First Acquaintance with the Sects' Geniuses

"Meng Yan? Yellow Maple Valley?"

Shen Ge's interest was piqued, and he asked, intending to find out more, "Who in the Foundation Establishment Realm has made a name for themselves across the Southern Barbarian Lands? How come I've never heard anyone mention them?"

"How long have you even been in the sect? Besides, you've barely left it, so it's perfectly normal that you don't know." Mu Wan explained, "A hundred years ago, Meng Yan was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. His record was so astonishing precisely because he was only at the early stage."

"As for now, since no one's sure whether Meng Yan has broken through to the Golden Core Realm, and he was still at the Foundation Establishment Peak as recently as a little over ten years ago, he's ranked first for the time being."

"Close behind him is the Hehuan Sect's holy maiden, who made a name for herself in the past fifty years. Her mysterious and unfathomable illusions and arts of seduction are practically impossible to counter. Plenty of people have fallen under her control before they even knew what was happening."

"The next eight include Han Yu and Lin Yu of the Evergreen Sect, ranked third and ninth respectively. Although the Blood Devil Grotto is a Devil Dao Sect, it also has two people on the list: the Blood God Son in fourth place and the Blood Devil in sixth. No one knows their original names; they're only known by those codenames now."

"Yuan Qing, the Bone Devil of White Bone Mountain, is fifth. His defenses are astonishing, and he can withstand blows from a high-grade Law Artifact with his bare body. But he's rather afraid of the Thunder Method, and Meng Yan happens to counter him."

"Seventh is Tang Wang of Flowing Gold Valley. He's a formation master who carries at least dozens of formation plates with him, making him one of the hardest to deal with."

"As for eighth, that's our Senior Brother Qin Yu. Don't be fooled by how amiable he usually is. He can be quite intimidating when he fights."

"Tenth place is somewhat disputed, but most people agree it belongs to a Rogue Cultivator named Zhang Hao. As for what makes him so formidable, I really don't know. There aren't many rumors about him."

After listening to Mu Wan's explanation, Shen Ge pondered for a moment before asking, "Didn't Senior Sister Liuyue make the list?"

Jin Ling rolled her eyes at him. "Senior Sister Liuyue broke through to the Golden Core Realm almost ten years ago. Naturally, she was left off the Foundation Establishment Realm rankings."

"Besides, Senior Sister Liuyue rarely fought before, so there was nothing to compare her by, and naturally she didn't make the list. But with her strength, she'd have had no trouble getting into the top five."

Liu Xiao spoke up. "That list was thrown together offhand by some busybodies. Apart from a few people whose places are widely acknowledged, most of it comes down to personal preference. You can use it as a reference, but you can't take it as gospel."

"There are at least ten thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Southern Barbarian Lands, if not twenty thousand. One list really can't tell you much."

Shen Ge nodded in agreement. "That's true. After all, all sorts of factors affect a fight, and the weak sometimes defeat the strong. Just like when Senior Sister Liuyue turned the tables and killed a Devil Cultivator who was pursuing her. Although she was seriously injured herself, she was the one who won in the end."

"All right, let's leave it there for today. Go take care of whatever you need to do. I need to keep an eye on the sect's arrangements too."

With that, Liu Xiao summoned his flying sword and flew toward the sect's main hall.

Jin Ling glanced at Shen Ge and Mu Wan and warned them, "I wouldn't recommend that either of you go to the East Approach Secret Realm this time. People really do die there, so think it over carefully."

She left after that, leaving Mu Wan and Shen Ge staring at each other.

"Why are you staring at me? What's it got to do with me?" Mu Wan turned and walked a few steps, then suddenly looked back. "A large market is opening in Changliu soon. I hear there's an auction too. Want to go?"

"How do you know everything? Where do you get all this information?" Shen Ge asked involuntarily.

"Just tell me whether you're going or not. Why so many questions?"

"Of course I'm going. Why wouldn't I?" Shen Ge hurriedly replied. "But with only a thousand or so Spirit Stones between us, it really doesn't seem like enough."

"A thousand or so Spirit Stones isn't enough? Are you planning to buy a Law Treasure?" Mu Wan retorted before walking away, apparently angered.

Shen Ge scratched his head and looked at Chu He beside him. "Senior Brother Chu, I don't think I've done anything to upset her lately, have I? Why's she so angry?"

Chu He smiled and shook his head. "I don't know either. Don't ask me. But Junior Sister Jin Ling was right to warn you just now. It's best if the two of you don't get involved with the East Approach Secret Realm this time. It's really dangerous."

Shen Ge didn't argue. "Senior Brother Chu, I know my own limits. In a secret realm where even Foundation Establishment Late Stage and Peak cultivators can easily die, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator like me would face danger at every turn. One wrong step, and I might die. Compared to treasures, I think my life is more important."

After all, only someone who had died once could understand how priceless life was. Shen Ge never wanted to feel that terror of impending death again.

"All right, go take care of your business. Didn't Junior Sister Mu Wan invite you to Changliu? It's a good chance to see what the world of cultivators is like. It'll help your future cultivation. It'd be best to stay out for a few months before coming back."

"I understand, but I'll wait a few days and see what Senior Brother Liu Xiao has to say first."

After leaving, Shen Ge didn't return to his courtyard. Instead, he went to the Scripture Repository. He had taken a liking to an escape technique before, but he hadn't had quite enough contribution points. Now that he had earned three hundred points by selling that broadsword Law Artifact, he had just enough.

Shen Ge took the Jade Slip from the shelf and touched his token to it. The restriction on the Jade Slip vanished at once, and four hundred contribution points were deducted from his balance, wiping it out.

He then placed the Jade Slip against his forehead, and a stream of light entered his sea of consciousness.

"Gale Escape: burn spiritual power as the price to turn into a howling gale. Once cultivated to mastery, one's body becomes swift as the wind and leaves no shadow, crossing a hundred li in the blink of an eye."

Shen Ge nodded in satisfaction, returned the Jade Slip, now covered in restrictions again, to the bookshelf, and turned to head downstairs.

At the entrance, Shen Ge saw the old man lying in a rocking chair and basking in the sun. He greeted him, "Martial Uncle Fenghuo, why are you sunbathing every time I come here? Are you cultivating a method that requires sunlight?"

The old man lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at Shen Ge before saying calmly, "Little fellow, stop trying to pry information out of me. There are countless fine cultivation methods and techniques in this Scripture Repository, but you don't have the contribution points to exchange for them. Also, if you don't want to experience the feeling of life and death, don't bring up that matter."

Shen Ge gave an awkward laugh. When he had come to the Scripture Repository before, he had felt that the old man was no ordinary person. After all, the people who guarded such important places were never ordinary. So he had thickened his skin and pestered him for a while, hoping to learn about some more powerful Law Techniques.

At first, things had gone well enough, and the two had even chatted for a while. But later, when the subject of romantic love came up, Shen Ge casually shared a few of his own views and annoyed the old man, who promptly grabbed him and threw him down the mountain. His methods were extremely ruthless; he wasn't the least bit afraid that Shen Ge would be killed by the fall.