Over a month later, Lin He and Senior Sister Chen arrived at a great hall. Quite a crowd had already gathered inside, including twenty-four disciples participating in the Forbidden Land Trial. Of the others, some had come to see them off, while others were simply there to watch the spectacle.
In the past, only a dozen or so people had signed up for this journey to their deaths, but this time was different. Opening the forbidden land so frequently had caused a severe loss of spiritual energy, so the Seven Great Sects of the Yue Kingdom had decided to seal it for sixty years after the trial five years from now.
In other words, competition in the Forbidden Land Trial five years from now would be even fiercer and bloodier. By comparison, although this trial would also be more difficult than usual, it would at least be better than the next one. Naturally, this had drawn far more applicants, bringing their number to twenty-five-the maximum each sect was allowed to send under the rules of the Seven Great Sects.
All twenty-five were now gathered in the hall, and Lin He and Senior Sister Chen spotted quite a few familiar faces.
A young woman with a voluptuous figure but ordinary looks spotted Chen Qiaoqian and immediately came over to greet her warmly.
"Junior Sister Chen!"
"Senior Sister Chang!"
Senior Sister Chang was at the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation, one layer above Lin He. She seemed very close to Senior Sister Chen, taking her hand as soon as she approached and praising her.
"Oh? Junior Sister Chen, we haven't seen each other for a while, and you're positively glowing. You've become even more radiant! Have you learned some secret beauty-preserving technique lately?"
"Of course not." Senior Sister Chen blushed at her words, her face like a ripe apple, drawing sidelong glances from quite a few male disciples.
Senior Sister Chang smiled, then shifted her gaze to Lin He beside her. Seeming to realize something, she teased, "Now I understand. Junior Sister Chen has been drinking heavenly nectar every day lately. No wonder you look so radiant."
Senior Sister Chen was no fool. Catching the implication, she flushed scarlet and retorted, "Senior Sister Chang, you're always teasing me. Anyway, this is Junior Brother Lin He. He's a friend of mine and will also be participating in this Forbidden Land Trial. If you run into him inside, please lend him a hand."
Only then did Senior Sister Chang look Lin He over carefully. Her brow furrowed. Although Junior Brother Lin was rather handsome, he was only at the eleventh layer of Qi Condensation. With that cultivation, he would be nothing but cannon fodder in there.
For Junior Sister Chen's sake, however, Senior Sister Chang refrained from saying anything harsh. Instead, she nodded. "All right. If we do meet, I'll help however I can."
Listening beside them, Lin He was speechless and silently muttered to himself.
You certainly talk big. Once we get inside, Treasure Girl, one of the Moon-Covering Twin Beauties, will have you running everywhere begging for help.
The conversation between the two women soon drew everyone else's attention. Senior Sister Chen in particular was now brimming with charm and all the more eye-catching.
"Senior Sister Chang, I still need to have a word with my eldest brother."
Senior Sister Chang naturally had no objection. She also had friends to greet.
After Senior Sister Chang left, Senior Sister Chen pointed at a middle-aged man in his forties a short distance ahead.
"That's my eldest brother, Chen Qiaoshan. Let's go over."
"So that's my brother-in-law. Then of course I should say hello."
Lin He could not resist teasing her. Senior Sister Chen raised her little fist and gave him a light punch. "There are so many people here. Don't go calling him that!"
"What? You don't like me calling him that?" Lin He pretended to be a little unhappy, and Senior Sister Chen immediately explained in a low voice.
"It's not that I don't like it. When you meet my eldest brother in private, you can call him whatever you want. But here, in front of everyone, I..."
"I understand. By the way, I was only teasing you."
"You... I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Furious at his words, Senior Sister Chen pinched Lin He's waist before marching over to the middle-aged man in a huff.
"Eldest Brother!"
"Seventh Sister!"
Chen Qiaoshan gave his younger sister a doting look, then turned his gaze to Lin He and said with a smile.
"Junior Brother Lin, we brothers have spoiled this little sister of ours rotten. She must have caused you plenty of trouble."
"Senior Sister Chen is gentle and considerate. How could she possibly cause me trouble?"
"Of course I am!" Senior Sister Chen smiled, looking exceptionally close to Lin He.
Lin He merely smiled faintly at that, while Senior Sister Chen continued, "Eldest Brother, if you meet him in the forbidden land, you'll have to look after him."
"Of course." Chen Qiaoshan patted his chest. "Junior Brother Lin, all of us disciples participating in the Forbidden Land Trial have been taught the Guidance Technique. If you encounter any danger, you can use it to ask the nearest fellow disciple for help."
The three chatted casually for a little longer before Lin He sensed someone watching him and quickly looked up. A short distance away, a dark-skinned young man with ordinary features was looking at him. When Lin He turned toward him, he nodded politely. It was Han Li.
In the original novel, Han Li would have obtained two Foundation Establishment Pills that night, but Lin He had ruined his opportunity, leaving him without even one. With no other choice, Han Li could only risk participating in the Forbidden Land Trial.
Seeing Lin He and Senior Sister Chen together now, seemingly sharing a relationship that was anything but ordinary, Han Li was somewhat surprised. A suspicion even arose in his mind.
Could the fourth person who appeared that day have been Junior Brother Lin? If so, he should have Foundation Establishment Pills. Why would he still risk participating in the Forbidden Land Trial?
Han Li turned it over in his mind but could not make sense of it, so he could only set the matter aside for now.
Lin He also stopped looking at him and turned his attention to the other participants instead. When he spotted a worldly old man with a head of white hair, his expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, seas churned and waves surged.
That's a mighty figure at the Deity Transformation stage!
Lin He averted his gaze, glanced over the other participants, and looked no further.
Just then, Sect Leader Zhong Lingdao approached with two duty disciples. Each disciple carried a tray to distribute prebattle benefits to all the participants.
"One medium-grade spirit stone and one High-Grade Magical Artifact." Already thoroughly familiar with the plot, Lin He naturally knew what the trays held. He took a Medium-Grade Fire-Attribute Spirit Stone and picked out a ring-shaped High-Grade Magical Artifact.
Once the benefits had been distributed, an old man in his fifties or sixties entered, surrounded by a crowd. He was Li Huayuan, a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator of the Yellow Maple Valley.
Lin He waved to Senior Sister Chen, while the others also said goodbye to their friends and family.
"Set off!"
Li Huayuan merely waved a hand calmly, and everyone walked out of the hall and climbed onto a gigantic silver python over twenty zhang long. The python exerted its
strength and soared into the air, carrying everyone away.