Chapter 58: The Trial of the Inland Sea

Hearing Qin Haoxuan’s words, Chu Xiangzi was momentarily stunned. Murong Chao looked like the one with status, so how could…? He turned to Murong Chao. “Is he the one in charge, or are you? You seem to have a dignified air; can’t you even make your own decisions?”

His words were like a sharp knife stabbing into Murong Chao’s heart. But the truth was, Qin Haoxuan was in charge. He felt deeply humiliated but couldn’t refute him. Qin Haoxuan had helped him a great deal, and besides… Xu Yu was on his side. And where Xu Yu was concerned, Qin Haoxuan’s word was law.

But to admit it publicly? Murong Chao felt a surge of resentment. Qin Haoxuan’s words had shown him no face at all. If this continued, no matter how strong he became in the future, he would always be under his thumb. And his hopes of becoming Xu Yu’s dual cultivation partner would be dashed. What girl would choose a coward? In his eyes, the only reason Xu Yu relied on Qin Haoxuan was because he acted like a hero.

As Murong Chao hesitated, Chu Xiangzi sneered, spitting out two disdainful words: “Useless waste.”

He then turned back to Qin Haoxuan. “Are you sure you want this spirit stone? Do you dare to take it?”

“A cultivator dares to seize their destiny from the heavens. Why wouldn’t I dare to take a mere ten taels of spirit stones? Especially when it is the fruit of my own labor. Not taking it would be a disservice to myself.”

Chu Xiangzi noticed that a crowd of onlookers had gathered. He sized up Qin Haoxuan and, from the whispers of the crowd, finally realized who he was. This was the boy who had caused his master so much trouble recently. And Gu Xiaoyun had been crippled because of him. Well, well, well.

He nodded slowly. You embarrassed my master and now you defy me. To soothe my master’s anger, I’ll have to teach you a lesson myself. It’s a matter of filial piety.

“Qin Haoxuan, is it? I’ll remember you. You just wait,” he said, his voice laced with threat as he tried to salvage his pride before turning to leave.

Qin Haoxuan calmly picked up the spirit stone from the ground and blew the dust off it. “Senior Brother Chu,” he said softly, “Gu Xiaoyun said the same thing to me. I’m sure you know how he ended up. I advise you not to make the same mistake. Taichu has rules. If you don’t know who I am, you can ask about the fate of the Yuan brothers. To be turned into an imbecile with your cultivation crippled… it’s not a pleasant feeling.”

Chu Xiangzi’s fists clenched. If not for the sect’s rules, he would have killed him on the spot. A disciple who hadn’t even completed the Trial of the Immortal Path dared to threaten him!

Just as he was thinking of a way to teach him a lesson, the door to Xu Yu’s room creaked open. Hearing the confrontation, she could no longer sit still. Fearing that Chu Xiangzi would harm him, she and Luo Jinhua came out to back him up.

Seeing Xu Yu emerge, Chu Xiangzi was momentarily captivated. Next to the bewitching beauty of Luo Jinhua, Xu Yu was like a lotus flower rising from the water, her elegant and tranquil temperament soothing to the soul. Although not stunningly beautiful, she was the type who grew more beautiful the more you looked at her.

Xu Yu walked directly to Qin Haoxuan’s side. “Brother Haoxuan, is this person bothering you?”

Qin Haoxuan just shook his head.

Just as he was about to leave, Chu Xiangzi put on a smile. “Junior Sister Xu, hello. I didn’t realize the corn was yours yesterday, which led to a small misunderstanding. Please don’t mind it.”

Xu Yu smiled faintly. “I am aware of the matter. But you don’t need to speak to me. You can discuss it with Brother Haoxuan. He represents me completely.”

Being so gently rebuffed, Chu Xiangzi felt even more uncomfortable. This girl’s attitude towards Qin Haoxuan was truly special. If I could get her as my dual cultivation partner…

The thought, which he had never had before, suddenly leaped into his mind.

That’s right! Dual cultivation with her is the best shortcut! He glanced at Qin Haoxuan. But their relationship is clearly unusual. I have to get rid of him. How could a mere weak seed be worthy of an Unsurpassed Purple Seed?

