Chapter 13: Ghost Hand Flower (1)

Posted byYours TrulyOctober 1, 2023Posted inZanxing

The Elemental Gate remained still, not pushing anyone away.

The woman effortlessly passed through the Elemental Gate without encountering any hindrance.

“How… How is this possible?!” Wang Shao exclaimed.

“Miss is amazing! Miss has passed through that gate!” Hongsu happily celebrated with Old Niu, exchanging high-fives. “Miss must be truly exceptional!”

Duan Xiangrao furrowed her brows and turned to Wang Shao beside her, asking, “Didn’t you say her cultivation had just reached the first level of Qi Refinement?”

“That was the case,” Wang Shao replied, not paying attention to anything else. He quickly crossed the elemental gate and reached Zanxing in just a few steps, firmly grasping her wrist. “Stop!”

“What’s the matter now?” Zanxing  shook his hand off and asked.

“When did you reach Foundation Establishment? You were only at the first level of Qi Refinement before you came to Pingyang Town.”

Zanxing looked at Wang Shao in front of her. After a while, a smirk formed on her lips. “It’s all thanks to that monster in the Dusu Mountain stream that day.

“A monster?” Duan Xiangrao, who had caught up, looked skeptical. “The one called ‘Yu’?”

“I was dragged into the water by the monster, but later I managed to escape from its jaws by sheer luck and even obtained a demon pill,” Zanxing replied calmly. “Young Master Wang should also know that a demon pill is equivalent to a third-grade spiritual herb. By absorbing the elemental energy within the demon pill, it can help cultivators make breakthroughs.”

“Where is the demon pill?” Wang Shao eagerly asked, then his expression changed drastically. “You can’t be…”

“I’ve already refined it,” Zanxing said.

“Refined it?” This revelation left even Duan Xiangrao speechless.

“Young Master Wang, originally that demon pill was meant to be given to you. Unfortunately,” Zanxing gazed at Wang Shao’s pale face and spoke softly, “our marital ties have ended, and I have no other support. I had to refine the demon pill myself to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and participate in the selection competition with you.”

Wang Shao felt as though he might spew blood. One demon pill had enabled Yang Zanxing to advance from the first level of Qi Refinement to the Foundation Establishment stage. Had he absorbed the elemental energy from it, he would have undoubtedly broken through to the later stages of Foundation Establishment, and perhaps even… perhaps even reach the Golden Core stage!

This woman was truly a rare find!

Duan Xiangrao also wore an unpleasant expression. She never expected that a disfigured woman whom she had never considered significant would actually outwit them.

“The time is running out,” Zanxing nodded at him. “Young Master Wang, let’s meet on the Immortal Viewing Platform.” With that, she walked towards the Immortal Viewing Platform without looking back.

Behind her, Wang Shao clenched his fists, his eyes turning red with anger. “Wretched woman, I must kill her!”

Zanxing paid little attention to Wang Shao’s current feelings of regret. She reached the base of the Immortal Viewing Platform, where many cultivators who had passed through the elemental gate had gathered. She looked up at the disciples of the Taiyan Sect on the Immortal Viewing Platform, and the leading senior disciple of the Taiyan Sect was whispering something to a fellow disciple beside her. Suddenly, Zanxing heard someone calling her name from behind, “Yang Zanxing?”

Zanxing turned around, and standing before her was a young man of seventeen or eighteen, with a handsome and slender figure. His wheat-colored skin gave him a youthful, wild appearance that lacked the ethereal aura of a cultivator and had more of the untamed spirit of youth. He was dressed in azure martial attire with patches, and his gaze was fierce with a hint of wariness, like a young leopard cautiously facing a hunter in front of him.

Although she had never seen this person before, Yang Zanxing almost instantly understood that he was undoubtedly the original male protagonist of “At the Summit of the Nine Heavens,” Mu Cengxiao.

Because this young man’s style stood out noticeably from the other cultivators in the vicinity, even though his clothing was unremarkable, he was impossible to overlook. He radiated an aura that belonged to a protagonist.

“You’re not dead?” he exclaimed in astonishment.

“I managed to escape by a stroke of luck,” Zanxing replied, feeling somewhat puzzled. According to the original story, it was Mu Cengxiao who fell into the mountain stream. Mu Cengxiao had advanced several levels and entered the Foundation Establishment stage thanks to obtaining the Xiao Yuan Pearl, a powerful item, a “golden finger”. However, after she transmigrated into the identity of “Miss Yang,” the Xiao Yuan Pearl became hers. Without the golden finger, Mu Cengxiao should have remained a novice at the Qi Refinement stage and had no business being here.

But now, his presence here indicated that he had passed through the elemental gate, which meant that Mu Cengxiao had at least reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Could it be that he had encountered some other extraordinary opportunities during these days?

Zanxing couldn’t help but sigh. Truly, he was the male lead, always falling off cliffs to meet wise mentors, finding secret manuals in caves, with an endless supply of luck and opportunities. It was almost funny how lucky he was, making even the most privileged people envious.

“Are you also participating in the selection competition?” Mu Cengxiao seemed equally incredulous. Wasn’t Yang Zanxing just a spoiled young lady who only knew how to indulge in luxuries? She had wasted so many spirit stones and spiritual herbs, barely reaching the first level of Qi Refinement. But now, why had she come here?

“Come take a look,” Zanxing replied. She thought to herself that Mu Cengxiao had already arrived here and encountered Wang Shao. This indicated that the main storyline hadn’t changed, and they would likely end up fighting again. However, this time, she wouldn’t have to be the one to draw their enmity.

With this in mind, she said, “I’ve been disfigured, and Wang Shao and I have called off our engagement.”

Mu Cengxiao gave her a perplexed look, not understanding why she would say such a thing.

As he pondered, the last cultivator entered the elemental gate. On the Immortal Viewing Platform, Ziluo smiled and said, “It seems that everyone is ready.”

She pulled out a conical object about the size of a palm from her sleeve and tossed it onto the Immortal Viewing Platform.

In an instant, there was a thunderous roar, and the ground erupted in billowing dust. But in a moment, a massive stone mountain rose from the earth.

This stone mountain had a slender base and a broader top, at first glance resembling a gigantic white mushroom. This mushroom was slowly rotating, leaving Zanxing dumbfounded. “What is this, a spinning chair from an amusement park?”

“This is the Lianshan Flower,'” Ziluo explained with a smile, clearing up the confusion for everyone. “Can you all see the purple flowers on the mountain?”

Zanxing looked closely and finally noticed the glowing purple blossoms on the large white mushroom-mountain. The flowers on the base of the mountain were sparse, but as one ascended, the number of flowers increased.

“For today’s selection competition, you are free to climb the mountain to pick the flowers. We’ll use the time it takes for an incense stick to burn as the limit. You must climb the stone mountain without falling from it. After the incense stick burns out, we will count the Lianshan Flowers each of you holds. The top 120 participants from the top to the bottom will become disciples of our Taiyan Sect.”

Zanxing realized it was a treasure hunt combined with rock climbing. The ranking-based selection seemed fair. However, she glanced at the massive stone mountain. It appeared simple, but the rotating white mushroom could easily cause dizziness, making it unfriendly for those with acrophobia or vertigo. Moreover, to collect more flowers, one had to climb higher. With many participants, there was bound to be competition and conflicts during the flower-picking process.

The surrounding cultivators were eager and ready, itching to begin.

Ziluo smiled and said, “So, let the trial begin.”

The incense on the Immortal Viewing Platform was instantly lit.