Qian Kingdom's Ten Great Immortal Sects

"Moo moo~" Big Black Ox kept rubbing against Chen Xun, its eyes filled with excitement. Was this the world of cultivators? It was too incredible.

"Old Ox, Old Ox..."

Chen Xun wrapped one arm around Big Black Ox's head, the corners of his mouth twitching. "We've lived for so long, and we really lived for nothing."

"Moo!" Big Black Ox nudged Chen Xun. Exactly.

Chen Xun kept muttering "awesome" like he had been possessed. One stall alone was enough to make them linger in the distance for an entire day, yet this was merely the tip of the Cultivation World's iceberg.

They wandered until nightfall, then found an empty place. With the sky as their blanket and the earth as their 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. Anyone with a grudge could settle it outside the valley themselves.

Three days later, countless independent cultivators gathered in the valley, shoulder to shoulder, fiery ambition blazing in their eyes. The magical artifacts in their hands gleamed and flowed with light as they swore to ascend to immortality in one stroke!

"So lively."

Chen Xun led Big Black Ox to the edge of the crowd and looked toward the center of the valley. Ten high platforms had been built there, inlaid with exquisite patterns. The materials used in their construction were definitely no ordinary iron.

"Moo~ Moo!"

Big Black Ox raised its head high and gazed at those structures from afar. Even from this distance, it could sense an immensely powerful aura. They had never seen anything like this in the mortal world.

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

A vast sound tore through the sky as a giant ship slowly sailed over. Several figures stood upon it, ethereal beyond compare, while a flag pressed onward against the raging wind.

"Green Sun Sect has arrived!"

"One of the Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Qian Kingdom!"

"A Sky Piercing Boat, heavens!"

Countless cries of amazement rose from within the valley. These independent cultivators were well-informed and immediately called out its name. Chen Xun and Big Black Ox could only keep muttering, "Wocao..."

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Four Extremely Large red spirit beasts flew across the sky, crying out sharply. Figures stood atop them, looking down upon Nine Stars Valley.

"One of the Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Qian Kingdom, Purple Cloud Sect!"

"I heard the sect has countless peerlessly beautiful Immortal Fairies. If only I could taste their fragrance..."

"Red Rain Jade Luans. Only an immortal sect of this caliber could afford to raise them."

Another wave of uproar erupted. Even spirit beasts had been dispatched—they truly had wealth to burn. The independent cultivators' yearning only deepened.

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 what those sects left behind, as though trapped in a vicious cycle.

One After Another, the Ten Great Immortal Sects made their appearances. The skies above the valley boomed without end, each display more exaggerated than the last.

They seemed to be competing with one another, yet also displaying the strength of their respective sects to the independent cultivators.

The independent cultivators were so stirred up that they panted heavily, their faces flushed red, their hearts nearly bursting with excitement. To ascend to the heavens in a single step—it was happening now!

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox had already dropped to their knees. Sweat covered their bodies, and they were even more worked up than the other independent cultivators. The "Wocao" muttered from their mouths had not stopped once.

This was far more exaggerated than when that cultivator had recruited disciples in the mountain village. This was what cultivation was supposed to be, damn it...

"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 looked at the high platforms with hopeful eyes and said dreamily, "I would say I'm willing. If there were a time limit, I hope it would be ten thousand years..."

"Moo moo!!"

Big Black Ox nodded repeatedly. It could help too. It was damn good at odd jobs, and it could plow fields.

Before the ten high platforms stood cultivators from the various sects, men and women alike. They stood with their hands behind their backs, their gazes sharp as the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm pressed down upon the independent cultivators.

Everyone's expressions changed, and their hearts calmed considerably. They all looked toward the high platforms.

"The rules remain unchanged. Anyone with a bone age below forty has the chance to pass five trials and enter an immortal sect."

An old man stood at the Very Front, channeling his magical power as he shouted, "Those interested, enter the trials! The valley closes in seven days!"

Roar!

Roar!

One low growl after another rang out. The independent cultivators' eyes reddened as they looked toward the immortal sects they favored and stepped forward.

Some immortal sects had set up arenas, while others tested spiritual roots. They differed from one another, but all sought to select disciples who stood out one in ten thousand from among the independent cultivators.

Every year, countless independent cultivators died or were injured, yet no one gave up. In the Qian Kingdom, Foundation Establishment Pills were nearly impossible to obtain. Only within the great immortal sects was there a chance.

Elders from sects both large and small also moved through the area, secretly observing the unsuccessful independent cultivators. Whenever they spotted someone they liked, they personally extended an invitation.

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

"Old Ox, let's not go."

"Moo?"

"There's no chance. We can't even pass the spiritual root test, let alone talk about strength."

Chen Xun rolled his eyes at Big Black Ox. Were they going to throw their lives away? "I suddenly found a way to make money."

"Moo?!" Big Black Ox perked up. They were desperately short of spirit stones.

Chen Xun secretly took out his little booklet, glanced around, and said, "We'll record the trials of every major sect, then analyze their pros and cons."

"Moo?"

"Didn't he say the rules remain unchanged? Once we understand the rough difficulty of these trials, we'll compile it into a booklet and sell it to the newly arrived independent cultivators!"

Chen Xun patted Big Black Ox. "Think how much time that could save them, how many casualties it could spare. Got it?!"

"Moo moo!"

Big Black Ox nudged Chen Xun, its eyes filled with excitement. You really were a great genius.

"Let's go!"

A crafty grin appeared at the corner of Chen Xun's mouth. They went first to the arenas, continuously recording the strength of the various independent cultivators and determining roughly what level of strength would ensure a stable victory.

He categorized and organized the trials of every major sect, analyzing what sort of people were more suited to each one.

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

The Ten Great Immortal Sects each drifted away with a dozen or so independent cultivators. The elders of the smaller sects also returned satisfied, while countless independent cultivators were left utterly dejected.

The independent cultivators who had died in those trials were handled afterward by people from those smaller sects, who were responsible for maintaining the valley.

"Alas, I should not have gone to the Purple Cloud Sect's trial. I wasted so much time and magical power. It simply didn't suit me!"

An independent cultivator beat his chest and stamped his feet. Another year wasted. How many years did a person have in a lifetime? Once they passed forty, there would no longer be any opportunity.

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

"Alas, if I still fail next year, I'll go enjoy the splendor of the mortal world."

"That's all I can do."

One independent 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 come to terms with it. The path of cultivation did not suit them, so they returned to the mortal world and never came back.

Yet the struggle seemed to have only just begun. Some seasoned independent cultivators over forty had come to the Ascension Convention solely to seek out prey.

Quite a few brutal battles broke out outside the valley. Chen Xun fled with Big Black Ox, their heads down. Fortunately, they were poor, so no one had set their sights on them.

"Old Ox, let's head for the outskirts of the mountain range first!"

"Moo!"

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox fled like mad. Nothing anyone did could stop them—they just ran, while the dark side of the Cultivation World had only just begun to draw back its curtain.