He didn’t linger. He tossed the spirit stone on the ground and left in a hurry. He couldn’t afford to lose any more face by brawling with a group of new disciples.

Murong Chao watched him leave, then looked at Xu Yu, who was now talking affectionately with Qin Haoxuan, and the jealousy in his heart churned.

Back in his own residence, Chu Xiangzi’s mood only worsened. His menial disciple followers stood by, not daring to make a sound, lest they become the target of his anger.

The oppressive atmosphere was unbearable. They knew someone was about to suffer.

A few of them stepped forward. “Senior Brother Chu, you don’t have to be so angry. Have you forgotten about the Trial of the Immortal Path that all new disciples must undergo after their first three months? With your cultivation, you will surely be a team leader. If you can arrange to be their team leader, won’t it be easy to take care of him quietly and vent your anger?”

At this reminder, Chu Xiangzi smacked himself on the head.

That’s right! How could I forget the Trial of the Immortal Path? It was a trial that all new disciples had to face, testing not only their cultivation progress but also sometimes involving combat against weak demons to make them understand the harsh realities of cultivation.

The disciples would be divided into teams of 20, each led by a volunteer from the Spirit Sprout Realm.

If I can become Qin Haoxuan’s team leader, killing him during the trial would be child’s play. And if I do a few small favors for Xu Yu then, won’t she become mine? And if she becomes my dual cultivation partner, my dream of becoming the Sect Master will be within reach.

“But only those at the Twentieth-Leaf or below can enter…” he muttered, his own cultivation was too high.

After Chu Xiangzi left, Luo Jinhua also prepared to depart. She finalized a long-term agreement to purchase their grain and then said to the trio, “In a little over a month, it will be time for the Trial of the Immortal Path. You must all increase your strength as quickly as possible and be careful.”

Seeing her rare, serious expression, Qin Haoxuan asked, “Senior Sister Luo, could you please explain the trial in more detail?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “Within the territory of our Great Islet Mountain, there is a lake called Sun Moon Lake. It is so vast that we call it the Little Inland Sea.”

“This Little Inland Sea is full of mystery. Some ancient expert used their great power to build a manor at the bottom of the lake. This Aqueous Manor is even larger than our sect’s Taichu Treasure Hall, but it only appears at the bottom of the lake for a few days at the beginning of each spring before vanishing again.”

Her description left them spellbound. What kind of power would it take to build such a structure?

“That’s not even the most peculiar part. The entire lake is made of Spirit Spring water, and the manor itself is a giant spirit gathering formation that produces a Spirit Liquid. This liquid can be used in alchemy to refine pills that can extend one’s lifespan by 50 to 100 years. However, it takes 100 years’ worth of liquid to refine just one or two of these pills. And your Trial of the Immortal Path will be held in this magical Aqueous Manor.”

Time and aptitude. Besides a firm will to seek the Dao, these were the most important things for a cultivator.

“So, every year when the lake opens, won’t all the sect’s seniors flock there to collect the liquid?” Qin Haoxuan asked, still unable to understand why such a precious place would be used for a trial for new disciples.

Luo Jinhua chuckled. “Junior Brother Qin is very sharp. You’ve hit upon the key point. The Aqueous Manor is incredibly mysterious. Only those at or below the Twentieth-Leaf Spirit Sprout Realm can enter. Anyone stronger will trigger the formation and be killed. A senior elder once tried to enter with a powerful magic treasure, but he died, and the treasure was destroyed.”

“Then why not just replicate the formation?”

“Even our sect’s Grand Ancestors cannot fully comprehend it, let alone replicate it. So, during the few days it appears, it serves as the site for the trial, while teams of disciples are sent in to collect the liquid. But don’t worry, after many years of exploration, we have confirmed that there are no dangers inside.”

“I see!” they said in unison.

After talking for a while longer, Luo Jinhua took her leave. She gave Qin Haoxuan a low-grade spirit stone. “Please take this as a deposit for your future harvests. The doors of the Hundred Flowers Hall are always open to you.”

Qin Haoxuan accepted it without ceremony and politely saw her off.