Volume One, Chapter Three: The Grand Trial of Tai Xuan

On his way back to the mountain gate, Li Hanzhou felt an inexplicable chill. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was plotting against him behind his back.

"It couldn't be that fortune-telling auntie still thinking about me, could it?" At the thought of the lingering, hungry look the woman had given him before they parted, Li Hanzhou shuddered.

Back at the estate, Ye Yun was utterly crushed after listening to Ye Ziying. He had hoped that this time, he could finally be of help to his family and his father, but to his dismay, he had been swindled yet again. He tossed the talisman onto the table and walked away in disappointment.

"You're a grown man, yet you still let yourself be easily fooled by a roadside scammer. How did I end up with a useless son like you? Look at your sister; at your age, she was already a disciple of the Shangqing Sect, and you..." Ye Qingbei sighed, his voice thick with frustration as he stared at Ye Yun’s retreating back.

Ye Yun walked out numbly. He had heard these words so many times his ears were practically calloused. He was simply inferior to his sister—what could he do about it?

Ye Ziying said nothing, seemingly just as disappointed in her brother.

"Father, don't worry," Ye Ziying said calmly. "There is indeed a faint demonic aura in the house. I haven't located where the demon is hiding yet, but the next time it appears, I will certainly make it taste the martial arts of the Shangqing Sect."

"Good. With you here, I can rest easy," Ye Qingbei nodded with satisfaction.

It was already dusk when Li Hanzhou returned to the Changsheng Temple.

"I’m home," Li Hanzhou called out.

Hearing his voice, Shi Ming and Yun Qianzhu emerged from their rooms with marked reluctance. Every time Li Hanzhou had returned in the past, he had lost his money gambling and arrived drunk, taking his bad mood out on them. Shi Ming had once talked back and had been slapped hard for his trouble. Because of this, the sound of Li Hanzhou’s return filled them with dread.

"What are you two staring at? Come over and give me a hand," Li Hanzhou said with a smile, noticing them hiding behind a stone pedestal.

The two walked over tentatively, only to realize that Li Hanzhou didn't seem to have been drinking.

"What is this!" They stared at the meat and rice in his hands, unable to believe their eyes. As long as they could remember, Li Hanzhou had only ever taken things from the temple to sell; when had he ever brought anything back? Had he won at gambling today?

"Rice and meat. Go on, take it to the kitchen," Li Hanzhou instructed.

"Yes!"

The two carried the supplies to the kitchen. Despite their young age, they were already at the Second Grade of cultivation, and their physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, so they moved the goods with ease.

"I'll show you what I can do tonight," Li Hanzhou said, feeling quite cheerful after butchering a fat sheep. He decided to cook himself; he was truly sick of the vegetarian meals he had been eating for days.

As he spoke, he handed the candied hawthorns he had bought to Shi Ming and Yun Qianzhu. "One stick each, no fighting." With that, he headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Shi Ming and Yun Qianzhu stood frozen in place, staring at the candied hawthorns in their hands, their faces filled with terror.

"Third Senior Brother... do you think the Martial Uncle is in debt he can't pay, and he's planning to sell a cute kid like me?" Yun Qianzhu’s legs were trembling.

Shi Ming swallowed hard. "He bought food, he’s cooking, and he even had money to buy us candied hawthorns. I’m afraid he’s planning to sell me too. He’s probably already agreed on a price and taken a deposit..."

"Junior Sister, we can't just sit here and wait for our doom. The other senior brothers aren't here; we have to save ourselves!" Shi Ming said firmly.

"Third Senior Brother, this candied hawthorn is really sweet."

"..."

The next morning, at the Taixuan Sacred Land.

The Taixuan Sacred Land was one of the most powerful holy sites in the Shenque Kingdom, and its reputation was renowned even across the entire Dongyan Province. Martial arts were divided into nine grades—the first being the lowest and the ninth the highest. Those who surpassed the ninth grade reached the legendary Transcendence Realm, truly breaking the boundaries of mortals. The Taixuan Sacred Land boasted many such masters.

With dozens of sects and countless families under its banner, thousands of people had arrived to participate in the Taixuan Sacred Land’s disciple tournament. The threshold for entry was Fifth Grade cultivation. The disciples who had arrived were the elites of their respective sects, with some reaching as high as the Eighth Grade—a level sufficient to serve as an elder in smaller sects.

Walking up the mountain with the massive throng of disciples that morning, Liu Dongyue felt incredibly timid. He usually practiced in peace at his temple and rarely got into fights. The thought of competing against so many experts made him very nervous. However, touching the Seven-Treasure Gourd at his waist eased his anxiety—he had a spiritual treasure crafted by his Martial Uncle, so what did he have to fear?

"Look, there's a guy in a Taoist robe over there, and it’s all tattered," one disciple laughed.

"It really is. A Taoist practitioner? There are still pure Taoist practitioners in this day and age? I thought no one practiced Taoist arts anymore. How rare."

"Interesting."

Liu Dongyue was annoyed by being pointed at, but due to his lack of influence, he said nothing and pretended not to hear. His goal was merely to pass the trials, reach the top one thousand, and win the one thousand taels of silver. As for the five thousand taels for the top one hundred, or the even greater rewards for the top ten, he didn't even dare to dream. He knew his limits; those things had nothing to do with him.

"The rules for this Taixuan Sacred Land disciple tournament are very simple," a high-ranking elder of the Sacred Land announced, his voice drowning out everyone else. The crowd listened intently.

"In a moment, everyone will be transported to our Wind-Sand Valley. If you head north through the valley to its depths, you will find the Hundred-Withered Mountain. The first one thousand disciples to reach the mountain will receive rewards bestowed by the Taixuan Sacred Land!" the elder declared. "You may fight each other on the way, but killing is strictly forbidden, or you will be disqualified. The first disciple to reach the mountain may ascend to challenge the final three stages."

"The Taixuan Sacred Land disciples guarding these three stages will spar with you, but they will hold back, concede three moves, and suppress their cultivation to match yours. If you can defeat all three of our disciples, the Prajna Axe atop the peak will be yours!" The elder smiled. "Even if you don't pass the final stages, don't worry. The top ten will receive additional, unexpected rewards based on their ranking."

"The Prajna Axe?"

The crowd gasped. The Prajna Axe was ranked forty-seventh on the Five Continents Divine Weapon List. Anything on that list was a legendary weapon worthy of the name! To think it would be given as a prize to the first-place winner!

At these words, the eyes of the elite disciples in the crowd lit up. They were already rolling up their sleeves, determined to bring the Prajna Axe home.

Only Liu Dongyue remained indifferent. The Prajna Axe? Heh, what did that have to do with him? His goal was simply to place in the top one thousand.