had been wasted. How many years did a person have? Once they passed forty, there would be no more opportunities.

"At least the Purple Cloud Sect's trial was the safest. Look on the bright side—Fellow Daoist Zhou didn't even make it out alive."

"Ah, if it doesn't work out next year, I'll go enjoy the splendor of the secular world."

"That's all I can do."

One Rogue Cultivator after another passed by Chen Xun, their eyes filled with gloom and self-doubt. Some even went mad and were slain within the valley by sect cultivators.

Others had accepted it. The path of cultivation was not suited for them, so they returned to the mortal world and never came back.

Yet the fighting seemed to have only just begun. Some seasoned Rogue Cultivators over forty had come to the Immortal Ascension Assembly specifically to pick out prey.

Quite a few brutal battles erupted outside the valley. Chen Xun took Black Bull and ran with their heads down. Fortunately, they were poor, so no one had their eyes on them.

"Old Bull, let's head for the outer edge of the mountain range first!"

"Moo!"

Chen Xun and Black Bull fled like mad. Nothing anyone did could stop them—they just ran. And the dark side of the Cultivation World had only just lifted its curtain.